How to Tell if Your Siding Needs to Be Replaced

• If your home has older siding it may be cracked, separating from the side of your home, with peeling paint and missing panels. Other signs of siding failure include the appearance of fungus, swelling, delaminating, and moisture showing up on the inside of your house.

Here are five tips to help you decide whether your home’s existing siding needs to be replaced:

Perform an inspection of any siding that appears warped. Using a screwdriver, poke beneath the warped siding and note how firm the layer under the siding feels. If this layer feels rotted or soft in any way, it’s probably time to replace your siding.
Peeling paint or sagging wallpaper inside your home may indicate your aging siding is allowing moisture to seep beneath it and into your wallboard. The moisture can damage your home’s interior walls.
Another sign that your siding allows too much moisture into your home’s walls is mold or mildew formation on the exterior of your siding. While not always a sign of failing siding, mold or mildew often signifies additional issues and should be a cause for further investigation.
Dry rot, one of the more common problems with wood siding, is not always visible to the naked eye. To detect it, tap various areas of the siding with the bottom of a screwdriver or light hammer to expose an area that has succumbed to dry rot, as only the topmost layer of siding will be intact.
If dry rot is discovered, you may be able to get away with just replacing the damaged sections. But we recommend a full replacement because dry rot may compromise the structural integrity of your home.

Choosing the Right Siding Materials

Naturally, one of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make when choosing new siding for your home is selecting a material. There are many options to choose from, and the best choice will depend not only on what benefits you’d like to get from the siding but also on how much effort you’re willing to exert in order to maintain it. Here are some factors that should come into play when making your decision:

• Not all siding performs well in all climate zones. Ask your contractor what type of siding would be best suited to your climate, taking into account not only heat and humidity but the preponderance of termites as well. Also, you may want to consider insulated siding if energy efficiency is a top concern.
• How much upkeep are you willing to commit to? Wood siding will require the most amount of maintenance, while vinyl siding will need the least. Fiber cement siding falls in the middle; while it needs the occasional paint job, it resists insects and water damage.
• Financial concerns often restrict a homeowner’s options when it comes to a project as large as siding a house. It’s important to keep in mind how your new siding will affect your home’s value. What may seem like a big expense for high-quality materials should also be viewed a wise investment in your home.

Siding is often the first thing people notice about your home. With careful planning and a good contractor, you can ensure that your home’s siding is a source of pride.

Contact Amazing Exteriors for the Best Siding in Texas!

Find out more about your home siding options by calling us at (817) 756-4004 to get a free siding estimate.