A Comprehensive Guide on Siding Repair and Siding Replacement

Have you noticed certain sections of your Nashville home’s siding rotting or breaking? Damaged siding can result in an array of complications for Goodlettsville / Nashville homeowners because pests, dirt, and water quickly tend to get into these homes if they have even a slightly broken section, let alone a huge one.

Homeowners and business owners in Goodlettsville and surrounding Nashville areas can always turn to a reliable siding company like Handyman Goodlettsville, TN, to seek professional help and guidance if they ever need siding repair or siding replacement. So, if you need to get your home’s siding repaired or replaced for good and don't know how to proceed, here is the ultimate guide for you.

Types of Siding

Siding is a layer of protection for homes. Unfortunately, these sidings often take a thrashing on an annual basis as a courtesy of natural events such as the scorching sun, rain, wind, freezing cold, and snow.

Hence, replacing siding or making repairs is a standard part of maintaining your home's siding. Before moving to the main topic, it is essential to know the most popular types of sidings available for homeowners.

Each kind of siding has its own pros and cons. Hence, considering your home's siding type enables you to choose between siding repairs vs. siding replacement.

If you opt for siding replacement, staying up to date on the latest siding products is always best. Here are the most popular siding types you can choose from.

● Wood Siding

Wood siding is the most trending choice of siding for the majority of homeowners. It is an all-time classic as it adds timeless beauty and gives a more natural look to your home. Wood siding has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

For instance, it is relatively easy to paint, and you can stain or paint it in any color to suit your liking. You can opt for a clean stain if you want a natural look and protect the wood.

Moreover, wood siding is environment friendly. Most homeowners prefer using eco-friendly materials, and wood is one of them. It is a renewable resource, requires less energy than petroleum siding options, and is biodegradable.

On top of that, wood siding is relatively easy to replace or repair when damaged. You only need to fill tiny gaps or holes with putty or replace the boards when there is excessive damage to the siding. Still, a significant drawback of this type of siding is its price.

Wood siding can be an incredibly costly siding option for the majority of homeowners. But, it is also an excellent investment if you intend to stay in your home for a long duration.

You must either stain or paint the wood siding every 3-7 years, depending on the weather conditions of your location. This safeguards the wood siding from pests, dirt, and rot.

● Vinyl Siding

As opposed to wood, vinyl siding is relatively inexpensive, making it a popular choice for most homeowners. It is also simple to maintain and easy to install. Still, just like other materials, it has pros and cons.

Unlike wood, vinyl siding doesn’t require painting or staining. Instead, the color is baked into the materials and doesn’t scratch or come off the siding. But, it might fade with time. Vinyl siding has a slick surface, which can be easily washed down with a hose and requires low maintenance.

While amateurs can install vinyl siding on their own, it is still recommended to hire a siding expert for accurate fitting.

Improper siding installation can cause it to crack, bulge, or warp. Vinyl siding might start showing signs of aging after 10-15 years. In addition, washing your siding with high pressure can cause cracks if done incorrectly.

Side planks can split in half due to the expansion and contraction caused by changes in temperature. It's important to note that vinyl siding cannot be repaired, and you will need to get the whole plank replaced.

Besides, vinyl siding is not very eco-friendly, either. The process of producing vinyl siding generates an abundance of greenhouse gasses. It even consumes a lot of energy in the process.

● Engineered Wood or Fiber Cement

Engineered wood, commonly known as fiber cement siding, is inexpensive and easy to install and maintain. Wood chips are trussed together by resin to create fiber cement siding. A resin binder coats the boards and packs them together into shape. These boards are available in various colors and have a grain-like appearance.

Engineered wood costs about half the price of real wood siding and is lighter, so it can be installed easily. Moreover, it is often supported with a warranty. The only drawback of engineered wood is that it is susceptible to moisture.

Due to product failures, there have been many class-action lawsuits in search of damages from companies that produced engineered wood. In general, engineered products can be considered eco-friendly since they’re created and managed responsibly.

Like engineered wood, fiber cement is known for its unique curing process, making it easy to paint and resistant to warping. It is highly durable and inexpensive. Still, it is also susceptible to moisture and takes special equipment to install since it is relatively heavy.

● Stone Veneer

Finally, stone veneer is a decorative type of siding for homes. It mimics the look of natural stone. It’s composed of Portland cement, and artificial or natural pigments poured into molds shaped like stones. Stone veneer siding tends to last long when installed and looked after well.

The most significant plus point of stone veneer is that it’s more cost-effective than natural stone. It’s also light in weight and can be easily installed by a proficient contractor.

Stone veneer is produced in vast quantities, and if you see it up close, you’ll notice the pieces are of the same size and shape. However, some stone veneer permits moisture to get in between and can result in potential problems with mold or mildew.

Factors That Hint Towards Siding Repair or Replacement

If you're considering new siding, it’s crucial to thoroughly examine your home from a distance and up close and check for signs of damaged siding. When your siding is near the end of its lifespan, it will become evident as it starts to show up in various ways.

Some of the most prominent indicators that tell you it is time for a siding repair or siding replacement include the following:

● Holes and Cracks

Holes and cracks frequently occur in vinyl sidings but can also be possible with other types of sidings. It’s relatively easy for dirt, rocks, or debris to fly up and knock your home’s siding. As a result, this can leave a chip, crack, or hole behind.

Dents, cracks, and chips can potentially result in more significant problems than they may be visible at first. Even if it is a tiny hole, you must consider it more than a minor imperfection in the look of your home.

They can significantly compromise your home’s structural integrity if not fixed right away. This is because holes, gaps, or any sort of opening can allow dirt, moisture, and pests to enter. These weak spots also allow water to be trapped beneath the siding.

Unfortunately, repairing vinyl siding to fix a hole or gap is impossible. Hence, you will have to get the entire board replaced. Fortunately, this can be easily fixed because all it takes is removing the compromised board and inserting a new vinyl board.

Whenever you observe cracks or holes, it’s best to repair them immediately to prevent any damage from occurring further.

● Rotten Boards

If you observe a particular area of your home’s siding that is rotting, it’s quite evident that it is time to call in an expert for a repair. This commonly occurs with wood siding since it is particularly vulnerable to moisture damage.

Though it is relatively easy to fix, its ease or difficulty depends on how far the rot has gotten. To look for rotten boards, you must inspect the exterior of your home and look for boards that are beginning to rot or are crumbling.

If the rotting is in a single area, it is possible to repair the specific boards. However, if the rotting has started to spread in other areas, then you may have to consider replacing the entire exterior siding.

The rotten boards must be replaced with a special, rot-resistant material because they can endure moisture and safeguard your siding from decay.

● Mold and Mildew

Exposure to moisture is yet another prevalent issue of siding. Moisture serves as the breeding ground for mildew and mold. You must act spontaneously to solve the issue if you discover even so much of a hint of mold or mildew in your siding.

Do a complete examination of your home’s exterior to see to what extent the problem has spread. If you observe a damaged spot, chances are the problem area has been discovered. Damaged siding enables moisture to make its way inside.

If moisture enters your siding, you can well expect mold and mildew to spread across your home’s exterior. Depending on the extent of the mold or mildew spread, you might need to get the exterior siding replaced.

Once the exterior siding becomes molded, there’s not much anyone can do to fix the damage. It is vital to be vigilant towards areas of damaged siding and get them repaired before it’s too late.

Moreover, it’s also recommended to watch out for signs of mold in your home’s interior. Also, if the walls of your home, where the siding is on the opposite side, have any tiny black spots or specs, it can be mold. Finally, check out for the wallpaper sliding off the walls and for other indicators of moisture in your home’s interior.

● Steep Increase in Energy Bills

Have you noticed your energy bills escalating unexpectedly? If yes, it indicates that it’s time to replace your siding. If you feel drafts around the electrical switchboards or near windows and your energy bill has also exceeded more than usual, it’s likely there’s an underlying problem.

These signs indicate that your siding has become old and outdated and can no longer do its job. Chances are you can witness a significant difference by replacing your old siding with new siding. Moreover, it can save you considerable money on air and heating.

It’s best to invest in Energy Star-rated insulation materials and sidings, as there’s no harm in choosing an attractive siding that simultaneously helps you save money.

● Bubbles or Blisters

Blisters or bubbles are other prevalent issues on older vinyl siding. They usually happen during the warm summer when water gets trapped underneath the siding and evaporates.

● Warped Boards

When you stroll around the outdoor area of your home, observe your siding from various angles up close, such as bulging or warped boards that are sticking out or boards not lying flat. Often, these boards are the tip of the iceberg and indicate a more significant problem.

When you notice a warped board, you can always expect some kind of damage behind it. Fortunately, in most cases, these boards can be easily repaired. A professional siding company, such as Handyman Goodlettsville, TN, can quickly diagnose the issue and proceed with the solution.

Siding Repair Vs. Siding Replacement: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between a siding repair or a siding replacement is often a matter of debate. It all comes down to questions such as:

⮚ Is siding replacement possible in this situation?

⮚ How long does the siding last?

⮚ Is it possible to repair the siding on your own?

⮚ How will you know it's time to quit making minor repairs and entirely replace your siding?

There are a handful of things you must take into consideration to make your decision. For instance, it is possible to repair the siding of your home. However, every siding repair is almost equivalent to a small-scale siding replacement. In reality, “siding repair” indicates replacing just a tiny section of siding instead of replacing it entirely.

It is crucial to take the scale of the siding damage into consideration. As a general rule of thumb, if it appears over half of your home’s siding must be replaced, then it’s best to replace all of it. However, it also depends on other factors, such as:

● The age of your current siding

● Your overall budget

● The time duration you plan on living in that home.

Finally, each type of siding differs from the others, has different maintenance requirements and lifespan, and is prone to distinct issues. For instance, fiber cement siding is more resistant to moisture and more durable than vinyl siding.

Should I Hire a Professional?

Even though contemporary siding is designed to last a while, you may require a siding repair or replacement in your home at some point in your life. Most homeowners believe that siding repair or replacement can be done without expert help. However, before you decide to repair the siding yourself, you must consider a few things.

1. Do you have prior experience with siding repair?

If you have previously installed and repaired the siding of your home, you can most likely fix it on your own.

1. Do you want to re-side your home or make minor repairs?

An experienced DIYer can take on a siding project on a small scale on their own. However, if you’re re-siding the entire house, you must hire a professional contractor and team to do the work.

1. What are your timeline and budget constraints?

While a Do-it-yourself job can save you considerable money, it also requires more time. It takes a few weeks for a professional team of workers to re-side an entire home, depending on the weather conditions and size of the house. Hence, you must consider your time and cost constraints and decide if it’s worth saving a few dollars.

In general, when it comes to repairing or replacing something, it’s always recommended to seek help from an expert and work with a professional to know what to expect.

An amateur should not install fiber cement siding because it can easily break if not handled properly. They must also not do the job on their own if a large section of vinyl siding needs to be replaced.

Siding Repair and Replacement Made Easy with Handyman out of Goodlettsville TN

When the time to update your home’s siding comes, you can call on our experienced handypersons at Handyman Goodlettsville, TN. Over the years, our repairing services have established quite a reputation throughout Goodlettsville and its neighboring areas.

We take great pride in delivering top-notch repairing services and premium quality workmanship. Our siding company in Goodlettsville, TN, can assist you in replacing or repairing your home’s siding, refreshing the look of your house, and renewing the vast array of advantages that reliable siding can offer you.

Our home repair experts are highly qualified and experienced and have undergone countless hours of training in remodeling, home repairs, and the like. So, whether you have vinyl siding, wood siding, cement siding, or asbestos siding, you can rest assured we'll take care of it all.

Contact us for siding repair or replacement and allow our team to do the rest.