Step #1 – Identify the Cause
The first step is finding the cause of the damage. Some of the main causes of damaged siding are:
- Insects, Birds, or Other Wild Animals: Pests love to make their way into your home through siding that is easy for them to chew or peck through. Carpenter bees like to tunnel into wood to create their nests. Woodpeckers will target corners of your home where two pieces of siding meet in order to reach the wood. Carpenter ants prefer the insulation and inner walls of your home but will make their way outward to your siding as their colonies expand.
- Wind, Hail, or Ice Storms: Aside from pests, another thing your siding has exposure to that’s out of your control is the weather. High winds can tear siding panels easily from the sides of your home, and hail and ice can cut holes through the siding if the storm is powerful enough.
- Weakened Material Due to Age: Like most materials, your siding ages and weakens over time. If your siding hasn’t been replaced in decades, there’s a good chance the material has weakened significantly over time making it more susceptible to damage.
Step #2 –Making a Repair
When it comes to repair options for holes in your siding, it all depends on the extent of the damage. For patching small holes, you can find some exterior caulking at your local hardware store that matches the color of your siding. Once the caulk has dried, you can use a sharp tool or razor to scrape the excess caulk off to make it flush with the surrounding siding.
For larger holes, you can remove the siding panel itself and place foil tape on the underside of the siding to cover the hole, and then fill the hole with caulking.
Things to Keep in Mind:
Your siding is essentially the first layer of your home’s defense against dangerous weather conditions and pests. Damage to the siding, if left unattended, can lead to bigger problems down the road, like mold and rot. Holes and cracks in siding can also expand over time, making a more extensive repair necessary. Siding damage should be inspected and repaired as soon as possible.
Platinum Exteriors is a Westminster siding repair service specializing in repair and replacement of siding, roofing, windows and doors. Contact us today to schedule a siding inspection with one of our team members!
