Living in Minnesota during the winter can feel like a roulette wheel. You never really know what kind of weather you’re going to have to live through. Sure, we know it’s going to be cold. Still, all the weather that comes with winter is intimidating not just to you, but to your house. At the end of a long commute, you get to hide out in the comfort of your home. Your home doesn’t have that same luxury — blizzards, sleet, and hail damage siding. Damaged siding can lead to higher energy bills and repairs. Here are the top weather conditions that can damage the siding.
Blizzards
Nobody likes a blizzard. It’s like the weather equivalent of glitter getting all over the rug. You’re going to get pummeled with snow, and it’s going to stick around, blanketing everything as far as the eye can see. When blizzards bring in too much snow, it can build up on your roof and along the sides of your house. As it melts, the continual wetness can decay your siding and what lies underneath.
The prolonged moisture in these storms can also seep into cracks and weak areas of your siding to promote mold or mildew or even structural damage. The great many homeowners never seem to see this hidden menace until the spring thaw reveals warped boards and peeling paint. Proper inspections after major snowstorms could catch potential problems before they get worse and expensive to repair, ensuring the house remains energy-efficient.
Wind
Wind is the invisible killer. Well, not necessarily deadly to humans, it can take its toll on your house. It isn’t just the intense speeds that bang against your home that are dangerous to your siding. You also have to worry about the debris that wind can kick around. If you live next to trees, there’s a chance that branches can crash into your house and crack your roof and siding.
Powerful gusts would literally peel siding panels away, exposing the house to water infiltration. This damage is usually noted much later, i.e., after heavy rainfalls or snowfalls, so in the meantime, the repairs are made on an emergency basis. Little wind damage during a storm, allied with hail damage, turns small cosmetic issues into big structural problems. It is good for the homeowners to keep trees pruned and maintain the siding on a regular schedule to lessen the wind hazards.
Sleet
Sleet is the combination of rain and ice. If you ever want to be unreasonably cold, soaking wet, and stabbed dozens of times with little pellets, stand outside during a sleet storm. You can tell right away that it’s unpleasant. Now imagine being in your house and taking all that moisture and ice. It can wear away at the integrity of your siding.
With all missiles and dust, one believes that sleet will be less damaging than the hail. Still, over time, repeated exposure turns out to be equally destructive. The freeze-thaw cycles induced by sleet allow the formation of cracks in vinyl as well as in wood siding. Once in place, the moisture traps itself behind a panel, forming rot and mildew, or it damages insulation. Regular sealing and winter-proofing of your siding can give it a longer life even in harsh weather.
Hail
Hail is the big daddy when it comes to damaging the siding of your home — the larger balls of ice that crash down from the sky can reach dangerous speeds. As they pummel your house, the size and speed of the hail play a huge factor. If you see hail damage siding, you’re going to need a contractor come springtime.
The biggest claim by Minnesota homeowners is hail damage to siding. Dents, chips, and cracks towards a home’s exterior can be made by even the smallest hail. Larger hailstones can break completely through the panels, exposing the underlying materials to moisture. After big hailstorms, getting a professional inspection is paramount to verify whether repairs or complete siding replacement are necessary. Kellington Restoration gets in there to find any hidden hail damage and offers solutions that will stand up to any future storm.
Don’t let hail damage siding. Upgrade to the best siding before the winter weather takes its anger out on your house. For a contractor near you, contact Kellington Restoration at 612-490-4626 or visit us online.