Damaged Siding - What Can You Do?
When a homeowner hands over a payment to his siding contractor, he usually walks away with the comfort that the work in question is going to last for a long time.
That sort of expectation is certainly not unreasonable. These days, some higher quality companies are offering as much as a 20-year warranty on siding installation.
While you might feel good about that at first, don't forget that time can eventually take a toll on the work at hand. Even if your siding company did a terrific installation job, throughout the years, your siding is bound to get damaged.
In fact, you'll probably reach a point where you start to wonder whether it makes more sense to keep shelling out those hard-earned dollars for siding repair, or whether it's time to replace your old siding with a fresh, new exterior.
Siding repair can be a simple job given the right circumstances. Replacing a missing siding panel or securing a couple of loose siding pieces can be a quick, inexpensive job.
But the more intricate the repair job, the more money it is likely to cost. Many siding companies are willing to provide repair services even if they didn't work on the original installation. But sometimes even a "cheap" repair is just plain uneconomical as far as the homeowner is concerned.
So how do you know when to keep paying for siding repairs and when to simply cut your losses?
The first and most important thing to do is heed the advice of a trustworthy siding contractor.
Don't assume that a suggestion to replace your siding is really just an attempt on the contractor's part to drum up more business. Some contractors can actually do quite well on simple siding patch-ups.
So if you're being told that the situation is far too dire for repair, then consider the fact that the contractor might actually have your best interests in mind.
A common scenario in which siding replacement is the best option is wood siding that has truly deteriorated over time.
Unfortunately, little can be done with old, rotted wood. Instead of spending a considerable amount of money to have the wood treated, sanded, and repainted in an attempt to salvage it, it makes a lot more sense to simply replace it with relatively inexpensive vinyl.
Vinyl siding is usually easier to repair than wood because the panels tend to come in and out quite easily.
However, if the original siding installation was done a long time ago by a company that is no longer in business, then it might not be possible to find an exact (or decent) match for the materials that were used.
In this case, a contractor is likely to recommend that the siding be replaced altogether, as any repair job would result in a mismatched, unsightly look.
While some contractors might be less trustworthy than others, it's important to remember that not all contractors are created equal. Believe it or not, some contractors are out there who actually have their customers' best interests at heart.
If you're too cynical to accept that, then consider the following: A good siding contractor won't claim to fix something that he can't. Because when he fails, his reputation is on the line.
So whether your faith lies in the potential goodness of humanity or the inherent desire for man to not look like a failure, remember that when a siding contractor says "replace, don't repair," he says it for good reason. You'll save yourself a whole lot of money and frustration if you're smart enough to listen.
Ruben Jeruco is a writer for Yodle, a business directory and online advertising company. Find all you want to known about siding in our extremely informative Guide to Siding or more Home Care articles at the Yodle Consumer Guide, The Yodler.
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