It’s certainly important that your home be sturdy and capable of withstanding all sorts of conditions that the weather and the environment may throw at it. Over time, however, the home eventually wears down.
As the home grows older, rotten, missing or severely cracked siding begins to pose a threat to the “soundness” of your home’s structure. Compromised siding allows water to seep into the home’s sub-structure and weaken its foundation. It’s for this reason that siding repair and replacement is one of the top priority projects among homeowners.
It’s easy to tell when your siding requires replacement or repair, because your home itself will tell you so. Here are some of the most common indications:
- Frequent repainting of the home is needed
- High heating and cooling bills
- Rotting or warping
- Cracked or loose siding
- Peeling paint or loose wallpaper inside the home
- Fungus, mold, and mildew
- Severe fading
- Bubbles in siding
- Holes in siding
- Dry rot
The good news is, isn’t too difficult to find the best siding material for your home. Preferred by the majority of Americans because it’s both affordable and easy to maintain, vinyl siding leads the pack of favored siding materials, for many reasons.
For one thing, vinyl siding installs quickly, and is much more affordable than other siding materials on the market. Moreover, the material isn’t just easy to install, you can even install it over existing materials. It is a good retrofit option that helps you save significantly on labor costs.
Vinyl siding doesn’t need any painting, so contactors can avoid painting-related scheduling delays that are often caused by cold and wet winters. It’s low-maintenance and only requires periodic (annual) cleaning with mild soap and water. Moreover, it is not susceptible to problems associated with rotting, cracking or insect damage.
The material is available in a great variety of colors and faux wood grain finishes to mimic natural materials. Newer generations of vinyl are also less prone to fading.
Vinyl is durable and can easily withstand high winds. It’s also resistant to heat, cold, and moisture, boasting consistently high performance capabilities over long periods of time.
Insulated vinyl is also considered a green option with its ability to reduce thermal bridging. It’s on the list of building products that can help you meet the requirements as an ENERGY STAR® Qualified Home.
Apart from cheaper material costs, vinyl siding also has the lowest total installed cost of any exterior cladding. It boasts the lowest life cycle cost over the life of a home. Not surprisingly, as with roofing and gutter replacement and repair, siding projects are ranked among the top home improvement projects for recouping cost at the time of resale.
This brings this 3-part e-book to an end. Here’s to the successful completion of whichever of the three projects you choose to take on!