Vertical Siding vs. Horizontal Siding: Which is the Right Fit for Your Joliet Home
When planning on giving your home an exterior makeover, all decisions you make impact not just your home’s appearance but also its functionality. It’s like picking the perfect ingredients for a recipe—you want to pick something that looks good and stands the test of time. Which raises the question, vertical siding vs horizontal siding, which is better for your home? The siding you choose is the fashion statement that your home makes to the neighborhood, expressing its personality and character. Whether you lean towards the classic charm of horizontal siding or the modern allure of vertical siding, each option has its own perks and quirks. At Will County Windows and Siding, we’re here to guide you through this exciting journey. Think of us as your personal stylist, helping you choose between the sophistication of horizontal siding or the contemporary flair of vertical siding. Exploring Horizontal Siding Definition and Traditional Use Horizontal siding, also known as lap siding, is a design where exterior boards run from left to right. Traditionally associated with natural wood, this classic style has adorned homes for decades, bringing a sense of timeless charm to various architectural designs. Horizontal siding seamlessly blends with these traditional beauties, adding warmth, history, and a touch of that familiar Joliet comfort. Benefits of Horizontal Siding Choosing horizontal siding for your Joliet home comes with several advantages: Challenges with Horizontal Siding While horizontal siding offers numerous benefits, it comes with potential drawbacks: Understanding Vertical Siding Characteristics and Modern Usage Vertical siding, characterized by installing planks in a top-to-bottom fashion, offers a contemporary twist to your Joliet home’s exterior. While historically common in commercial structures and barns, vertical siding trends have gained popularity in modern residential architecture. Advantages of Vertical Siding Vertical siding brings a set of distinct benefits to the table: Considerations When Choosing Vertical Siding While vertical siding brings undeniable style, it’s essential to consider these factors: Making the Right Choice for Your Home Selecting siding for your Joliet home is all about finding the perfect match that complements your architectural style and personal taste. Read on as we explore the suitability of both horizontal and vertical siding options to help you make the right choice. Suitability of Horizontal Siding for Traditional Homes If your Joliet residence leans towards a traditional architectural style, horizontal siding might be your go-to choice. With its timeless appeal, lap siding complements the historical aesthetics often seen in Colonials, Ranches, and Victorians. This type of siding effortlessly blends in, offering widespread appeal for those aiming for a traditional and elegant look. The affordability and easy application of horizontal siding also make it a practical and visually appealing option. Vertical Siding for Rustic and Modern Homes Conversely, suppose you’re aiming for a more rustic or modern vibe reminiscent of barns. In that case, vertical siding steps might be the better pick. The vertical board-and-batten design and contemporary architecture suit homes with Farmhouse and Craftsman styles. Vertical siding adds height and visual interest. This makes this style an excellent choice if you’re looking to visually elevate a smaller home. Combining Styles for Unique Looks For the adventurous homeowner seeking a truly unique aesthetic, who says you have to stick to just one style? Consider using horizontal siding for the main body of your home, paired with vertical accents on specific areas like the gables. This mix-and-match approach is particularly effective for complex architectural styles like Queen Anne and Victorian houses. The Role of Quality Siding Material The decision between vertical siding vs horizontal siding relies on more than just aesthetics. It’s also about choosing the right materials to ensure your Joliet home lasts for years. Importance of Durable Siding Options Regardless of whether you opt for the classic allure of horizontal siding or the modern flair of vertical siding, the longevity of your home’s exterior depends on the quality of the siding material. This is where the significance of durable options, such as James Hardie fiber cement siding, comes into play. James Hardie siding is renowned for its ability to endure the cold, wet weather of the Midwest, offering resistance to issues like rot and deterioration. The unique, baked-on colors are visually appealing and provide lasting vibrancy without the need for frequent repainting. Why You Can Trust Will County Siding and Windows When installing top-notch siding in Joliet, trust the Will County Siding and Windows experts. We specialize in installing vertical, horizontal, and mix-and-match siding, guaranteeing satisfaction with all of our products and services. Our experts listen to your needs, offering tailored solutions for a home you can be confident in for years to come. Trust us to bring your home lifestyle dreams to reality. Contact us for a free quote today!
What Causes Warped Vinyl Siding?
Beautiful, durable, and low maintenance, vinyl siding is a popular choice for homeowners in Joliet, Illinois. With proper maintenance, vinyl siding may protect your home from the elements for decades. However, even the most well-kept siding in Joliet, IL, may become susceptible to one common problem—warping. Warped vinyl siding is not only an eyesore; it can compromise your home’s integrity and saddle you with an astronomical repair bill. But what causes vinyl siding to warp? Common Causes of Vinyl Siding Warping, Buckling, and Cracking If you notice your vinyl siding buckling, chances are you’re dealing with any of the following causes: Water Deterioration Water infiltration is a leading cause of warped vinyl siding in Joliet, IL. Your home may be susceptible to water damage if the vinyl siding isn’t properly installed or has gaps. Degraded or damaged caulking around doors, windows, or joints may allow water to seep behind the siding and damage the underlying material. With time, the moisture may cause your vinyl siding to warp, buckle, or crack. Taking quick corrective measures after noticing the first signs of siding deterioration helps prevent further damage. Trustworthy siding installers can help safeguard your home by repairing the house wrap and replacing the damaged vinyl boards. Exposure to Heat Sources Subjecting vinyl siding boards to intense heat comprises their structural integrity and appearance and gradually causes them to deform and warp. While the sun is the primary culprit, using direct heat sources such as stoves, barbeque grills, or firepits near the house may damage your siding. Depending on the neighborhood, the sun’s reflection may be a significant factor. If houses in your area are close together, the sun rays reflecting off your neighbor’s windows may damage your home. Foundation Movement Sometimes, the soil beneath your home may shift and settle following a rainstorm or an earthquake. Soil settlement may destabilize the foundation and cause your home to shift and settle. The resultant movement may create pressure points on the siding, causing them to buckle and warp. Fortunately, foundation movement problems are rare in well-built homes. That said, a shifting foundation spells serious trouble and requires immediate attention. Four Season Weather Conditions Every year, your home siding must endure four seasons with wildly different weather conditions. The massive temperature swings in winter and summer are the key drivers of deteriorating vinyl siding. The vinyl boards shrink in winter only to expand during summer. Since they’re bolted in place, siding boards often buckle, rack, and warp to accommodate the resultant movement. While you may not control the weather, you limit the weather-related damage by installing quality weather-resistant siding. Pest Damage While vinyl siding isn’t susceptible to pest damage, the rest of your home’s structure. Wooden beams are vulnerable to pests such as termites, bees, or ants unless properly treated. Critters may also compromise your home’s structural damage, causing it to shift and damage the siding. Birds such as woodpeckers may physically damage your vinyl and cement board siding by drilling holes. Poor Siding Installation During installation, poor craftsmanship, especially improper fastening, may accelerate siding damage. Improperly fitted siding may shift and create gaps that allow moisture penetration. If the installer nails the boards too tightly, they may crack and break as they expand or contract in response to the prevailing weather. Your home has a higher risk of water damage if your contractor didn’t install a house wrap before fixing the sidings. Low-Quality Materials When it comes to sidings, you get what you pay for. While tempting, you should avoid low-quality home sidings at all costs. Installing low-performance products may save you money in the short term but saddle you with an enormous repair bill later. Cheap cement board sidings may seem attractive, but they’re prone to shrinkage, cracking, warping, buckling, and delamination. Working with a reliable contractor can help you pick the most reliable siding brands and protect your investment. Aging of Vinyl Siding The constant exposure to inclement weather takes a toll on your home’s siding, and the boards may deteriorate with age. While quality vinyl siding may serve you for 30 to 40 years, most brands have a much shorter lifespan. Depending on the choice of quality, some siding boards start deteriorating after ten years. Installing weatherproof siding boards such as James Hardie fiber cement siding safeguards your home and helps you save money. Solutions & Prevention Contacting a reliable contractor is the best way to fix warped vinyl siding in Joliet, IL. An expert service will not only fix the issue but also help you prevent recurrence. Addressing Moisture Issues Moisture and water damage often result from gaps, holes, or cracks in your home’s siding. Installing a high-quality waterproof barrier beneath the siding creates an additional barrier against water damage. Replace all the damaged vinyl boards and ensure the new ones are properly installed with tight seams that leave no gaps or openings. Be sure to repair the damaged caulking around the doors and windows. Regular home inspection and maintenance can help you spot the signs of damage and nip the problem in the bud. Cleaning your gutters, downspouts, and other drainage points helps minimize the risk of water infiltration. Protecting Siding from Heat You should take immediate action if you notice heat-related damage on your siding. First, you’ll need to identify the root cause of the problem and replace the damaged boards. If the sun rays are the problem, consider shading your siding with trees or installing a shading system. Maintaining proper clearance when using heating-emitting appliances eliminates the risk of localized warping damage. You’ll need to tactfully engage your neighbors and request them to install window screens if window reflections are the problem. Heat-resistant siding can help you protect your home while avoiding too much hassle. Ensuring Proper Installation Always engage a reputable and experienced siding contractor for any siding installation job, large or small. Such contractors follow manufacturers’ guidelines, best industry practices, and local weather patterns. They will make every adjustment necessary to protect your home and extend the lifespan of your siding. Choose a contractor who offers a warranty
Is It Too Cold for Home Siding Replacement in Joliet?
Is your home ready to stave off the winter cold? As the winter rolls around, the cold conditions will put your home’s sidings to the test. Upgrading or replacing old sidings can help lower your heating bills while keeping your household warm and toasty. But can you install siding in the winter? Here’s what you need to know about timing when protecting your home’s siding. The Winter Siding Dilemma: Balancing Act The inclement weather makes installing siding during winter a balancing act. The effect of the frigid temperatures on the siding material and work environment makes the process challenging. Temperature Matters Some siding materials, such as vinyl, perform poorly if installed during extreme temperatures. A 12-foot vinyl plank will contract by as much as 0.5 inches during winter and expand to its original length as the temperature rises. You must cut the panels to accommodate the growth and shrinkage, especially when fitting them around window and door casing to avoid buckling. At what temperature does vinyl warp? Vinyl siding expands when the temperature warms to 80 to 90 degrees and will buckle after encountering an obstacle, such as a window or door casing. Ideally, the best time to install vinyl siding is spring or autumn—you’ll get the best results when the temperature is 35° F or warmer. Choosing the Right Material Your choice of siding material determines your winter comfort, insulation level, and energy consumption. Popular options include vinyl, engineered wood, and fiber-cement siding. Hardboard and fiber-cement siding are more accommodating than vinyl for winter installations, as you can successfully install them in 20-degree weather or colder. Durability While wood is a popular siding choice, its durability is reliant on regular maintenance. Engineered wood performs better in inclement weather but is less durable than vinyl and fiber-cement siding. James Hardie fiber cement siding is the most durable option because it’s fireproof and has 5x the thickness of a typical vinyl siding. However, vinyl and fiber cement siding are low maintenance and weatherproof to give your home years of protection. Insulation While installing regular siding helps improve your home’s insulation capacity, insulated siding is far superior. They feature a solid-ridge foam backing to safeguard your home against heat loss. More importantly, insulated siding helps prevent thermal bridging, a form of heat loss facilitated by the wood studs in your walls. Since wood studs comprise 25% of every wall in your home, they’re responsible for about 25% of your heat loss. Insulated vinyl siding prevents heat loss, can lower your annual heating bills by $70, and offers up to 80% return on investment. Resistance The best siding will stand up to the elements and protect your home. Vinyl siding is resistant to insects, rot, and water damage and can withstand harsh weather. It’s less prone to fading, warping, and cracking. Fiber cement can withstand extreme weather conditions and is less prone to shrinking, bending, and expanding. While engineered wood easily resists rot, insects, and moisture, it can only withstand moderate weather conditions. Appearance Wall cladding comes in diverse styles and colors to help you customize your home’s appearance. Dark siding creates a beautiful contrast when your home’s external features are light-colored and vice versa. However, dark-colored sidings may have a shorter lifespan than lighter ones because they absorb a lot of heat. Unlike vinyl cladding, most sidings, including metal, wood, and fiber cement, are paintable. You can paint them any color as part of your home maintenance routine to fit the season and ensure durability. The Art of Professionalism Spring and fall are the best times to install vinyl siding in Joliet, IL, because of the favorable weather. Wintry conditions complicate the siding installation process on various fronts, including: Materials Handling Besides the hazardous working conditions, winter siding installations are challenging because cold weather may damage the panels. Vinyl becomes brittle when temperatures drop below freezing, so they can’t be nailed to your walls. Any attempt to fix a frozen wall cladding would cause it to splinter into pieces, saddling you with huge losses. Vinyl siding installers must cut the panels to the proper lengths to account for summer expansion and employ proper nailing techniques. Skilled experts leave a 1/16″ space between the nail and nailing fin for summer expansion. Improper nailing technique restricts movement and results in the siding bulging out. Safety Protocols Working in frigid weather can be life-threatening for contractors. If they don’t have proper winter gear, frostbite may set in at temperatures below 31 degrees. Unfortunately, wearing gear is usually heavy and uncomfortable. Workers may struggle to work in winter boots, jackets, gloves, and thermal wear. Ice patches also pose a risk and fall hazard as the workers lug heavy pieces around. They may also not get any work done due to weather delays. Contractors can’t do exterior work during a snowstorm or a snow-rain mix. Communication The unpredictable winter weather may pose a logistical nightmare and ruin the construction times. Heavy snowfalls may block the roads and deny contractors access to the job site. In such instances, communication during such time helps avoid confusion and inconveniences. Establishing a reliable communication strategy allows contractors to update their clients while tempering expectations. The best communication strategies cover multiple channels to improve customer experience. Flexibility Many obstacles may crop up during winter, negatively impacting project execution. Given the nature of the job, siding installers may only work on days with good weather. Contractors may often pause the work when the conditions become unbearable. Therefore, winter projects require flexible delivery times to accommodate unforeseen obstacles. Weather-Resilient Planning Weather-resilient planning is crucial to the success of any construction or renovation project. The process entails considering the weather conditions and their impact on the project’s materials, timelines, and overall success. Key factors to consider when planning a winter project include: Weather Monitoring Closely watching the weather forecasts ensures better preparation and scheduling. It’s a reliable way to avoid working in unfavorable weather that could hinder or delay the installation work. Flexible Scheduling Flexible scheduling allows contractors to plan around inclement weather and
6 Reasons Why Your Vinyl Siding is Warping
For many homeowners, vinyl siding is a popular option for protecting the exterior of the house. The reason behind your vinyl siding warping can come from a myriad of reasons, and figuring out which one is paramount in getting it fixed correctly. Not only is it incredibly affordable, but it is also versatile and very easy to maintain. However, even though it is relatively weather resistant, it can be warped over time. It is important to understand what can cause siding to warp to know how to prevent it. This will save you money and time in the long run! Improper Siding Installation Improper installation is one of the reasons vinyl siding may begin to warp. When siding installers set the vinyl, they may nail it down too tightly. When this happens, bulging can occur. Siding tends to fluctuate with changing temperatures making it prone to becoming damaged. While some siding professionals may believe that nailing it down tightly will make it last longer, it can ultimately have the opposite effect. Vinyl siding is designed to be installed so it can move and adjust to the weather and external conditions. To check to see if your siding is nailed down too tightly, try moving it slightly. If installed appropriately, it should be able to shift around half an inch from side to side. The nail placement can also affect the vinyl and warping. Typically, the nails should be placed in the middle of the oval-shaped openings. This will be at the top of the panels. This portion is designed for nails, ensuring they are not too close to each other. In the end, this allows for the vinyl to shift slightly. In addition, it is also important to keep shutters separate from the vinyl. Shutters are not meaning they are not nailed directly to siding. Temperature Changes Heat is another culprit of warping vinyl. Since vinyl is plastic, it can melt if the external temperature is too high. Furthermore, vinyl that is naturally darker or painted in darker colors is more prone to warping because they tend to absorb more heat. If you live somewhere relatively warm where temperatures are a concern, consider a lighter color vinyl that will reflect heat instead of absorbing it. Placing a gas grill near your home is also not advisable due to its high temperatures when in use. Siding Alignment Poor alignment is another leading cause of vinyl warping. If the ends of the panels are too close to the trim of the windows or the corners of the house, the vinyl cannot move. It may warp if the vinyl cannot naturally shift (expand or contract) with the temperature. Pests While this is not a common source of vinyl warping, it can occur. Some pests could cause distortion when they burrow underneath the house siding. One of the most common types of pests that do this is termites. They may even consume part of the siding if not taken care of. This damage can affect the house’s structure, causing the panels to warp. The gaps can widen if your siding begins to warp, allowing more pests to get in. Reflections One cause of warping that often surprises people is the reflection from Low-E glass nearby. Whether it is a part of your home or someone else’s, this material can cause warping. This type of glass is an energy-efficient material that diffuses UV rays to prevent them from entering the home. However, that can make UV rays reflect off the house and onto the vinyl, causing it to warp. Luckily, this is easily preventable. An external screen attached to the window helps prevent that reflection back onto the home. Vegetation like a plant or tree can also help block this light. Low-Quality Siding While vinyl is very affordable, homeowners should know what they are getting. When buying parts for a home, many people want to save as much money as possible. However, consider choosing reasonably thick and durable vinyl siding. Cheaper panels are typically much thinner and potentially wavy, which can cause issues once installed. Thicker ones will be more durable and last longer. What Causes Siding to Bubble? Bubbling siding is another common issue that homeowners may face. Some of the primary causes include: Trapped Moisture When moisture becomes trapped behind the siding, it creates bubbles as the water tries to escape. This issue is often due to poor installation, lack of proper ventilation, or damaged underlayment. Excessive Heat Exposure Similar to warping, extreme heat can also cause siding to bubble. If the siding is exposed to direct sunlight or reflected heat from Low-E windows, the heat can cause the vinyl to soften and form bubbles. Painting Over Vinyl Siding Some homeowners attempt to change the color of their siding by painting it. However, using a dark-colored paint or applying paint not specifically designed for vinyl can lead to excessive heat absorption, causing the siding to bubble or warp. Chemical Reactions from Cleaning Products Using harsh chemicals or improper cleaning solutions on vinyl siding can cause a chemical reaction, leading to bubbling. Homeowners should always use manufacturer-recommended cleaning solutions to prevent this issue. Replace Your Warped Siding Today! If you notice any of these signs that your siding is warping, it is probably time for siding replacement. Contact the experts at Will County Siding and Windows for a free estimate. Once you have selected suitable siding for your home, our professionals will carefully install it and ensure it is done properly to prolong your siding’s lifespan (and your home’s). Und