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Is the siding on your home in need of repair or replacement? Perhaps it is old or has been damaged. Maybe it has absorbed water and is even deteriorating. It may even be to the point that it has holes in it exposing your home to further decline. No matter how bad it has gotten, you have to make two decisions. The first decision is when you will take action to stop the deterioration and protect your home. You see, once your siding has begun to decay, the process can not be stopped and it is only a matter of time until it will have to be replaced. The second question is what type of siding to choose to protect, beautify, and even make your home more energy efficient. Allow me to explore both decisions in more detail.

On the question of when you will take action, the answer is complicated. It depends on the exact condition of the exterior of your home, what your personal financial picture looks like, and how long you will likely live in your home. What is simple is this – taking action sooner rather than later is a far better financial decision. Let me give you two examples:

If it has been five years or more since your last exterior paint application, you need to strongly consider having your home painted. The harsh Carolina sun and humidity are very tough on a home's exterior and only rarely can you go much beyond five years before you are exposing your home to the elements. I can not tell you the number of times we have had to repair a portion of the exterior or replace all the siding on a home prematurely because the homeowner has not adequately protected their home with a good coat of paint every 5-6 years. Keeping all joints well caulked is vital to maintaining longevity as well. Repair or replacement can cost thousands to well over ten thousand dollars – all of which could have been avoided or at least delayed if the home had been adequately protected. If you have Masonite siding on your home, this is especially true.

Speaking of Masonite, if that is what covers the exterior of your home, you need to keep a very close watch on its condition. If the bottom edges of the siding or nail locations have swelled with moisture, if it has lost its hard exterior surface structure, or if the joint with another section of siding or with the corners have changed their appearance, you likely are in need or replacement. If you delay, the damage will only get worse and will cost you more money. The decay will accelerate and can spread to the trim, sheathing and interior of your home costing much more money to correct than if you had fixed those issues as soon as they are identified. Again, it can cost thousands of additional dollars if you delay your repair or replacement of Masonite siding.

On the question of what siding to use to replace your existing siding, let me provide a fair and balanced assessment of both vinyl siding and fiber cement siding which is often better known as HardieBoard. Each has many compelling reasons to select and each has some drawbacks and / or considerations.

HardieBoard is the best visual match as a replacement if you currently have Masonite siding. It comes in beaded and flat profiles. It also comes in smooth and wood grained surfaces. It is very durable and comes with a thirty year warranty. It is relatively easy to install and cost-effective. Most realtors will tell you that unless you already live in a neighborhood with vinyl sided homes, you will get a higher resale with HardieBoard on the exterior of your home. On the downside, it does still need to be painted every five years or so, can be damaged, and provides little insulation value when installed.

Vinyl siding has come a long way from the reputation it earned twenty plus years ago. Today's vinyl siding is rigid, fade resistant, and durable. Even better, for not much more, you can install vinyl siding that includes a foam insulating backing. The foam backing dramatically increases is resistance to damage and adds another layer of insulation to your home. (It can take a typical exterior wall R-value from 13 to 18. As such, the energy savings will pay for the insulated siding over time.) It is easy to install, costs about the same as HardieBoard, and will make your home virtually maintenance free for at least twenty to thirty years. It comes in many colors and styles. Looking at drawbacks, some people still have a difficult time accepting this product.