Why You Shouldn’t DIY Your House’s Siding
Changing old, unsightly siding for new can do wonders for your home’s value and visual appeal. Additionally, energy efficiency will increase significantly after installing new siding. But before diving headfirst into this complicated project, it’s important to weigh the benefits of doing the siding yourself vs. hiring a professional. Read on to discover why replacing your home’s siding is a job best left to the professionals.
Do You Have the Same Skills As a Pro?
As a starting point, think about how much practice you’ve had working on such things on your own. DIY-ing an interior bathroom makeover or painting project is a different experience than a full exterior refresh. When you consider that improper installation might lead to leaks and damage to your home, installing siding on your own becomes a far more complex and risky maneuver. Before beginning a home improvement project, it’s important to be honest with yourself about your skill level in this area.
Unless you have previous experience doing so, you should always hire a professional siding installer. Despite appearances, siding installation is not a chore for the inexperienced do-it-yourselfer. Siding an exterior wall is relatively straightforward, but installing siding around corners, eaves, soffits, and fascia, as well as trimming openings like windows and doors, can be challenging. All of these are technical parts of the job that a novice may botch, resulting in extra work and expense.
Do you know how to spot and fix signs of mold, water, or insect damage on your property if you decide to do the siding installation on your own? How to fasten the frieze board and sheathing while installing external siding? How to take down the old siding and replace it with the new material using the correct techniques for doing so? If these are foreign terms to you, hiring a professional is the right thing to do.
DIY Siding Installation: The Drawbacks
If you lack the necessary expertise, you may wind up spending more money fixing mistakes or giving up altogether and having to hire a pro. Cutting, fitting, and installing siding requires a number of specialized tools, as well as safety gear for operating at various heights. Be familiar with the properties of the material you’re working with; for example, vinyl siding requires a different installation method than wood, metal, fiber cement, etc. You’ll have to foot the bill for everything, and there’s no chance of scoring a discount from the manufacturers if you have to scrap your first supply purchase to begin again.
Once you start working on your home, you may find more damage that you are not equipped to assess or repair. It’s simpler to make a mistake than it is to rectify it. When you decide to hire a professional siding contractor, you can rest assured that the job will be done right.
There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to putting siding on the outside of a house. A professional will have all the resources necessary to do the job successfully, including access to high-quality equipment, effective gutter guards, high-quality materials at affordable costs, and honed knowledge that can only come from years of practice.
If you haven’t already done so, it’s a good idea to do some homework and settle on the material and installation method you like before you hire a contractor. A more specific description will result in more precise bids from prospective contractors.
You can always seek outside assistance if you find yourself lacking the necessary knowledge, resources, or drive. Just consider the following benefits of choosing a professional siding contractor.
The Benefits of Working with a Qualified Siding Contractor
When you opt to hire a professional to replace your home’s siding, you can find comfort in the knowledge that you are covered in the event of an accident by contracting a professional who holds the appropriate insurance, licenses, certificates, and bonds. A reliable contractor will provide a single point of contact to answer your queries and keep you in the loop at all times. If an issue arises with the work, the contractor can make it right.
Siding Pro is Colorado Springs’ first choice for quality residential siding replacement. We offer the best products and warranties in the industry and we are known for being overly “picky” when it comes to our work! We guarantee your satisfaction. Let our qualified contractors provide the exceptional service you need. Contact us today for a free estimate and let us show you the difference between a good job and a great job.
