You notice it every day. Its color has faded. There’s mold and decay in places, or perhaps profiles are bulging, cracked, or warped. Maybe it’s just time for a home makeover, and siding is certainly included in that project. Yet, has siding replacement made your to-do list of home improvement projects and, if yes, with high priority?

The siding that wraps your home is incredibly important to your home’s energy efficiency, value, and overall curb appeal. Most importantly, well-maintained quality siding protects you and your loved ones, your home, and everything inside from the elements. It’s an insulating and protective blanket from the bitter cold and stifling heat, from rain, snowfall, and hail, and from unwanted creatures, vermin, and pests.

Further, are you aware of what happens when home siding gets ignored and falls into disrepair? Even siding that hasn’t lost most of its curb appeal can be damaged in other areas beneath the surface. To help prevent any major problems that poor siding opens your home up to, such as structural and/or interior damage, read through the following seven signs that indicate it may be time for a home siding replacement project.

1. STORM DAMAGE OR HAIL DAMAGE

Storm damage from wind, rain, or hail can be swift and devastating to home siding. Wind can tear off siding from your home while incessant rain seeps underneath. Hailstone impacts can dent siding and can even put holes in siding if it approaches higher speeds upwards of 100 MPH. It’s important to have your home professionally inspected after severe storms to check the integrity of the siding and your roof.

2. RISING ENERGY EXPENSES

Your home’s energy efficiency depends largely on how quickly your roof and siding lose or gain heat energy. If your energy bills are going up, it could be a sign of problems with the siding, the roofing system, or both. Contact your trusted home contractor to ask for a siding and roof inspection to determine the current condition of these vital systems.

3. ROTTING, WARPING, BULGING, OR CRACKED SIDING

Poorly maintained wood siding certainly has a shortened shelf life, and vinyl siding isn’t indestructible. Take a good look at the siding on your home. See if you notice any areas of wood siding that are spongy, warping, or bulging out. Look for signs of cracks and broken vinyl siding.

4. PEELING PAINT OR WALLPAPER

Siding that looks perfectly fine could be hiding a major defect. Water infiltration. One of the signs of water getting behind your home’s siding is peeling paint or peeling wallpaper inside your home. If this is the case, you definitely want to get the siding or roofing problem repaired and under control quickly before mold sets in and other structural damage could occur.

5. COLOR FADING

Like any other building material, siding has a useful life span. Siding color is often formulated to last approximately the same amount of time that the siding is rated to last. So, if the siding on your home has faded, it’s a sign you need new siding.

6. BUBBLES OR BLISTERS ON SIDING

Bubbles or blisters on siding are a sign the siding needs attention and fast. Bubbles or blisters indicate water infiltration and should be inspected and remedied ASAP. Again, water infiltration is either going to happen at either the roofing system, the gutters, or your home’s siding.

7. HOLES IN SIDING

If you see holes in your home’s siding, they’re an indicator of storm damage, hail damage, or intentional damage (for steel siding), or they indicate you may have an insect problem or woodpeckers causing the holes (for vinyl and wood siding). Identify the culprit(s), and contact your home contractor to repair or replace the damaged siding.

If you would like a FREE SIDING INSPECTION by the best home contractor in Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois that offers a 5-YEAR CRAFTSMAN’S WARRANTY, contact the pros at Aurum Contracting (608) 312-4343! We’re available for scheduled home exterior services and also for emergency siding and roofing problems.