House sidings have a number benefits such as improving your home’s appearance, increasing the resale value of your house, better energy efficiency, and more. If you’re hiring siding contractors for replacing or installing exterior siding, you should know what to expect and how to prepare for it. So, let’s begin!

How To Prepare For Siding Installation?

House siding, even though installed outside, can involve a bit of preparation.

Move The Car

Siding is mostly installed on the outside of the house and one of the places where the work will be in full swing is the garage and the neighboring area. So, you want to protect your car and other important items placed in the garage from any damage. This is why you should park your car somewhere else for the time being.

Usually, house siding will take between a couple of days to a week to install, so you need to find a temporary place for your car for the time being. You will prevent any possibility of an accident or something falling on top of your car, which is not what you want.

Remove Loose Things

This is more of a preventative tip than anything but you must remove any things on the shelves of the neighboring walls where the siding is being installed. Usually, when the siding is being installed, the interior walls can shake. This will cause loose and lightweight things to topple over and you don’t want that.

This is why it’s good if you stash those things away for the time being, otherwise, you’ll be spending your time picking them up and setting them back, only for them to fall back down again.

Clean Out The Neighboring Wall

Well, now that you know that there is a possibility of your interior walls shaking and causing a ruckus during siding installation, you want to act beforehand. See, there might be a lot of things on the walls that you don’t want to get ruined.

You might have pictures or memorable things that you hold onto, so it’s better if you take them all off and store them away somewhere safe for the time being. It will not only keep things safe, but you’ll be saving yourself and the rest of your family from a potential hazard, so it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Prepare Your Yard

Another thing that you want to do when you have siding installer coming in and out of your driveway, is to provide a clear path for them. The driveway needs to be cleared of all kinds of things, including any obstruction that can cause the workers trouble.

The more fluid the entry and exit is, the quicker the workers will be done and the quicker you’ll be able to get back to normal life activity.

Cover Your Belongings

During house siding installation, there can also be a lot of dust and debris falling all over the place. Think about it – the outside of your wall is being removed so there is going to be some mess depending on the severity of the previous siding.

So, if you don’t want your things to be covered in a thick layer of dust, you should cover them with sheets. Things like furniture, TVs, other electronics, and valuables are important to protect because anything can happen and you don’t want another replacement on your hands when you just got done from one.

Ask Your Contractor

To be on the safe side, always ask your contractor for how to prepare for the installation. They suggest you things you can do to make things easier for yourself and them.

What Happens On The Siding Installation Day?

Now that your house is prepared for installation, the next part is just that. Here is what generally happens from start to finish during a house siding installation.

The Old Siding Is Removed

Usually, once you have selected a contractor for new siding installation and everything is scheduled, the rest of the process is pretty smooth. The old siding is removed because the workers want to get a closer look at the insulation and the exterior wall to know if anything needs to be replaced or not.

The removal of old siding is an important step and it’s done carefully to avoid damage to the wall and the sheathing. If the siding is wood, then it can be torn apart or there are other mechanical ways to do so.

Inspection

Once the old siding is removed, the next thing that is involved is the inspection of the wall behind the siding. This is important to go over because there might be underlying mold, termite infestation, asbestos, water damage, rot, or anything else that can lead to a whole new mountain of problems. Any issue found can increase the overall cost of siding installation.

Therefore, before the new siding is installed, exterior walls are checked for any damage and if there is something questionable, then it needs to be fixed before the new material is installed. Otherwise, you’ll be repeating this entire process a couple of months from now.

Preparation For Installation

You can’t expect the siding installation process to just have the old siding removed and the new material slapped on. There is sheathing under siding that should be in good shape for the new installation to take place. If the sheathing is rotten, it will need to be replaced first.

Siding installation is not as straightforward as you think it is. The place where the old siding was needs to be prepared for new siding installation and you need to ensure that there isn’t any problem with the siding before you do anything.

This is why the construction workers spend a great deal of time inspecting the back of the siding area and if there is anything suspicious, then things need to be replaced first.

Be careful that some contractors recommend replacing everything even when they are in good shape. So, always ask the contractor to show the damage.

Insulation Or No Insulation

Usually, insulation is installed between the siding and the exterior wall. Insulation is important because it not only improves energy efficiency, but also cancels out any noise, so it is a necessity, especially if your old one is hanging on by its last threads.

Insulation is pretty easy to install and if you want to kill two birds with one stone, then you can get a self-insulating material for siding. This material is great because it nullifies the need for insulation altogether, so it is one less thing that you need to fret over.

The Actual Siding Installation

The last part includes the actual installation of the siding. Now, this part may vary for the different siding materials. Wood, bricks, and vinyl sidings are physically installed in the form of panels. However, cement and fiberglass sidings are applied or sprayed on in layers and this process can take a bit of time to reach completion.

So, depending on the material you’re going for, the siding installation can take anywhere from one to five days. Once the siding is installed, you can place everything back in its place and you’re pretty much done with this.

Conclusion

Home exterior siding installation is quite easier but knowing how to prepare and what to expect will help you go through the process smoothly. Make sure to find registered siding companies Port Jefferson who have experienced professionals for siding installation.