Does Your House Need a Face Lift? It’s Time for Siding Replacement!

Your home is a place you should feel proud to live in. When you view the outside, does the siding look straight, clean, and bright? Or is your home starting to look dated, old, and dilapidated? Is it time for siding replacement?

Most of the time, homeowners approach us for siding replacement due to cosmetic reasons. They want to increase the curb appeal and value of their home, so it needs a little facelift.

And while the look of your home often indicates when it’s time for siding replacement, there are other reasons to replace your siding beyond the aesthetic. Here’s how to tell if it’s time for siding replacement and what the process look likes when you contact Weather Tight.

How to Know if It’s Time for Siding Replacement

When customers approach us, they’re often hoping for a fresh look for their home. They may have old cedar siding that’s faded or cracked. Their aluminum siding may have dents, bubbling, and chipped paint. In Wisconsin, they may have the old “chalet style” homes with cement board and cedar trim (quite a popular look in the mid-twentieth century).

No matter what the current façade of your home looks like, one universal truth applies: if you’re no longer proud of the way your home looks, it’s probably time to consider new siding.

A facelift in the form of an exterior update restores your pride in your beautiful home. New siding increases your curb appeal and can increase the resale value of your house. Better yet, it’s a lower-maintenance solution. Many homeowners are simply tired of the effort and upkeep required to maintain older, deteriorating exterior materials.

Siding replacement also improves the insulation of your home. With breathable Tyvek house wraps installed under the siding, you’ll avoid heat loss and air infiltration. You’ll save energy and keep your home more comfortable with brand-new siding.

There are other underlying factors that siding replacement addresses as well. For example, during the replacement process, many homeowners are surprised to discover rotting, mildewed siding or cement board, insect infestations, small birds, and other critters who have built nests in the walls of their homes. With cedar homes, many homeowners complain about the noise from woodpeckers who want to get at the bugs inside the walls. The solution isn’t to deter the noisy birds but to address the underlying issue of the bugs inside your siding.

We hear many different concerns from homeowners—bugs, birds, cold and uncomfortable rooms. That’s why it’s important to call a professional if you notice any type of concern. Siding that’s falling off, paint that’s bubbling or cracking, and dented or damaged siding all indicate bigger problems.

The good news is siding replacement is surprisingly affordable. Better yet, it’s an investment in your home, giving it an instant modern update. Siding offers effortless upkeep as well.

When you decide that it’s time for siding replacement, you’re investing in the future resale value of your house. You’re also saving yourself the time, energy, and stress that comes from maintaining older house materials. Replacement siding is an all-around smart investment.

Your Initial Consultation: Deciding on Siding Replacement

When you call Weather Tight to consult about siding replacement, we’ll schedule a visit with an expert representative who will come to your home.

During the initial assessment visit, your Weather Tight representative will ask many questions about your needs, wants, and the desired look for your home exterior. They will walk around with you, inspecting and examining your current exterior finish and helping to identify any issues like rot, insect infestations, and moisture problems.

Your Weather Tight representative will also take measurements to determine how much siding is needed for your home. They’ll help you decide on the type of siding to best suits your needs and the timeframe for scheduling your replacement. Siding season is year-round, weather permitting.

Spring is often a prime time for siding orders, as homeowners assess damage from the winter months. When we spend time outside, we start to notice areas where our homes could use an update. Fall is another popular time for siding installation. We all nest in the fall as we prepare for wintertime, but it is important to consider any time of year as a time to review your siding.

A siding install from start to finish can usually be completed in about one week (obviously depending on the materials, size of the job, and weather. On average, expect installers to be there for 5-10 days as they complete the job. The only restrictions homeowners may face is where to put the dumpster and occasionally, mother nature brings on a thunderstorm that may cause some delays! You stay in your house and watch the process, so there’s no need to find a place to stay during the installation process.

 

What Type of Home Siding Should I Choose?

Even if your home features an outdated color, peeling, or unattractive paint, it’s a lot of work to update the exterior. If the updates aren’t carried out by a professional, you may also run into issues down the line.

Fortunately, there are different types of maintenance-free siding available to address many of your concerns and beautify your home’s exterior. When you decide it’s time for siding replacement, consider your best options.

Vinyl

Vinyl siding has the appearance of a real cedar-sided home. It’s very beautiful, durable, and aesthetically pleasing. With vinyl, there’s an application of foam backing on each piece, giving it the rigidity and stiffness to protect against warping and waving. The foam backing acts as insulation, adding another blanket of protection for the outside of your home. Vinyl comes with a lifetime warranty as long as you live in your home (and for one more consecutive homeowner if transferred correctly with the manufacturer).

Engineered Wood (Diamond Kote Siding)

Another great option favored by many planned communities and homeowner associations is engineered wood siding. This siding offers a very natural look that meets HOA guidelines. Painted with a special long-lasting Diamond Kote paint, our engineered wood siding comes with a 30-year warranty against peeling and fading. This looks like real cedar siding and it’s beautiful.

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Want to more about the advantages of engineered wood siding? Check out this Tod & Todd’s Home Improvement Tips video for more!

 

 

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The Siding Installation Process

Once you’ve decided on the siding that’s right for your home, your siding lead installer and/or project manager will go through the entire process with you to ensure you’re on the same page and you’re satisfied with the product. You’ll get plenty of updates throughout the process—we always keep you in the loop.

To start, our installation team will take off your old siding. A good siding installer will never go over the top of existing siding. Laying siding over the top of your previous exterior finish may seem like a fast solution but it’s really only covering up a problem like a band-aid covers a wound. A reputable installer will find the root of the problem and address it from scratch. This protects your investment and the life of your home.

Once the old siding is removed, they will lay the Tyvek—a protective home wrap that blocks moisture from entering your home. Tyvek is a one-way breathing material that allows vapor from the inside of the house to escape but doesn’t allow moisture to get in. It’s a perfect weather barrier that adds to the insulation (and temperature control) of your home.

When the Tyvek is down, they will start to install the new siding. First, they will install the trim and then lay in the siding, ensuring the finish is waterproof and beautiful.

Your replacement siding process depends on the material you choose, the size of your home, and other factors. Fortunately, the process isn’t disruptive to your day-to-day living. You can live in your home comfortably while the installation is taking place.

If you’re ready to schedule an update to your home, it’s a great time! Call Weather Tight to assess your home’s exterior and help you decide if it’s time for siding replacement.