4 Siding Installation Improvements To Make New Exterior Finishes Durable And Energy Efficient
Are you planning on installing new siding on your home soon? If you are, there are a lot of choices of materials and improvements that you may want to do. First, you will want to consider improving the underlayments and moisture barrier. You may also want to consider rigid sheathing or foam backing for vinyl materials to improve the strength, as well as sealing around all the cracks to prevent problems. The following siding installation improvements will help make your new siding installation durable and energy-efficient.
1. Decide on the Type of Siding Materials and Styles to Combine to Renovate the Design of Your Home
You will want to decide on the type of siding materials that you install on your home. If you are looking for durable options, consider metal, vinyl, or fiber cement siding products that are modern. Most of these products are also available in a variety of styles, which will allow you to give your home a custom finish by combining the styles instead of just using all lap siding materials.
2. Remove Old Siding, Repair Sheathing, and Add Rigid Backing to Make Siding More Durable
Before you can install new siding on your home, you will need to remove existing damaged siding and prepare other exterior finishes. One of the improvements that you will want to consider is installing rigid backing like plywood or rigid synthetic sheathing. This will help provide strength for the new siding, as well as allow you to correct problems with walls that may not be straight or have defects that you want to cover with the new siding installation.
3. Improve Insulation, Housewrap Materials, and Seal Tape to Stop Leaks and Deter Pests
There are also insulation improvements that you want to consider with the new siding. Start inside your home with exterior walls and the attic, and stop air leaks. The siding installation can also be improved by installing a house wrap moisture barrier to help improve the thermal barrier. In addition, you will want to use a special seal tape to seal the leaks around windows and doors and other cracks or penetrations on the exterior of your home.
4. Properly Install the New Siding Materials and Upkeep to Ensure They Last and Look Like New for Years
The proper installation of new siding materials is also important. The siding cannot be nailed tightly to the walls because this causes waves and ugly defects. Instead, nails should be flush with the material to not cause bends in the materials. In addition, you will want to paint materials like fiber cement, and vinyl or metal siding materials will need to be regularly cleaned as part of the routine maintenance.
These are some of the siding installation improvements that you will want to do to make siding more durable and energy-efficient. If you are ready to install a new finish for the exterior of your home, contact a siding company, and talk to them about some of these improvements for the installation.