Top 5 Signs Your Siding Needs to be Replaced
Buying a home is an exciting event, and it’s easy to get caught up in the fun and novelty of the new place. Picking out furniture, choosing decor, deciding which appliances work best, and generally getting settled in is not only a great experience; it’s a lifetime milestone for many people. But often, new homeowners get caught up in the excitement of the moment and don’t give any thought to the kind of maintenance that will be needed on that home over the coming years. Eventually, things start to wear out. That’s when unpleasant surprises occur, and they may wake up one day to the fact that the house is starting to look worn and shabby. That’s when they realize it might be time for new siding.
Homeowners in Liberty, Lee’s Summit, and Kansas City, MO, will be glad to know there are professionals in the Kansas City metro area that they can turn to for advice on siding replacement. Here at Energy Pro Windows and Siding, we’re always happy to come out to assess a homeowner’s specific situation and help them decide if it’s time for a siding replacement or not. We’ve put together a list of the top 5 signs to look for to determine whether it’s time to replace your siding. Read on for more information.
Your House Looks Tired
A good sign that it’s time for a siding replacement is when your house starts to look tired. It has a sleepy look to it that generally comes from faded siding. Even the best siding starts to look worn, and colors fade over time. If your house was a neutral color to begin with, you don’t notice this as much. Faded gray still looks gray. But if you look closely, you’ll probably see parts of the siding that have gotten less sun than others. Those portions of the siding are nearer the original color. New high-quality siding is designed to retain its color over many years, and new color technology has produced an array of colors that stay true longer. Replacing faded siding with a different color can make a house look brand new, giving it the facelift it deserves.
Siding Shows Obvious Signs of Age
Another sign that it might be time for siding replacement is when you notice boards that have cracks, are loose, or are completely missing. This is a more visible issue, but again, these changes take place over a long period of time. When you see your home every day, you become familiar with how it looks. It’s only when you walk around with the intention of inspecting it for damage that you realize the true condition of the siding or any other aspect of the exterior. Any damaged or missing boards should be replaced as soon as possible. Since siding is meant to keep water out of your home, it needs to be airtight. Cracks, fissures, and missing boards give water many opportunities to make its way into the home, thereby opening it up to moisture issues on the inside. Moisture can lead to mold and mildew growth and can cause paint and wallpaper to peel on the interior walls.
A Bubble Equals Trouble
Bubbles and blisters mean that the surface of the siding has been broken down by too much sun and/or water. The paint on the surface of the siding is starting to lift, and this is what creates that blistered look. This is another signal that it’s time to consider replacement siding. When moisture gets trapped under the paint surface, it causes continued deterioration of the siding. It contributes to cracking and rotting boards, which eventually weaken to the point that they fall off, allowing moisture to get into the house. This situation only gets worse as time moves on, so if you see this situation on your home, it’s time to call Energy Pro for a quote.
Dents and Dings
If your neighborhood has recently weathered a hail storm, look closely at your siding to see whether you have hail-sized dings and dents on the boards. While small blemishes like these may not seem like reason to panic, it’s a good idea to call your insurance company and have them take a look at it. Experienced insurance adjusters know what to look for and often spot hail damage even when it’s difficult for you to see it. Insurance companies know that even small dings and dents eventually lead to siding failure. If you’ve gone through a hail storm in the past year, have it checked out. It might mean a siding replacement is in order.
Heating and Cooling Bills are on the Rise
Does it seem like your heating and cooling bills are higher on average than they used to be? This might not be the result of rising energy costs. It could be that your siding is starting to wear down. Siding is designed to protect your home from outside elements: wind, rain, sun, hail, snow. Old siding will eventually wear out, and when it does, your home is no longer as protected as it needs to be. The insulation in the boards isn’t doing the job anymore. If you’ve noticed a rise in your energy bills, give the professionals at Energy Pro a call so they can come out and take a look at your existing siding. They’ll assess the condition and let you know whether it’s time for a siding replacement job or not.
Don’t Delay – Call Today
If you’ve been living in your home in Prairie Village, Leawood, Overland Park, or Olathe, KS – or anywhere else in the Kansas City metro area, for that matter – and haven’t taken a good look at the exterior of your house lately, now is the time to do it. If you see any of the signs of wear mentioned above on your home’s siding, it’s probably time to talk to Energy Pro about replacing it. They’ve been working with homeowners in Kansas City for many years and are the experts when it comes to siding replacement
. Give them a call today. Soon that old siding will be a thing of the past, and your home will look brand new again!
