One thing about having shingles in the Northwest is that you have to get out the bleach a lot to knock down mold. We paint every other summer, but now it seems a lot of boards and shingles are damaged. I’ve heard there are also mold problems and warping with siding. Which is more cost-effective?
Izzy J. ~ Portland, Oregon
If the exterior of your home is not properly shedding rain water, then you are going to have mold and damage issues to deal with regardless of the type of siding that is on your house. Both shingles and lapp siding are prone to warping if the wood is constantly wet and does not get enough air and sunshine to dry the wood out. Worse yet, if rain water is getting behind the siding, you will probably have water damage issues with the siding and the underlying structure.
To protect your home’s siding from the ever-present Portland rain, you should make sure that your home’s gutter system is working properly. If the rain that falls from your home’s roof is not collected by a working gutter system and diverted away from the house, the rain water can run down the side of the house and damage the siding. Another area that is prone to water damage is where a siding board meets a piece of trim, as water can infiltrate the seam between the two pieces of wood and then run down the wall of the house, under the siding. These seams need to be caulked with an exterior grade sealant so that rain sheds off the siding and does not cause this type of damage.
Once your home is properly shedding rain water, your annual paint job should last a lot longer and the siding should not be as prone to warping and mold build up. Good Luck!
There is no such thing as a maintenance free home whather painted or sided. any house regardless of age or building material requires routine maintenance. home owners frequintly ask a painters opinion about vinly or aluminum siding. Siding covers areas that need attention and hides a problem but siding sometimes aggravates a problem. the most debilitating aspect of the current siding epidemic is the false sense of security it gives a homeowner.A siding cover up gives a false sence of security because it prevents a homeowner from monitoring the condition of the house people are misled into thinking if you can’t see the problem it isn’t there. WRONG. Unsightly exterior damage, badly peeling paint warped clapboards that require more attention then a cosmetic fix up. these problems are related to water or humidity condensing with in the walls. It is important to deal with these moisture probems before making the home look good again with paint or siding. demand for insulated air tight climate controlled houses puts new strain on older homes. Peeling paint, mildew,musty oder and moisture damage are symptoms the wise homeowner will heed. Beyond the physical hazards to vinyl or aluminum siding dents cuts worn surfaces, rust spots and sagging. In the case of an older home siding detrcts from the historic appearance decorative details like corner boards and cornices are removed thereby eliminating the qualities that give an old house its character and value. aluminum or vinyl siding markiting strategies tout the rewards of never having to paint again. but vinyl and aluminum siding does require an occasianal face lift just as a wood sided house does. Today every majer paint company sells paint specifically recammended for aluminum siding and when the add says vinyl is final Think again american painting contracter magazine reports a hight incidence of vinyl siding repaint work Apparently the deteriorating efferts of ultra violet light cannot be under estimated. When you’re making your siding decision search out homes sided five years ago. look for amount of dents faded collors siding that sags. IF you have a older home REMEMBER the decision to apply vinyl or aluminum siding is a serious one. it is a decision not to be made lightly.