Nobody wants a shabby-looking house, so knowing when to replace your Minnesota siding is important. Not only will it preserve the aesthetics of your home, but it will also affect the functionality of your siding. If the exterior of your house needs some love and care, you may find that there are bigger maintenance issues underneath the shabby exterior.
How Do You Know When To Replace Your Siding?
Knowing when to replace your Minnesota siding depends on a few factors, but the biggest one is the type of siding you have. Each material comes with its own maintenance requirements, and you will need to consider the condition of your siding and how well it performs. If you aren’t sure if your siding needs to be replaced, have it inspected by a professional. Not only will they inspect your siding but also your windows and roofing system. If one area of your house is compromised, other areas may also be.
When To Replace Your Vinyl Siding
Vinyl siding is a popular option because of its price point. It is a cost-effective option initially, but it doesn’t age well. Vinyl comes with a lifetime warranty, and a misnomer with vinyl siding is that it is maintenance-free.
But there is no maintenance you can do to vinyl once something has happened to it, so the life of the siding is dependent on how bad you are willing to let it look before replacing it. Vinyl siding fades after a few years and is susceptible to hail damage because it chips. It also expands and contracts with the grueling Minnesota climate, which can cause it to crack and affect its insulation efficacy.
When To Replace Your Wood Siding
The wood siding looks attractive, but it comes with many maintenance issues. As the age of your home increases, your old cedar siding may need to be replaced or painted every year. As the wood gets old, the paint doesn’t last as well, and this is a costly maintenance issue. If you don’t keep up with painting your wooden siding, it can be damaged by rot, woodpeckers, and termites.
Wood siding doesn’t hold up well in humid conditions as we have here in Minnesota and is prone to warping. With the moist climate of Minnesota, mold, and mildew flourish in the cracks and holes that develop in the wood siding. This also affects your home’s insulation, which is less than ideal in our bitterly cold Minnesotan winters.
When To Replace
Unlike other siding materials, you may never need to replace your James Hardie siding. It still needs care and maintenance but definitely less than wood or vinyl siding. The fiber cement substance is made with 90% cement and sand and 5% wood cellulose fibers. This means that it is flexible and moisture-resistant.
That means with James Hardie siding, you don’t have to worry about woodpeckers, rot, or warping. The dense cement fiber also resists fading and chipping, so it handles well in wet and stormy conditions. If you take care of your James Hardie siding, you can change the color at any stage because it is a paintable product and doesn’t require you to replace all the siding.
Replace It With Something Durable
With our extreme weather, you want a siding that will protect you and your family from the elements. But that doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice aesthetics. If you have siding that is in desperate need of an update, then contact us, and we can chat about the best option when you replace your Minnesota siding.
