Things To Know When Installing Siding

Things To Know When Installing Siding

Installing or replacing siding can be a tricky, time consuming and laborious task. Just like all other home-related installations, you need the right kind of equipment and the needed technical know-how to install siding on your house.

It’s very unfortunate, but often, that people are misled into taking the wrong steps in the repair process that eventually leads to more expenses, potential damages, and the risk of doing the work all over again. You already know that siding is a very important part of your house, it protects your home from many different weather conditions as well as gives your home modern or classy cosmetics.

Good Life Construction specializes in installing new siding, repairing or upgrading your siding. We provide the highest quality of work and excellent customer service. If you need any help with your siding, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our team of professionals will be happy to come to your house, review all work that needs to be done and give you an estimate, free of charge.

Are you still thinking about possibly installing siding yourself? Then you will want to learn about how to get things right and install your siding properly. In today’s post, we will share with you a few tips to help you with installing siding on your house. We hope they will save you time, money and heartache in case you decide to install or replace siding by yourself.

  1. Leave adequate space between your siding planks

One of the first and most important things to consider is that naturally, siding tends to expand to a certain extent over a certain period of time. These expansions are usually caused by changes in temperature, different weather conditions and if adequate space is not provided when installing, the siding will either expand or contract beyond its limit and could cause serious deformation, splitting, or warping.

Now that you are aware of this, you need to install your siding with a space of 5/16″ taking the natural phenomena of expansion and contraction into consideration.

  1. Flashing

Flashing plays an important role in the prevention of moisture penetration at the walls, windows, doors, and roof. Many homeowners and cheap contractors do not take much care when installing building paper, window flashing, roof flashing, and door flashing. They often assume that the new siding will protect the house entirely, which is simply untrue. To some degree, moisture and water penetrate beyond the siding very often and proper flashing and weatherproofing are crucial to the protection of your home.

  1. The proper way to nail the siding 

Nailing siding is not difficult but also very important for the structural integrity of your home. Typically, siding is the only shear strength of your house walls and if the nailing is insufficient or faulty then there may be a compromise to your walls. Make sure to always nail into studs and blocks with proper spacing utilizing galvanized nails. If non-galvanized nails are used in exterior repairs then there is a high chance for corrosion due to rust. This could also lead to the eventual compromise of your siding and home.

  1. Sealing your siding

The only way to ensure that your work will last for a very long time is to caulk, seal, and paint your siding installation or repairs. Always prime your siding prior to installation as a base coat sealant. After nailing on your siding and trims, make sure to caulk and fill all nail holes, trim voids, and siding joints. Apply sealant around windows and doors especially to prevent water intrusion behind the trim and siding panels. If the siding has raw ends fill and seal the raw wood with caulk and paint, even if it is covered by trim eventually. Raw wood is extremely vulnerable to moisture and sealing it will save you in the long run. Finally, be generous when painting your siding project. Multiple coats of paint create a strong and elastic protective coat that will preserve your siding for many years.

  1. Type of siding 

Knowing which siding is best for you is always helpful in the replacement and/ or repair process. It is important to know the differences between real wood siding, fiber cement, composite or aluminum siding. It is very common for us to see houses with previous repairs and multiple types of siding materials used in one common area. You can always consult with a contractor or go to your local hardware store for advice on siding replacement siding identification.

Good Life Construction specializes in installing new siding, repairing siding that was damaged by dry rot or different weather conditions as well as replacing old siding with new. We can take care of all of your needs when it comes to siding installation, replacement or repair and help you create a much more beautiful and comfortable home. If at any time, you feel overwhelmed with your siding installation and feel you need help, our knowledgeable, hard-working and friendly team will be more than happy to help you. Just give us a call (916) 833-1379, and we will be happy to take good care of your siding and home for you.