Like it or not, siding is an extremely important aspect of your home. Aside from your roof, it’s the single most critical element of protection against the elements. Siding is basically the outer “skin” or armor of your home, protecting it against the elements (sun, wind, rain, ice, humidity, and so forth). There’s also an important aesthetic element to siding. Curb appeal is a big deal these days, especially since so many homeowners view their homes as the center of their financial investments. High quality siding looks great from the street, and can be highly beneficial in terms of market value.
But siding does require periodic maintenance, depending on what type of siding you (or your home renovation contractor) have installed. This includes periodic cleaning, maintenance checks, and minor repairs to keep the siding in good shape, and to make sure the integrity of your home’s outer armor is never compromised.
It’s easy to forget things as a homeowner, and it’s easy to justify “putting it off” until later. But siding maintenance is one area where you definitely don’t want to cut corners.
Safety is obviously the number one reason for this. As we mentioned, siding is your home’s outermost protective skin against any harsh weather elements that might come your way. It prevents moisture, heat, or ice from penetrating into the deeper layers of your home and causing extensive structural damage. Also, pieces of siding that are torn away from the home, or have fallen into the yard, present a clear safety danger – especially to children and pets.
Another consequence of ignoring your siding’s maintenance requirements, or simply assuring yourself that “you’ll take care of the problem next year,” is the performance of your home’s HVAC systems. When your siding is damaged or compromised, it has a direct affect on your home’s ability to “trap” warm or cool air inside. That’s because siding – along with windows, doors and roofing – is among the most important features that allows your home to have a controlled and sustainable thermal environment. When siding is old, damaged or ill maintained, your home’s HVAC systems have to work that much harder to heat and cool your home. When this happens, energy bills go up – it’s that simple!
We already mentioned curb appeal, but it deserves a closer look. Damaged siding is one of the biggest strikes against your home’s curb appeal. It creates a negative first impression for anyone passing by – to say nothing of realtors and/or potential buyers who may be interested in a home you’re trying to sell.
Siding maintenance may not be anybody’s favorite topic, but it’s a reality for every homeowner with siding on their house. When siding maintenance is neglected, problems multiply and compound very quickly. Before you know it, you’re in need of brand new siding – and your home may have incurred additional structural damage behind the damaged siding. Whether you plan on taking care of your siding’s periodic maintenance needs by yourself or calling in a professional to keep things in top shape, proper siding maintenance is truly a smart move for your family, your finances, and your home.