Think Twice Before Attempting DIY Siding Installation

The siding that adorns your home is one of the first things people notice when they see your home. Good-looking siding is a crucial element of the all-important curb appeal of your house. Siding does much more than just look pretty. It is an important part of what keeps the elements outside your house and it protects that structure of your home from the degrading effects of weather. While hiring a professional for help may seem expensive, it is important to know the risks and costs you are assuming by attempting to install your own siding. Some of these costs include materials, tools, and potential damage you could be doing to your home long-term.

Costs Of Installing Your Own Siding

While hiring siding contractors can be expensive, it is important to get an idea of what the cost will be for you to do it yourself. Some of these costs include:

• Materials
• Tool purchase or rental
• Having helpers
• TIME!

It is important to remember that you will incur all of the costs of a contractor, with the one exception of paying for labor, if you are lucky enough to find someone to help you for free. So in the end, it becomes a question of what your time is worth. Remember that contractors do this work every day.

They will be able to complete the job much faster because they know what they are doing and already have all the tools at their disposal. Often when homeowners decide to do their own siding, a project that should’ve taken a couple of days turns into a weeks-long ordeal.

Tools Required To Install Siding

While siding is not particularly difficult to install, it does require some specialty tools. These tools are typically not available to the average homeowner or even the average DIYer. Some of these tools include:

• Power saws
• Nail gun or hammer
• Utility knife
• Tape measure
• Level
• Chalk line
• Specialty vinyl siding punches
• Siding clamps
• Ladders

A qualified siding installation company will arrive in fully-stocked trucks and will be able to tackle your project quickly.

Problems You May Run Into

The first and most obvious problem with attempting to do your own siding is failing to take good measurements and keep panels level. Keeping panels level during installation is crucial to the look of the finished product. For DIYers that aren’t used to accurately reading a tape measure and level, lines may become noticeably crooked and the homeowner may not be pleased with the look once the job is done.

Less obviously, the long-term problems of improperly installed siding can be detrimental to the structural integrity of your home. Improperly installed siding can allow water to leak behind the panels and into the structure of your home. Similarly, siding installed without proper air gaps can trap moisture behind it and up against the walls of your home. In both cases, as the moisture sits up against the walls it will grow mold, rot interior structural members and invite wood-eating fungus and insects that can ruin large portions of your home.

Benefits Of Working With Professionals

Before attempting to install your own siding, consider getting input from professionals. At Cobalt Exteriors, Inc. we’ve been helping homeowners just like you with important decisions about the exterior of their home since 1989. We will ensure that you are made aware of all of your options and the job will be done in a timely manner. Don’t let the hassle of updating the exterior of your home stress you out, call us today!