Tips on Wood Siding Installation

Sidings dramatically change the aesthetics of houses. They exude this pleasant and traditional image that make homeowners spend more by having them installed. Through the course of time different kinds of sidings have become available. These are metal sidings (durable, fire and pest resistant), vinyl sidings (cheap, needs very low maintenance and the easiest to install), asphalt siding (looks like bricks, not so durable but are also easy to install) and of course, the original wood sidings (requires constant maintenance, relatively more expensive and take meticulous methods to install).

Regardless of the various types of sidings, some home owners still opt for the authentic wood sidings. As siding installers, there is really no choice but to conform to our clients’ desires. However, the tricky part in this situation is that since it is the installers’ work, it is as if it is the home owners’ perception that the changes that will happen to their authentic wood sidings through the course of time (that they themselves picked) should be traced to the siding installers. This article aims to show helpful tools in order to live up or at least try to live up to the expectations of the clients that we can indeed, go against the whims of mother nature.

First Things First

• It is highly recommended that upon knowing that the client wishes to have wood sidings installed that they should be advised to buy wood sidings that have vertical grains because they are more stable.

• Like in any other type of workplace, a spacious and clean surrounding or lawn is very important during siding installation. It is advisable to let the homeowners know ahead of time that they may wish to move their lawn ornaments and potted plants to a different location that is away from the outside walls’ surroundings. This helps installers to move freely without the fear of damaging anything.

• It is also advisable to take off old sidings if there are any. Although they can just be covered with new ones, they just look better. Installation

• Make sure that the back and the edges of the sidings are painted so that water won’t go inside them.

• Put water barriers on the edges of the walls as well as corners of windows and doors.

• Put the bottom sidings as far off the soil/ground as possible.

• Make sure that the sidings are well aligned (slanted siding would make the house look like it is slanted as well)

• With wood sidings, do not nail down the nails very hard because it might damage the sidings. Prevention and Maintenance

• After installation, put furnishing coats on the sidings to prevent pests and bugs to penetrate the wood and protect the wood’s color and paint to be washed away by water when it rains.

• Consider suggesting the home owners to have a gutter cover installed. Gutter covers that are being provided by efficient gutter cover companies such Hallett Gutter Cover would be the ones you should consider suggesting because they do not have mesh or screens that ice up during the winter and do not allow small debris to come down the gutter that may result to clogging of the gutters which in turn would also result to water going inside the sidings and thus causing damage.