Whether you're looking to improve your home's resale value or if your siding is showing signs that it's time for an update, replacing it is an excellent investment. New siding can reduce energy costs and prevent moisture damage to your home. Here are five tips for investing in home siding. 

Watch for the signs that you need to replace the siding on your residence. Delaying can lead to additional costs to repair and replace. If you notice peeling and rotting wood, cracks and gaps in your vinyl siding, or increasing heating and cooling costs, the writing's on the wall. 

Once moisture starts getting past the exterior barrier, it causes rot, mold, and mildew. These issues will require mold remediation services to clean and remove all spores and interior wall repairs and replacement. Mold removal is expensive and can be challenging to eradicate. 

Additionally, the spores are dangerous and can make you, your family, and your pets sick. If the mildew spreads to your home's interior, you may have to discard special items that are unsalvageable. 

You can repair siding and replace single panels. However, there's no guarantee how long it will last or how soon you'll need repairs again. Matching your current color can be difficult because the sun will slowly fade. For wood siding, you can repaint or stain the entire exterior to cover up new sections. Other materials, such as vinyl, will be more challenging to match. You may be able to paint vinyl siding depending on the brand, but it's still an additional cost. 

Your home's siding protects the interior. When it's not working efficiently, energy costs increase. Heat and cool air escape through the cracks. A repair or two from storm damage is reasonable. But the more areas that need fixing or replacement will add up and cost more in the end. 

There are tons of options for siding replacement. The most common are vinyl, wood-based, and fiber cement. Vinyl is the most affordable. It's also low-maintenance, durable, and is available in a wide selection of colors and finishes. For example, you can choose vinyl that looks like wood but offers more moisture and pest resistance. 

Wood siding is widely available, easy to repair, and you can paint it. These are available in standard wood or engineered wood, which offers more durability. The gold standard choice is fiber cement. These are fire-, moisture-, pest-, and climate-resistant. Fiber cement is the most expensive and requires careful installation. 

Now's the time to replace your gutters and shutters to really boost your property value. In some cases, gutters may need to be replaced during the process. If they're older and need repairs, it will look much better in the end with shiny new gutters to match the siding and molding update. Ineffective gutters can damage your new siding, cause mildew buildup, and harm any landscaping around your home's perimeter. 

Adding crown molding to the exterior is an excellent way to boost the appearance and complement the latest siding and gutters. By completing these tasks at once, you save money and give your house a facelift that'll raise its value significantly. Additionally, these improvements may reduce your homeowner's insurance.

It might sound like a great way to save money and improve your home's appearance at the same time but replacing siding isn't a DIY project. Mistakes can be costly, and in many cases, if a licensed contractor doesn't complete the installation, insurance companies can deny future claims. There are many steps you need to complete before starting the project. 

For example, most towns and other local jurisdictions require a permit for siding replacement. Also, you'll need to pay to dispose of the materials. Even if you already have a pickup truck, this is an extra expense that's labor-intensive. Save yourself the headache and only hire a professional home improvement company.

Don't wait until there's damage to your house from the ineffective siding. Speak with a professional installation company to boost your residence's appearance and improve its energy efficiency with new siding. For more information about how home siding replacement can enhance your home's value and reduce energy costs, contact us at 919-805-1970 today.