Usually a repair
- A few cracked, holed or blown-off pieces after a storm or an impact.
- A dented or melted patch in one area — a grill set too close, a reflection off a window.
- Loose panels that have come unhooked in wind but are not damaged.
- A small area of rot on wood or engineered-wood siding where a gutter overflowed or a sprinkler hit the wall, with the sheathing behind still sound.
Pointing to replacement
- Damage across whole walls rather than in one spot: widespread warping, cracking, brittleness or fading.
- Water behind the siding — soft sheathing, stained or peeling paint and wallpaper inside, mould along an outside wall.
- Rot in several places on wood siding, or boards swelling at their bottom edges.
- A colour or profile that cannot be matched, so a repair would stand out on the front of the house.
- Siding that was installed badly — vinyl nailed tight and rippling, boards run into the ground with no clearance. Repairs to a badly installed wall rarely fix the cause.
The damage you cannot see
Siding is the first line against rain, but the second line — the water-resistive barrier over the sheathing that the code requires (IRC R703.2), and the flashing around windows and doors (R703.4) — is what actually keeps the wall dry. When those fail, or were never installed properly, water runs down behind siding that looks perfectly fine from the street. The signs are inside: stains below windows, peeling paint on an exterior wall, a musty smell in a closet on an outside wall. That is the situation where patching the siding does nothing, and the wall has to be opened up.
The matching problem
Siding colours and profiles are discontinued, and sun fades the siding already on the house. A new panel from the same product line can still look different from its sun-faded neighbours. Sometimes a match can be made with salvaged pieces taken from a less visible wall, such as the back of the garage, with new siding going there instead. Sometimes it cannot, and a repair on the front of the house would always show. That is often what turns a repair into re-siding one wall or more. If storm damage is involved, how matching is handled depends on your policy. See insurance claims.
Connecticut’s permit line
A full re-siding needs a building permit in Connecticut. Repairs limited to 25 percent of the siding within one calendar year do not. The 25 percent is counted across the year, not job by job. In a local historic district, visible changes can also need a certificate of appropriateness, and on a house built before 1978, removing painted siding comes under the EPA’s lead renovation rule unless testing shows no lead. Our siding guides cover the details town by town.
If you are re-siding
Re-siding is the one chance in decades to deal with what is behind the siding: replace rotted sheathing, put on a proper water-resistive barrier, re-flash the windows and doors, and add insulation over the studs with an insulated product. It is also the moment to choose a different material. See vinyl siding and fiber cement and engineered wood.
Storm damage
Wind tears siding off the same way it lifts shingles: at the corners and edges first. If a storm took off siding, check the roof too. See wind and hail damage and report storm damage.
Find out if it is a repair
Free inspection, photographs of what we find, and a written answer on repair or replacement.
Common questions about siding repair
Can a few damaged siding panels be replaced?
Usually, yes. Cracked, holed or blown-off pieces can be replaced individually, as long as a matching panel can be found and the wall behind is sound.
How do I know if there is water damage behind my siding?
Look inside: stains below windows, peeling paint or wallpaper on exterior walls, mould or a musty smell along an outside wall. Soft spots when you press on the siding are another sign.
What if my siding colour is discontinued?
A match can sometimes be made with pieces salvaged from a less visible wall. If not, a repair on a visible wall would always show, which is often what turns a repair into re-siding one or more walls.
Do I need a permit to repair siding in Connecticut?
Not for repairs limited to 25 percent of the siding within one calendar year. A full re-siding needs a building permit.
Should I repair or replace old wood siding?
Repair if the rot is limited and the sheathing behind is sound. Replace when rot is widespread, boards are swelling, or water is getting behind the wall.
Does storm damage to siding mean the roof is damaged too?
Often. Wind lifts siding and shingles the same way, at corners and edges first, so check the roof after a storm takes off siding.