We all want to keep our home safe from the ravages of the elements. That’s not always easy to do when storms come and hammer the structure with rain, hail stones or strong gusts of wind. When commissioning fitted, protective (or just decorative) siding to your home, it’s important to avoid any mistakes that will make it a bad choice for you. In this article, we cover a few of the basic things you can do to stop you making a mistake with your siding.
Choose an Inexperienced Contractor
Don’t just look for a contractor that you’ve perhaps worked with before or the community has used in the past. It’s quite possible that they’ve got zero previous hands-on experience working on a siding fitting and will be making it up as they go along!
Contractors should have certifications from relevant manufacturers that confirm that they’ve completed appropriate training on how to correctly fit their siding product. Whether they’re planning on using high-quality James Hardie siding or another type, they need to know specifically how to fit that product and have training with the manufacturer.
Selecting the Wrong Siding Type for Your Home
Picking the wrong siding can lead to difficulties later on where it might need to be replaced. This would more than double your expenses by choosing something lower quality to save on your budget, or not knowing the pros and cons of a product specifically.
Take your time to consider what types of siding would be appropriate for the exterior of your home. Then research the pros and cons of each type. For instance, fiber and cement siding is thoroughly modern, yet it can cause moisture issues if your home is situated in an area that receives considerable rainfall each year. Things like this are useful to know ahead of time.
Failing to Consider Maintenance
Siding materials range in longevity. They last a different number of years depending on their suitability. Ongoing maintenance also plays a factor in your decision. Many homeowners fail to consider maintenance of their siding and pick a type that’s a pain to deal with long-term.
If you’re dead set against spending time on upkeep or needing a contractor to come in to fix the siding years later, then choose a low maintenance material.
Ignoring Warranties & Workmanship Coverage
Some companies provide workmanship coverage that offers protection against a shoddy job being done when fitting the siding. Should it start to come away from the side of the building at a later time, the coverage might save you the extra expense of getting it fixed or replaced later.
Also, don’t forget the inherent value of longer warranties from the siding manufacturer too. This can save you should a siding panel deteriorate or come apart unexpectedly indicating a faulty product. Siding that has UV protection should be expected to handle the effects of the sun better than another type, so with these products, check that the UV coating is covered too.
As long as you don’t make these mistakes with your siding, things should work out fine. This way, your home will be protected for years to come.
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