What are the Signs You Need a Siding Replacement?

When installed properly, most siding options – including vinyl, aluminum and fiber cement – should last from 10 to 50 years. Quality siding helps protect a home's exterior from potential damage caused by heat, cold, moisture, wind and fungal decay. It also can improve the overall curb appeal of your property. However, all types of siding will eventually break down or suffer damage. Here are some signs to help you determine whether siding replacement is necessary.

• Storm damage. Hail damage is the easiest to see on siding. Heavy hail may leave holes in vinyl siding and dents in aluminum siding. Strong wind gusts can cause entire pieces of siding to be pulled off of the home. In these cases, replacement is essential. You will want to check with your homeowner's insurance company to see if replacement is covered.

• Sagging and cracking. If your siding sags and is cracked, it should be replaced. Sagging and cracking siding can allow water to seep behind the panels, leading to rot and decay.

• Excessive peeling paint. There are many problems with wood siding that can lead to excessive peeling paint: the wrong choice of paint, poor ventilation behind the siding, long-term moisture penetration and more. If your paint job is flaking off and you are ready for siding options that require less maintenance, now is the time to replace.

• Missing siding pieces. Missing siding is a serious issue and leaves your home vulnerable to premature siding failure, rot, termites and insect infestations. If your siding has been blown off, torn or is falling off, it requires prompt attention.

• Fungal decay or termite damage. You may not know you have a termite infestation until considerable damage has occurred. Because termites and certain types of fungi feed on wood, they can compromise the aesthetics, strength and stability of wood siding.

LP® SmartSide®: A Durable Siding Option

Disregarding any of these siding issues can lead to damage that costs thousands of dollars to repair. If you know your siding needs to be replaced, we invite you to consider the benefits of LP® SmartSide® engineered wood siding. All LP SmartSide products feature the innovative, four-step SmartGuard® manufacturing process for exceptional strength and resistance to fungal decay and termites.