Guide

Repair or replace your siding?

Both are welcome on this line. Here is how to think about the choice before the contractor visits.

Walk round the house first

Look at every wall, not just the damaged one. Note cracks, holes, loose or wavy panels, chalky or faded color, gaps at corners and trim, and stains or soft spots. Check inside under windows on the same walls.

Count how much is affected. Damage on one wall, on otherwise sound siding, points toward a repair. Wear and fading everywhere points toward re-siding.

Find out what the siding is. Vinyl, aluminum, engineered wood, fiber cement and solid wood each repair differently, and some older products are no longer made.

Snowy suburban street of 1970s ranch and split-level homes with vinyl and aluminum siding under bare oaks

Signs on each side

Usually repairable

A few cracked, holed or loose panels
One wall hit by wind or a falling limb
Single split or cupped wood boards
Matching product available, or spare panels in the garage

Usually a re-side

Siding brittle or faded on every wall
Water damage behind siding on several walls
No matching product and damage on a front wall
No house wrap and recurring leaks around windows
You want insulated siding or a new material

Matching: the deciding factor

A repair is only as good as the match. Even the same product in the same color will not match siding that has weathered for twenty years. Contractors handle this by borrowing panels from a hidden wall, ending the repair at a corner, or re-siding one full elevation.

If a front-facing wall cannot be matched, a partial re-side may look better than a patch. Ask to see a sample against your siding before deciding.

What to ask the contractor

Can this be repaired, and what would the repair leave visible?
What is behind the damaged area, and will you open it up?
How much life does the rest of the siding have?
If I repair now, what would a re-side later involve?
Can you price both options in writing?

Call (248) 750-8472

Rochester Hills and nearby

Speak with a siding contractor who works around Rochester Hills

One call connects you with an independent siding contractor serving Rochester Hills, Rochester, Troy, Auburn Hills, Oakland Township and Shelby Township. Repairs are welcome, so is a full re-side.

Cracked panels, a wall that needs re-siding, or a new addition to clad? Talk it through.

Your call goes to an independent siding contractor that works in Rochester Hills and nearby towns. Describe the house and the problem; ask for an inspection and a written price.

Call (248) 750-8472

Calls may be recorded for quality. See the referral disclosure and privacy policy.