Water Damaged Siding

How to repair water damaged siding.

Water damaged siding.

In most cases the original layer of building paper or housewrap at the bottom of the wall was enough to prevent water infiltration and damage beneath the siding. In this article we ll discuss how you can repair damaged areas or individual shingles yourself which can save you money and head off problems before they become too serious. As long as the exterior paint is stable wood clapboard siding can last for decades. But even a hairline crack in the paint can introduce water and water leads to rot and mold.

Normal damage that occurs to your home s siding like fading from sun exposure or dirt and grime is your responsibility and won t be covered for the replacement cost. It also allows decay and further damage in the wood around it. Repairing wood siding is integral to owning a home with wood siding. So if this happens you will need to remove or replace the siding quickly before rot sets in.

Though wood siding is very strong a sufficient physical impact can split and crack it. First like we mentioned above you need to know the causes of the water damage in order to fix it. Lack of gutters installed on the top roof of the home. Unsealed gaps in these spots allow water to trickle beneath the siding and eventually rot the plywood sheathing that lies beneath.

Water can also seep in behind faux stone and other external walls around your home. The customer accepted our recommendation to use azek along the edge of the deck siding as it won t rot thus avoiding a repeat of this problem. The damage may remain hidden until the siding is replaced. I ve had plenty of phone calls over the years from homeowners who are convinced they have to reside their entire house because some of their siding has been damaged by water.

Damaged siding lets air water dirt and insects through to the inside. We tear off the damaged hardboard and replace it with fiber cement siding. Water damage is one of the most common causes of home insurance claims according to the insurance services office iso water damage claims are the second largest frequent insurance claim following wind and hail damage. The sheathing and framing sometimes need repairs too but that is less common.

Replace water damaged siding with fiber cement. Here the biggest danger is water seeping in behind your siding and causing permanent damage to more vulnerable materials. Claims due to water damage impacts 1 in 50 homeowners each year.