Your siding plays an important role in protecting your home from the elements and adding aesthetics. With new siding, you can significantly increase your property’s value, enhance its energy efficiency, and provide better protection from the weather elements.
There are various types of siding materials, including fiber cement, wood, and engineered wood. Because siding covers a substantial area of your home, updating it is often a substantial investment.
Why Siding is Important
Your home’s siding offers the following benefits:
1. Protects your Home as a Waterproof Envelope
Siding forms part of the waterproof envelope protecting your home from rainwater and moisture. While your roof and gutter systems might act as the first line of defense against the elements, siding also plays a critical role when it comes to keeping your house’s interior dry.
Without proper siding, moisture can cause the interior of your home to deteriorate. It can cause excessive damage to cement and masonry, doors, windows, and even the foundation. Poor siding can also trigger serious mold problems in your home. Typically, siding seals out moisture and waterproofs your home, hence increasing the longevity of your home.
2. Protection Against Pests
Other than keeping your home dry, siding protects your building from pest infestation by effectively sealing the exterior of your house. Modern siding materials such as engineered wood and fiber cement are designed to last longer with minimal maintenance, helping to resist cracks and warping which often create avenues for pests to penetrate.
3. Improves Insulation and Enhances Energy Efficiency
Siding acts as your home’s first line of defense against extreme weather elements such as heat and strong winds. All these elements impact the overall energy efficiency of your home and influence your energy bills. Different siding materials offer varying levels of insulation, so consult your siding specialist about which material will best work for your home.
To further reduce heat loss and gain through your home’s outer envelope, it is good practice to combine energy-efficient siding materials with rigid foam insulation and house wrap.
4. Improves your Home’s Curb Appeal
Of course, new siding also improves your home’s curb appeal. Fortunately, there are a myriad of siding materials to choose from, including fiber cement, wood, and engineered wood depending on your preference.
When to Replace Siding
While new siding might look beautiful and polished, they’re not meant to last a lifetime. Over time, weather elements and impact can wear down or damage your siding.
When you notice any of the following issues with your siding, it could be time to find a reputable home exterior contractor to replace them.
- Peeling and Flaking Paint – Although most siding materials come pre-primed from the factory, you may need to repaint your siding after about 15 years depending on the formulation. Age will also cause the paint to peel, flake off, or blister, calling for a full replacement.
- Rot – When wood siding takes on water and cannot properly dry out, they will begin to rot. This is triggered naturally by wood-decay fungi which usually thrive in moist conditions. If not addressed on time, rot can quickly spread and destroy your siding, calling for a replacement.
- Breaks, Cracks, and Visible Damage – Harsh storms can break, crack, or damage your siding material and require a replacement. Always inspect your siding after heavy storms to identify boards or panels which might require replacement.
- Warping – If your fiber cement, engineered wood, or wood boards or panels are no longer lying perfectly flat, it could be a warning sign moisture is taking a toll on your siding. Have a professional siding installer investigate the issue and recommend whether it’s time for repair or replacement.
- Moisture and Mold Inside the House – When you notice moisture and mold appearing on your interior walls or the edges of your ceiling, it could point to problems with the wall system between your siding and the exterior wall surface. Have an expert exterior home contractor get to the root of the issue and recommend the right way to fix it.
Insurance Coverage and Siding Replacement
Generally, if your siding is damaged by high winds your homeowner’s insurance should cover the cost of replacement. However, finding replacement siding to perfectly match your remaining healthy siding can be difficult.
In many cases, homeowners may have to pay out of pocket the cost of replacing the otherwise healthy siding to ensure the entire house has matching siding materials. Talk to your siding expert to know what options are there for you.
Straight Line Roofing & Construction Can Help!
Straight Line Roofing & Construction is your ultimate provider of high-quality wood, engineered wood, and fiber cement siding in Sacramento, CA. We have years of experience installing different siding options and architectural moldings for the exterior of homes. Stop by our Sacramento, CA, showroom to shop with our experts and boost your house’s curb appeal!
