Summer is just around the corner. Is your siding ready to protect your property from extreme heat and UV rays?

Sunny days offer endless opportunities for outdoor fun. But before you dive headfirst into summer festivities, take a moment to assess your home's siding. Why is exterior siding important, you may ask. At the bare minimum, it protects you and your property from outdoor elements and bad weather. But there are more sides to siding, as we’ll discuss here.

Here are more reasons to invest in professional siding inspection before summer:

1. Prevent Your Energy Bills From Skyrocketing

Air conditioners keep you comfortable indoors even during the hottest months. However, these appliances consume large amounts of energy. An average central AC uses at least 3,000 watts for about nine hours. While the average residential electricity rate in Raleigh, North Carolina, is less than the national average, running your AC nonstop can still add a hundred dollars or more to your monthly electric bill.

Your AC's energy consumption can increase if there is a loss in efficiency. One of the reasons for a decrease in your AC’s efficiency is drafts. This is when outdoor air flows inside a conditioned room through tiny holes or small cracks and gaps in the joints where siding panels line up.

That's why it is important to have your siding inspected by professionals. Professional siding inspection will look for any issue that could compromise your AC's efficiency. The expert you hire may also recommend adding insulation under your siding to keep out extreme heat.

2. Keep Pests Out of the Property

The heat of the summer draws out many unwelcome pests in North Carolina. From ants, mosquitos, and springtails to millipedes, these common house invaders can infiltrate certain areas of your home during the summer.

Unfortunately, damaged or deteriorating siding can create openings for these unwanted guests to enter your property. And pests inside your home can be more than just annoying. Some pests like termites can feed on wooden siding, creating hollow channels that destroy the wood's integrity. If you don't find and control these pests right away, siding damage may become too expensive to fix.

3. Prevent Water Damage

During winter, your siding is exposed to snow and ice. Consistent exposure to moisture often leads to a host of issues, like mold and mildew growth, paint peeling, and even rotting. If you haven't had your siding inspected for moisture-related damage, now is the time.

During a professional siding inspection, your chosen contractor will look for signs of any moisture-related damage. It can include apparent wear and tear on boards, rust-colored streaks down the exterior caused by rusty nails, cracked or uneven caulking, discoloration or stains in the siding, or mold, fungus, or mildew growing on the siding.

When you find moisture-related problems early on, you can take the necessary steps to prevent further damage to the property. Take note that summer can get humid, and too much moisture in the air can wreak havoc on the siding as well. If you don't immediately fix existing issues associated with moisture, your home's structure may weaken.

4. Keep Up With Repairs

Siding protects your home from harsh weather conditions. But it must be in its best condition to effectively do its job. Unfortunately, even the highest-quality material for siding can get damaged over time. You just might not notice this damage yourself.

Since hurricanes can hit North Carolina in the summer, be prepared by keeping your siding in tip-top shape. You can begin preparation by hiring a professional to inspect the siding to know what repairs are needed.

Aside from making sure the siding can do its job, keeping up with repairs prevents more damage that would be costly to fix in the long run. For example, a crack in the siding can result in water infiltration and moisture problems. When the water seeps through the siding, many other issues, like mold growth, can arise.

In some cases, repairs won’t be enough. You may wonder, “How do you know if your siding needs to be replaced?” Well, you must consider factors like years of use, rotting, and frequent need for repairs.

5. Determine the Need for Repainting

Paint can do more than breathe new life into your home. It can also protect your siding from heat, bugs, mildew, and other elements. The need for repainting usually depends on the siding material. Aluminum siding can go up to five years before repainting, while wood siding needs to be touched up every three years.

A professional inspector can help you decide whether it is time to repaint the siding. They will guide you in choosing the right color and type of exterior paint. It's important to note that not all the paint you can find on the market will work with all types of siding material. Using the wrong type of paint can only result in wasted money and effort.

Repainting the siding before the summer can also boost your property's curb appeal. A fresh coat of paint can make a big difference in how your property looks from the outside. Aside from that, it can increase the value of your property and make it more attractive to potential buyers.

Because of these reasons, siding inspection is a crucial part of your home’s maintenance. This service may cost you, but you'll get a great return on investment in the form of protection from extreme heat and unwelcome pests in the summer, lower energy bills, and increased curb appeal. You also won’t have to search for siding installation near me anytime soon.

How Does Summer Affect Your Siding?

Now, let’s discuss what can happen to your siding during summer and how to prevent costly damage.

Fading: Your siding will be constantly exposed to UV rays in the summer. Fading can affect some siding materials quickly, so you can prevent this by investing in paint that offers fade-resistant durability.

Melting: Some siding materials can melt in the sun. You may have to consider a siding replacement in this case. If you want vinyl installed, you may have to wait for the temperature to get milder. But if your siding is already extremely damaged, installing siding in the summer is still possible with a skilled contractor.

Swelling: Siding materials like fiber cement and wood swell when it's humid outdoors. It's an issue that may lead to more serious problems like rotting. You need to replace the damaged part immediately to prevent further structural damage.

Paint Cracking: Exposure to extreme heat can also put a strain on the siding’s paint. Just as low temperatures during winter cause siding materials to contract, extreme heat causes some siding products to expand and become more vulnerable to damage.

An experienced and reputable contractor can help you prevent all these siding issues associated with high heat exposure.

Choose a Contractor to Handle Siding Repair, Replacement, and Repainting

Siding repair, replacement, and repainting are different tasks that not all contractors have the competency for. Finding a contractor you can trust for each task takes some effort and time. However, you don't have to go through the hassle of finding different companies for your siding projects. Anderson Painting can do it all.

Anderson Painting offers a wide array of services, including siding repair, replacement, and repainting. It's your one-stop shop. Our team has everything needed to restore your siding, keeping it aesthetically pleasing and in good condition.

If you live in the greater Triangle area, need siding and painting services, or have any questions, feel free to contact Anderson Painting today. You can get free estimates to determine if your project and our team's expertise are a good match.