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Top siding mistakes to avoid this winter

By November 16, 2021Helpful Hints, Siding, Top Lists

Top siding mistakes to avoid this winter

Winter is around the corner and besides buying heavy raincoats, you need to check the condition of your house. Ask yourself, what is the state of my siding? If it has been a while since you did any repairs, then you definitely are not going to have a positive answer.

If so, then you need to get to it and finish up the task before winter comes. So, whether it is repair or a whole new installation, find your best seller, advisably the reputable ones like Sherwood Lumber, buy the materials you require and get to the task.

But remember, you should do it right; not just for the sake of winter, but also for long term purposes. Here are the top siding mistakes to avoid this winter.

1. Poor or insufficient waterproofing barrier

An essential part of siding is installing waterproof barries. It is only so, that you can ensure water will not pass through into your house. If you install low-quality barriers, it will be only a matter of time before they fail and start allowing in water, hence leakages. In as much as the siding material itself should be of good quality, your focus should majorly be on the quality of the barrier because any problem with this might lead to bigger problems, especially now that winter is just around the corner.

If you are not good at choosing the right materials, you can always contact a professional and get an expert opinion.

2. Incorrect nailing

When you are installing your siding, you need to always nail every siding to a stud or a sturdy structure on the house. This is to ensure the siding is secure and strongly supported. However, if you fail to do this,  the siding will not be strongly supported and whenever exposed to physical impact, it will shake or push inside. Failure to take this precaution will also lead to your siding having exposed nails which ultimately create holes, hence allowing moisture to collect behind it. Exposed nails also rust fast and can cause flaking to the siding as well as mess with its appearance,

Besides nailing correctly, you should also ensure you choose the right nails, 7/16″ galvanized nails in this case. Using non-galvanized nails will lead to quick rusting or decomposing when exposed to extreme moisture, winter’s season’s for example.

3. Incorrect calking

There are normally two types of calking and each of them is either categorized for interior or exterior use. Using the interior calking for exterior tasks like siding will obviously not go right. First, interior calking is highly affected by extreme temperatures; either too hot or too cold. Therefore, in the winter season, the calking will shrink and pull away from the siding, giving space for moisture to get in and build up. Secondly, interior calking has lower resistance to weather elements causing it to wear out real quick. Lastly, interior calking fades fast and this will mess up with the aesthetic value of the whole siding.

4. Lack of or wrong use of dry caps

When installing your siding, you will also need to install the dry caps on top of the windows and doors, as well as on top of the trim in case there is any. This move is to prevent water leakage and facilitate the flowing of water from the structure. When it comes to now the actual installation of the siding, you need to leave a space for moisture to escape. This space should be at least 1/4″ between the dry caps and the siding. Failure to do this, the siding will be affected by temperature changes since it will not be able to flex, and there will be damage caused by moisture since it will not have the space to escape.

Other mistakes

Besides these top siding mistakes to avoid this winter, there are many others you need to watch out for. They include leaving the siding edges unpainted or unprimed. Also, failing to use flashing or paper wraps on the windows and doors, having the siding or the trim touching the roof, and many others.