Siding repair or replacement: which one do you need?

Repair is enough when

• The damage is in one place: a storm, an impact, a few loose or cracked panels
• The sheathing and weather barrier behind it are dry and sound
• The profile and colour can be matched closely enough for you

Replacement is the better money when

• Panels are warped, cracked or loose on several sides of the house
• The siding is faded and at the end of its life all over
• Rot or water damage keeps turning up behind it
• A partial repair would never match

The matching problem

Profiles change and colours fade. On an older house a close match is not always possible. We tell you that before you pay for a repair, not after it is on the wall.

If the patch will show, the choice is between living with it, replacing one full elevation, or replacing the lot.

The wall decides more than the siding

Under the siding is sheathing, a weather barrier and sometimes a lot of water history. If the old siding comes off and shows rot, we stop, show you and price the repair before new siding covers it.

New siding over a wet wall looks good for a year. Then the same problem comes back through it.

What changes the price

Square footage and how many storeys. Repairs found once the old siding is off. The material: vinyl, fibre cement or wood. Most houses take days rather than weeks, and weather decides more of the schedule than anything else.

In St. Charles, Alexandria's BAR districts and DC historic districts, new siding may need approval before the permit. Check first.