House siding does the important job of protecting your house from the elements, and it works hard at this task daily. Sun, wind, rain, snow – Mother Nature does her thing and eventually she will have far more power than siding. But weather problems aren’t the only threat to your home’s exterior. Recognize the most common causes of siding damage so you can keep the inevitable at bay and reach out to a professional for necessary siding repairs.
1. Poor Installation
You want to trust that the siding installer you hired to take care of your home is trustworthy, experienced, and good at what they do. Unfortunately, this isn’t always how things pan out and poor installation is the result, which can lead to serious problems like warping and buckling. These issues are not only unattractive they are a logistical nightmare that can lead to water or pests behind the siding. Always do your research about a siding installer and make sure you’re working with a professional who has the certifications, ratings, and reviews for high-quality work.
2. Bad Weather
You can’t control everything about your home, and what weather does to its exterior is out of your hands. Excellent siding and siding installation can withstand much of what the elements dish out – most siding is rate for winds up to 100 miles per hour – but extreme weather does occur. From wind to snow, ice to hail, your siding can suffer tears, dents, breaks, and weakness that can lead to bigger problems later even if they don’t seem like a huge issue right now. It’s always a good idea to contact your siding company after a severe storm for an assessment – better to fix small things now than major problems later.
3. Pests
Vinyl siding is pretty indestructible, but pests have their ways of getting into places they’re not supposed to go. Carpenter bees, termites, beetles, and even certain birds commonly cause siding damage. If you are fighting with nature on behalf of your siding, reach out to a pest control specialist to address the immediate problem, then get your siding company to repair the damaged areas.
4. Lack of Maintenance
When is the last time your house got a bath? Modern siding products are pretty low maintenance but dirt, debris, and pollen are in the air. Power washing is a good way to keep your siding free from build up and to discover any areas that require attending from a siding expert. If you want to be even more on top of things, schedule annual inspections with your siding company, at the very least after a big storm, so you can avoid emergency situations.
5. Excess Moisture
A waterproof barrier is an essential piece of siding installation to prevent moisture from getting trapped in your siding and leading to mold or warping. Proper airflow is a necessity to prevent problems from developing. If you have trees and plants close to the house or touching the siding, these issues can also develop.
Siding damage happens – but getting it taken care of sooner rather than later is the key to only needing siding repairs and avoiding major siding replacement jobs. If you’re having trouble or need maintenance on your home, contact The Modern Pros for an inspection and professional, reliable service.
