When it comes to home improvements, sometimes you can feel a bit lost when it comes to knowing when it’s time to repair or replace, but that’s okay. We all hate being taken advantage of, especially when it comes to the money that we work hard to earn. Today I’d like to educate you on the importance of knowing when your window or siding is still usable or if it requires a complete replacement.

Siding

Let’s talk about siding first. When you get home from work at the end of the day, and you’re pulling up in your driveway, you should be able to notice fairly well the condition of the exterior of your home. Look at the siding. Are there pieces falling off or broken? Does it look old and worn out? If you feel like you may be in the middle of this spectrum, it could just need some repairs.

If your home has wood siding, they typically have a life expectancy of 20 years. However, with the right maintenance, you can get it to last you 40 years. Vinyl siding, on the other hand, has much more abiding material and can last for up to 100 years. It’s much easier to maintain and a lot more resistant to moisture.

If you notice that some of the sidings on your home aren’t in the best condition, it’s good to replace them. But, if you’re noticing more damaged pieces than not, you may want to do a full replacement.

Has there been a lot of growth happening on the exterior of your home? If you see any mold or mildew, call a professional to come out and take a look as soon as possible. When there’s water damage and moisture builds up, it can cause the boards to rot and cause some severe health issues. You don’t want to allow any growth on or in your home! Always replace.

Windows

Now windows. Windows are important, mostly because they can affect other factors in your home. For example, if your window is drafty and you feel like you’re always cold in your home, that means your furnace is having to work twice as hard to maintain the temperature, and using twice as much energy, thus making your electric bill higher. Just from not having proper windows? Whack. To think that the extra money you’ve been spending your electric bill over time could’ve paid for windows!

Now let’s talk about what you should be looking for on how to decipher if your window is in need or repair or replacement. The most obvious thing you will notice are any cracks or chips. Smaller cracks can be fixed and don’t necessarily mean that you need to replace the entire window, but anything over the size of a quarter, you should probably have someone come out and replace it.

If money is tight and you can’t afford to pay attention to these issues until after the holidays, there are some steps you can take to help make your home warmer and more energy efficient. Caulking and weather stripping help reduce drafts. Some people do this before it starts to get cold out to keep the warm air inside during the winter months.

Have you been hearing more of your neighbors lately than you would like to? That problem may be happening because your windows are not sealed properly. Newer windows with double or triple-pane glass can efficiently eliminate outdoor noise, especially if you live in a busy area..

It’s important to remember that you can always ask questions. If you’re unsure about something, educate yourself. You can never be too educated about the safety of your home. We’re here for you to answer any questions that you may have, and we hope that you have a great rest of your week! Thanks for reading.

-New Look Roof Team

For any questions or comments, please feel free to email us at jwest@newlookroofs.com, we hope you have a great day and thanks for reading! 

- Julian