You can think of your home’s siding like the clothes you wear. It covers what is inside, provides protection against the elements, and enhances the appearance. Just like your clothes, you want to keep your home’s siding in good shape, so you’ll want to fix it if it gets damaged. Read on to learn everything you neeremoded to know about how to fix the siding on a house.
Curb Appeal and Siding
When you list your house for sale, if the siding is damaged or worn out, the entire structure may appear unattractive, even if the inside is spectacular. That’s why curb appeal increases a home’s value by anywhere from 7% to 14%. Age and natural disasters may also compromise the siding, thus impacting its ability to protect the internal structure of your home. So, even if you have no intention of selling your home, you should not ignore any siding damage.
You need to know what’s involved with fixing the siding on your house. That knowledge will come in handy even if you intend to hire an expert in home remodeling in Houston, TX.
Analyze Your Siding Issues
Analyzing your siding helps you detect the trouble areas that may compromise the structure of the house, thus making your home uncomfortable to live in. Follow these steps to determine if it’s time to replace your siding or if any problem areas need repair:
Take a Closer Look
First, take a look at your house’s siding from all directions while standing at a distance of 30 or so yards away. Does the siding look old and faded? Is the damage to the siding visible from where you stand? Once the far-distance test is complete, move closer to your home and analyze the siding issues similarly.
Siding problems that are easy to spot from a distance are likely caused by bigger underlying issues. To solve them, you must address the root causes. For example, suppose you see patches of mold or mildew. Your siding may have water damage, which may be more extensive than it appears on the surface. You won’t know for sure until you troubleshoot it and find out the source of the problem. On the other hand, faded or peeling paint may mean it’s time for a new coat.
Other issues you may notice include bends, holes, cracks, and warped siding sections. Such problems may imply excessive aging or insect damage. If the problem affects at least half of your home, you need to consider a total overhaul of your siding. But if only minor sections of your home have been affected, you may still be able to repair it and enhance its look again.
Determine the Extent of the Project
Determine the extent of the project. You may have to opt for repairs now, or you may decide to replace the entire siding in one go. In addition, budget carefully because your finances will affect your choice of materials and the design theme you want to use.
Set Your Budget
Analyzing your siding issues helps you set realistic expectations regarding the costs you will incur. Generally, the cost of fixing siding ranges from $340 to $1,299, with the average being $792. But this range usually applies to siding repair and not complete re-installation. When considering the total siding installation costs, including the material and the labor of siding contractors and siding installers, your budget might be much higher. In such a case, you should realistically expect to spend $5,000 to $15,000 to get what you desire.
Payment Plans
A typical American homeowner will spend about $13,000 per home remodeling project. For this reason, you should strategize on how you will pay for your project. Luckily, some home remodeling companies in Houston, Texas, such as Hestia, offer financing options. You can opt for such an arrangement to get the much-needed siding fixes upfront and pay for them over a more extended period of up to 10 years while enjoying a three-month grace period first.
Sweat Equity
Sweat equity is the labor you put in to reduce the remodeling costs. It includes removing the damaged sections of your siding and even installing new siding on the entire house. The value of your sweat equity is worth what you would have paid an expert to do the same job. Siding contractors tend to charge $40 to $70 per hour. So, you can use that range to obtain the estimated value of your sweat equity.
If you cannot do something but your friends or family members can, barter some of your skills or services in exchange for their professional labor to save money.
Get Quotes
If you are not sure about which professional siding installers to hire, get three quotes from qualified siding contractors for any project you intend to undertake. If you know what you want, be sure to give them your list of requirements based on everything you want to do concerning the siding.
Estimates enable you to compare prices and determine which siding contractor offers the best value for money. And if you have no idea what the cost estimates are or what aspects of your siding need repair or replacement, asking for an open-ended quote will inform you of that.
Pick Your Materials
Siding comes in many forms. Vinyl is the most popular siding material due to its low cost, insect and rot resistance, and ease of installation. It will cost you $2 to $4 per foot to repair. A complete siding installation project will cost $6,100 to $16,500.
Mid-level Siding Materials
If you have a higher budget, aluminum, fiber cement, and stucco are great options. Their repair costs range from $3 to 10 per foot. These options are sturdier than vinyl and can withstand wear and tear better. Stucco costs $1,830 to $7,052 to install. Aluminum is more expensive and will cost you about $10,000 to $19,000, while fiber cement will cost anywhere from $6,000 to $20,000.
If you want a natural look, wood siding is the best option. You could go for rot-resistant woods, such as cedar and redwood, but these cost much more. Alternatively, you could go for the more economical versions like cypress and pine. Expect to pay $4 to $12 per foot for repairs and $7,000 and $23,000 for an overhaul of your entire house exterior using wood siding.
There is also the option of stone and brick, which cost anywhere from $3 to $30 per foot to fix. For brick, expect to spend $10,000 to $75,000 to install new siding. Stone may cost you $75,000 to $125,000. However, the costs may be worth it because these two materials are also pretty durable, and they add a unique look to your home.
Fix the Damaged Siding
Fixing your house’s siding depends on the extent of the damage. You could do some of the work on your own or let the professionals handle it all. It depends on your skills and remodeling experience. Regardless of your choices, you have various options.
Fixing Minor Damage
If your siding has minor damage, you can fix it. Where holes or minor splits exist, use caulk and a putty knife to fill them in. If the joints are loose, you can reseal them. In addition, if there is missing siding in some sections or rot in other parts, you can purchase matching ones and replace the damaged areas you cut out.
Painting
If you don’t need to replace your siding, or only minor repairs are required, you may opt for a refresh by painting.
Be sure to find the right type of paints for the material you are working on. For example, vinyl siding is not compatible with all paint types. You need acrylic latex paint since it adheres to the surface the best. Select lighter colors that absorb less heat, thus reducing heat damage to the siding.
If you opt to paint, you must prepare the surface after making minor repairs first to help the paint adhere to it. Start by cleaning the siding area to be painted, masking off the edges, and then priming the siding. After that, you can paint one coat, let it dry, and then paint the second coat.
Installing New Siding
You may be able to install small sections of siding yourself if only a board or two needs repair; however, for larger projects, you may want to hire a professional to do the work for you. Professional installers know what to do, from identifying the underlying issues and applying the underlayment to preparing the exterior and using the proper techniques to accommodate the unique characteristics of different siding materials.
For example, vinyl siding tends to contract and expand due to temperature changes. Professional siding repair experts know how to compensate for that in their calculations, which is something you may not know how to do. Also, when you hire professional siding contractors, you don’t need to worry about buying tools and supplies.
The quality of the siding repair or installation work will determine how well your home’s interior is protected from the elements. Therefore, working with a professional home remodeling expert in Houston, Texas, is essential. The cost of hiring them is an investment that will pay off in the long term by raising the value of your home. For more information, quotes, or help with your siding repair, contact Hestia Construction & Design today.
How To Fix the Siding on a House — Houston, Texas
