Repairs

One of the great things about owning your own home or property is you get to decide when and how to handle your repairs but it's wise to be realistic. Repairing the exterior of a building takes a lot of time, tools, and experience. As roofing and siding contractors, we work on exteriors every week. This constant exercise dealing with home exteriors has shown us how important it is that the job is done correctly, quickly, and safely. Maintaining your property or home's exterior is a normal part of its upkeep and maintenance but it's more than just sealing and painting it from time to time. There are many problems requiring more extensive repairs that need to be done right the first time, or you risk creating hidden issues.

When you notice any damage or corrosion in the exterior of your home it can be frightening. You may wonder "Do I need to get this fixed immediately? Or can I wait, 'cause it's probably going to be expensive no matter what I do?" Fortunately, siding and roof repair is typically a small-scale operation, not a major renovation. Don't get us wrong, damage to the exterior of your home is serious, however, a small repair job instead of a full replacement should be desirable. If you let any decline in your exterior go untreated, it is more than likely to worsen.

Looking After Your Roofing and Siding

It is also easy to forget that your roof and siding are not just protecting the boards and insulation beneath, they are protecting the people and valuables inside. Water, mold, and pests are always trying to get in and a single chink in your home's armor could end up dealing unbelievable amounts of damage.

The most common reason for damage to the exterior of your home is heavy winds or a storm blowing through your neighborhood. You may then discover holes or chips in your stucco or sections in your clapboard, vinyl, or aluminum siding that are hanging loose or missing altogether. Your asphalt or wood shingle roof may be missing a few shingles or a whole section could be gone. In the case of metal roofs, you could see bends and folding of the panels or cuts and holes where it was hit with debris.

Even if there wasn't a big storm, the exterior of your property can become worn as it's constantly exposed to the weather. Regular rain, snow, and sunlight can cause some panels or shingles to split or chip more than expected. During the winter, vinyl siding, which is typically one of the most durable types of siding, is vulnerable as it can become brittle. A snow-heavy branch or a simple accident could cause cold vinyl to chip or break. Thankfully, in most cases, a couple of broken panels do not constitute replacing the entire siding so long as it's caught early.

Sometimes normal weathering can cause your siding to separate between one or a few panels. For instance, when first installed, lap siding must be caulked around all of its edges. If the caulking around a panel fails, that allows water and insects to get behind the siding. If you notice separations between some of your siding panels, we can repair and reseal the siding, so long as it's caught early and the issue hasn't spread across the whole building.

Dry rot, mold, rust, or insect nests in small sections of newer sidings, rooves, soffits, or fascia is a very bad sign and should be repaired quickly before they spread. Insects can also attract predators such as woodpeckers who will compound the problem by drilling trenches in the exterior of your home. As long as it is caught early and the issue has not spread into the material behind, a small replacement of the infected area should be possible. 

Any break in your home's roof or siding can cause water damage. It's especially hard to catch damage to your roof though without climbing up to look for holes and loose fittings. Checking in the attic of your property can sometimes help you catch the interior warning signs of a problem. Draftiness, mold, or pests like rodents and insects can all point to a roof or siding in need of expert attention.

Don't Wait Until it's too Late 

If you have any concerns with your home's roofing or siding we would be happy to do a thorough inspection and recommend a course of action for any issue found. To keep your exterior repair costs down we need to catch problems early though so don't hesitate to get one of our experts involved if you fear an issue with your home's siding or roof.