The exterior is the protective layer of your home. Most homeowners do not realize the importance of maintaining this layer to avoid damage that could result in costly repairs. When it comes to maintaining the shell of your home, siding is a critical part of the solution. When making updates and repairs, it is important to avoid some of these most common siding installation mistakes.

Skipping the Underlay Step During Siding Installation

One of the more common siding installation mistakes is skipping a step to speed up the process. Many people skip the installation of the underlay. This greatly reduces the longevity of the siding as well as adds unforeseen costs to owning the home. The underlay provides additional insulation to the home to help prevent the loss of heat through the siding. This makes it more difficult for your home to maintain a comfortable temperature and will raise your utility bills. 

Nail Positioning During Siding Installation 

One of the most unpredictable challenges in siding installation is the weather. When planning your repair it is important to think about issues that may occur down the road. Regular changes in temperature through the seasons can cause the siding to expand and retract. The siding needs room to breathe to make these adjustments. Placing nails too close together during siding installation can restrict this process. Within the same line of thinking, it is also important not to space nails too far apart. Nails too far apart can cause the siding to sag and warp over time. 

Siding Seam Placement

While some steps of the siding installation process seem like common sense, others can be a little tricky. People often want to line up items like the pieces of a puzzle. This is a big mistake with siding installation. You want to avoid lining up seams with your siding. The problem this causes is the obvious looking crease to your home. Offsetting seams is a more common practice. It is more appealing to the visual aesthetics of your home. 

Installing Low-quality Siding

The price tag can be a major factor in planning siding for your home. Going for the cheaper price tag, in the beginning, can turn out to be much more expensive in the long term. Many less expensive siding options are not as tough as the ones with a slightly higher price tag. This can lead to slumping, fading, and breaking in a much shorter time. The repairs and earlier replacement needs are not an equal trade-off for the smaller upfront cost. A professional siding installation team can guide you with the best siding options for your home.

Using Inexperienced Contractors for Your Siding Installation

Like the low-quality siding, it is important to measure the quality you get for your money with your siding installation. One of the biggest mistakes a homeowner can make is hiring inexperienced contractors to do major repairs on your home. You will want to make sure you have a well-reviewed, licensed, and experienced contractor to help protect the exterior of your home. Just like with do-it-yourself options, inexperienced contractors often make many of these most common mistakes. 

Specialty Home Products has a professional team ready to assist you with your siding installation needs. They can guide you through the process from start to finish. You can rest easy working with a company that will provide a professional quality siding.