When is it time to change your garage siding?
While many parts of a home experience wear and tear during a long winter, one of the easiest to forget about it is your garage siding. Often, property owners assume that a garage is built to withstand the elements, and for the most part this is true. However, after a few seasons of all manner of extreme weather, your garage siding can begin to warp, wear down, or worse, begin to fall off. This can damage the structural integrity of your garage and leave your vehicles, valuables stored there, and the interior vulnerable to the elements and unprotected. To avoid this, it is important to consider when you need to evaluate your garage’s siding and contact some trusted garage builders in Chicago to begin a garage remodel or new garage construction project before the siding falls apart. But how can you tell? Here are three signs to look for to decide when it is time to change your garage siding.
Dry Rot
Dry rot can be found when tapping on your siding with the rubber handle of a tool. The key is to detect such problems before l are noticeable by the naked eye. The fungi that cause dry rot start below the siding’s surface, eventually eating away the body of your siding until only the top layer remains intact. Believe it or not, a situation where the siding still looks good on the outside while the bulk of the material has rotten is possible.
Warping
It pays to also do frequent visual inspections of all areas of your garage siding. With a screwdriver or something similar, poke under siding that appears warped to learn whether or not the under layer is still solid. If the under layer feels soft or it has started to rot, you have found a definite indicator that your siding must be replaced.
Loose or Cracked Garage Siding
While one or two loose or cracked boards is no cause for alarm, if larger sections show signs of being loose or cracking, there might be a more severe problem that would require the work of professional Chicago garage contractors. Regardless of how extensive the damage is, broken, loose, or cracked pieces must be removed from your garage and replaced. This prevents water from seeping behind the damaged pieces. Beginning work on this type of repairs early can prevent much more extensive costs and damage down the road.
