Should I Replace My Siding

Siding, particularly vinyl siding, is some of the hardest working material components of your home. It stands up to the rain, wind, and beating sun day in and day out throughout the year. If properly cared for, siding can last for years, but no matter what siding you have on your home, it will eventually need replaced. There are a few key factors to identify when it’s time to break down and replace the siding on your home.

 

Too Much Maintenance

One of the strengths of good siding on your home is that it can be maintained over time. Regular pressure washing to keep it clean of mold and mildew goes a long way to making sure  your siding lasts. When siding cracks or comes loose, it’s often possible to patch it up, maybe replacing only a few panels of siding but leaving the rest of your home’s siding intact. Over time though you may notice the efforts to maintain your siding increasing. More patches need replaced, or more panels coming loose after summer storms. You may even notice that mold and mildew are growing back more quickly as the siding begins to break down. Siding that requires more than occasional maintenance is likely living past its expiration date, and it’s time to start planning your replacement strategy. 

 

Higher Heating and Cooling Costs

The siding in your home is a key player in your overall insulation strategy. If you’re noticing a higher heating and cooling bill as the year goes on, it could mean that your siding isn’t pulling its weight anymore. As siding begins to degrade, it’s going to allow drafting air to flow through your home, meaning that during the summer the air conditioner is working overtime as cooled air leaks out, and winter leaves your heater never quite catching up as outside air seeps in. Cracks and gaps in your siding, even those that aren’t large enough to catch your casual attention, can become openings for your well earned dollars to leak through and go floating out into the air in the form of your heating and cooling bill.

 

Mold Growth

Inside your house, if you begin to notice condensation on your walls, or worse yet, mold or mildew growth, this is an indication of some kind of serious issue and needs to be addressed right away. A common cause could be the gradual breakdown of your siding. As already noted above, cracked or loose siding could lead to unregulated air flow in your home, and in some conditions this could lead humid air from outside condensing once it reaching inside your cooler home. This condensation builds up and quickly becomes a welcome growing ground for mold and mildew that not only damages your walls and creates an unsightly appearance, it can also release spores into the air that can endanger your family’s health. 

To get an honest look at your siding though can often first require keeping it clean. Schedule a power washing with the Kings of Clean to keep your siding looking its best and lasting as long as it can! Contact us to schedule a washing today!