Siding that's installed on homes is designed to last a long time, but no building material will truly last forever. If you own a home, you need to know how to recognize worn-out siding that needs replacement so that you can have the siding replaced before the deterioration becomes too severe. Here are some common signs that indicate your home's siding requires repair.
Weak Spots in Wood Siding
If your home has wood siding, periodically tap on different parts of the exterior walls to see if any of the siding gives way. A weak spot in wood siding indicates that there's dry rot inside of the wall. The rotted section should be replaced promptly so that the dry rot doesn't extend to more of the siding or other wood parts of your home's construction.
Simply looking for dry rot on your home's exterior siding isn't sufficient, and it's important to actually knock on the siding to look for weak spots. Dry rot often starts on the interior and works toward the exterior, so it's frequently too late by the time you see it on the outside of a wall. Tapping on siding is the best way to identify dry rot before it becomes so severe that it's visible on the outside.
Exterior Paint Doesn't Last Long Enough
Exterior home paint is designed to last for many years, and repainting your home's exterior too frequently could be a sign of an issue that's not related to paint. Specifically, worn-out siding can make exterior paint not last as long as it should. If you regularly repaint your home before it's time, talk with a siding professional, like those at Roofers of Minnesota Co. and other locations, to see whether the siding should be replaced before you next repaint the exterior.
Visible Mold, Mildew or Fungus
Anytime you can see mold, mildew or fungus on your home's siding, the growth needs to be removed. Specifically, it must be either professionally washed away or the siding must be replaced. You shouldn't pressure wash mold, mildew, or fungus yourself, because pressure washing doesn't kill the organisms and actually spreads them to other locations.
Whether you can hire someone to just clean the growth or have to replace the siding itself depends on whether the organism has infiltrated the siding itself. A siding repair professional can assess the state of the siding and make a recommendation. If repair is needed, the affected section of siding will have to be replaced.
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