How a Full Home Siding Replacement Affects Your Interior
Your home’s siding does more than merely provide it with a pleasant exterior appearance. When properly installed and maintained, your siding protects your exterior surfaces from environmental threats such as moisture, sunlight, pests, and wind. And as it turns out, your home’s interior benefits from sturdy siding as well. After all, the more protected your home is from the outside, the more secure it is on the inside, too. Adding brand-new siding will also affect your interior spaces; it’s all connected, for better and for worse. Here’s how a full home siding replacement job affects your interior both during and after the process, so you know what to expect.
What to Know About Siding Replacements
Replacing siding is a demanding job, but professionals will make it as seamless as possible, and the end results are worth it. Replacement can:
Cause Walls to Shake During Installation
Depending on the type of siding you’re having removed and/or installed, your walls may shake during parts of the process. While this movement alone shouldn’t do any damage to your interior, it can cause hanging objects to shift around and fall. If you want to protect your fragile items (e.g., picture frames, glass trinkets, etc.), make sure you remove them and keep them in a safe place until the full siding replacement is complete. This also protects your interior paint job from scratches caused by falling items.
Make Your Interior Temporarily Uncomfortable During Installation
While a siding repair may only take a day or two to complete, a full siding replacement can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. Because this project is performed in sections, portions of your home will be somewhat vulnerable throughout the process. Simply put, areas that don’t currently have siding will be less secure and won’t provide the adjacent interior walls with much insulation. As such, your home’s interior temperature might fluctuate much more than you’re used to while the process takes place. For this reason, it’s often recommended to invest in siding replacement when temperatures are consistently moderate (i.e., late spring, early/late summer).
Help You Control Your Internal Climate
Though your home’s internal temperature will likely be in flux during a full siding replacement, the final result will provide you with much more control over your home’s internal climate. As mentioned earlier, one of the main purposes of replacing siding is to enhance a home’s insulative properties. So the answer to the common question, “Will new siding make my house warmer?” is a resounding yes.
A well-insulated home mitigates heat transfer from within and without. This means you’ll have an easier time keeping your home warm when it’s cold outside and cool when it’s hot outside. Better climate control also translates to more energy efficiency since it takes less energy to maintain a steady interior climate with strong siding and insulation. In other words, a full home siding replacement can provide you with a more comfortable and energy-efficient interior.
Prevents Water Damage
One surefire sign of siding deterioration is interior water damage. When siding and/or insulation loses its integrity, it has a harder time keeping moisture outside of your walls. Eventually, this moisture intrusion can make its way into the drywall itself, leading to mold and other problems. A full siding replacement refreshes the moisture barrier that keeps your interior dry.
When Full Siding Replacement Makes Sense
Now that you know what happens during a full siding replacement and its impact on your interior, let’s discuss when to consider this home improvement project. Generally, the best time to replace siding is when it’s no longer doing its job. This is typically when the siding is already nearing the end of its lifespan. The average lifespan of Wilmington siding depends on the material. For example, wood siding can last anywhere from 20 years to over a century, depending on the timber type and maintenance. On the other hand, vinyl siding in Wilmington, NC that receives proper care and attention can last for over 60 years.
However, you probably don’t know how old the siding is unless you've recorded its installation details yourself. In this case, inspect the siding for any signs of deterioration. Common siding issues include rotting, missing or rusty nails, cracking caulk, pest damage, and mold. If the damage is severe and extensive, a siding replacement can be better and more cost-effective than siding repair over the long haul. Although siding installation might come with a large bill upfront, usually thousands of dollars, it will save you money on repairs and maintenance. Hire a trusted professional to avoid a botched job or expensive installation mistakes.
Siding replacement is also a worthy investment if your energy bills are going through the roof. As mentioned earlier, a new siding provides a layer of insulation that helps improve your home’s energy efficiency. As a result, you can enjoy lower utility costs. You must, however, choose your materials carefully; not all types of siding can insulate your home. Insulated vinyl, fiber cement, and engineered wood are some of your best options.
Protecting Both Sides of Your Home With Siding Replacement
Though you might think of siding as mainly an exterior feature, it’s essential for maintaining your home’s interior as well. At Anderson Painting, our experts know what to look for when examining siding for potential problems, and we can oversee all types of siding repair and replacement projects to keep your home safe from the inside out. Anderson Painting is one of the trusted local Wilmington, NC siding contractors. To learn more about us and all we do, call today at 919-610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!
