You want your home’s exterior to look great but remember: Its primary function is to protect the home’s interior, including your belongings, and especially your family members. Damage to your wood siding can come in many forms. To recognize the signs, it helps to know the possible types of damage to look for:

  • Wood Rot
  • Woodpecker, squirrel, insect & rodent damage
  • Trees, plants and ivy
  • Outside elements

Inspect Your Wood Siding

Anyone can look for many of the tell-tale signs of wood damage. Much of it might be obvious, but, wood damage under the paint or siding might be harder to detect unless you know what to look for. Reasons for checking your siding might include a rising heating and cooling bill, telling you your siding isn’t doing its job. Here are some signs to check for when assessing the state of your wood siding:

Damage after a storm – The easiest time to remember to look for damage is right after a storm. Wind, hail and falling debris can damage any siding, and wood siding has particular ways of cracking or peeling. Look for half-circle chips out of the wood, as well as splits and cracks along the grain. Chipped paint in wood siding can indicate damage.

Visible deterioration – Wood typically warps or rots over time. Water damage can also occur from within the walls due to faulty plumbing. It happens slowly, over time, so check regularly.

Rotting  – When a visual inspection isn’t enough to expose rotting wood, use a screwdriver to poke the surface for suspected damage. Rotted wood will feel softer and may even come apart.

Paint that doesn’t last  – If you need to repaint too often, chances are some siding needs to be replaced. A good paint job should last at least 8-10 years.

Small holes  – Many types of pests can create small holes in your wood siding. A woodpecker damaging your home it might be a sign of an insect infestation. Rodents, squirrels, and other wildlife are known to dig from inside or outside.

Flora  – Vines, plants and trees sprouting too close to your siding can create serious damage. Watch for roots from ivy, scrapes from branches and nests built in plants. All these things can encourage further wildlife damage.

Interior damage –  Water-damaged drywall or wood on interior walls can indicate possible damage to the exterior walls and siding.

Proper installation and repair of wood siding requires experience and care in order to make sure the result is beautiful, weather-proof and structurally sound. Signature Home Services can help you assess the health of your wood siding, recommend the best and most economical solutions and make sure it’s done right. Contact us about your siding or other exterior home repairs today.