Four Reasons You Should NOT Repair Your Vinyl Siding

Jun 7
08:29

2013

Tara Dawn

Tara Dawn

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Sometimes it's easier and more cost effective to have siding contractors replace your old or damaged siding than to try and tackle a repair job yourself. Fiber cement siding is a great option if you want to protect against future damage.

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If your house has vinyl siding,Four Reasons You Should NOT Repair Your Vinyl Siding Articles chances are it has picked up more than a few dents over the years. Some areas may have become warped or scratched. Perhaps it has faded over the years, leaving you with a tired, worn exterior that can be difficult to revitalize. Although your first inclination may be to do a quick repair job yourself in order to save some money, it's almost never a good idea. It can cost you far more than you expect and can even lead to additional damage to your home if you don't do the work properly. Your best alternative is to hire a professional and replace all of your current vinyl with fiber cement.

1. Repairing Vinyl Isn't Easy

Do-It-Yourself homeowners usually find that repairing lengths of siding that have been dented or twisted takes more time than they anticipated. They also often discover that it's more complex than they had thought. You need to carefully remove entire sections using specially designed tools for loosening the individual sections and you have to be very careful not to warp or twist the long sections. You'll also need to invest in special tools, including tin snips for cutting and a "zipper" to remove the old materials. Add in the caulking and aluminum nails and you quickly realize that repair can get expensive even for small areas of your home. A DIY job can end up being costly and impractical. But the most difficult part of replacement is usually the most important -- finding new vinyl that will match the damaged section. Faded color and difficulty matching the grain of the material are two reasons most homeowners end up dissatisfied with a patch job.

2. It's A Never Ending Project

Once you've done a patch or replace job on your vinyl siding, you'll soon realize that your DIY work has just begun. It can become dented, creased, cracked or warped for a variety of reasons, including storms, flying debris from roads or lawn mowers, deliberate damage, exposure to excessive heat, and age. Unfortunately, these seldom happen at the same time. Constantly having to purchase and install small sections can be tedious and time consuming.

3. You Can End Up With Worse Problems Than Old Siding

While you may be confident that you are a wonderful DIY guru, you could run into problems you hadn't anticipated when trying to do repairs. If you don't precisely match and attach every segment properly, your house could end up with hidden damage from water leaking beneath the replaced sections. This could in turn lead to mold, mildew or water damage.

4. Siding Contractors Prefer Fiber Cement Over Vinyl For Several Reasons

There are plenty of reasons to contact contractors who are experienced with exterior home improvements. For one thing, they can do the job more quickly and with fewer problems, backing up their work with an impressive warranty. They also understand that importance of replacing rather than repairing so that your home has consistent color, protection and durability. Most of today's siding contractors prefer to replace damaged vinyl with fiber cement, which is stronger, more resilient and more attractive. It can also stand up to the harshest elements without sustaining any damage and the color stays true for years.

While there are four excellent reasons you should not try to repair your damaged old siding, you really only need one. With fiber cement siding, you're improving the beauty and value of your home.