Tag Archive for: Fiber Cement Siding

Siding – How To Sell Your Home For Top Dollar

Another informative article written by Steve from Ontario Home Inspection Services. He also provided some great photos of sloppy siding work.

Siding – How To Sell Your Home For Top Dollar

Siding is one of those aspects of a home that can add to the look and efficiency of the home as well as provide the homeowner a degree of maintenance peace of mind. More importantly, well-maintained siding can add substantial value to your home.  If you are selling your home, ensuring that the siding is well maintained and in good repair is will help you to maintain your asking price and give the buyer little to negotiate with.

Your Siding is Falling Down

What if something happens to the siding?  What do you do when gusts of wind cause the siding to come apart?  What do you do if you have vegetation too close to the siding and it’s growth is causing the siding to come away from your home?

Bad-siding-1Gettin’ Around To It

Too often homeowners wait until it’s too late to fix.  Often the initial damage has caused even further damage because it was left too long before fixing.  For example, the siding trim has been removed exposing the siding.  This now allows for water to penetrate between the siding and the home’s envelope.  Or the siding has come away from the siding it’s attached to, again allowing for water or vermin to penetrate the home.

It’s important to review your entire home’s exterior a minimum of 2 times per year and address any issues you find at that time.  If an issue is found before or after your planned review, it should be fixed immediately.  Waiting until the weather gets better or until you have time, could be disastrous to your home.  In many cases, it’s water penetrating the home that will cause the most damage.

I inspected one home where the siding trim was removed away from the home.  This allowed for water to seep down the between Bad-siding-2the siding and the building’s envelope.  It was so bad that water actually penetrated into the home causing puddles on the interior floor!  The windows sills were completely saturated and needed replacing.

Unfortunately, the homeowner left this issue too long and it was in need of major repairs.

If you don’t know how to fix the issue, it’s important that you hire someone who does.  Had the repairs been done when the damage occurred, the homeowner would have saved thousands of dollars in further repairs to the overall structure.  Although it wasn’t detected at the time, there was also the possibility of mold growth behind the walls!  This would not have been detected during a routine home inspection as a home inspection is a non-invasive, visual snapshot of the home’s systems and functionality, at the time of the inspection.

Maintaining the exterior of your home doesn’t take a great deal of time if it’s planned properly and any issues found are addressed at that time.  Waiting to fix issues may only increase the cost of fixing the issue or cause further damage or get you less than your asking price.

Negotiating Tool

Home inspections help homeowners selling their home as well as home buyers recognize these issues and the potential outcomes in the event that the siding has not been well maintained or issues fixed in a timely manner.  Defects in the siding of a home may affect the overall selling price and give the home buyer a strong negotiating tool to get a better deal.

If you don’t have the proper knowledge or tools, have your siding professionally repaired.  It will save you thousands of dollars and help to maintain your asking price.

Stephen Faudemer
Ontario Home Inspection Services
www.ontariohomeinspectionservice.ca

 

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What % of Insurance Claims Are From Hail, Ice Dams, & Wind?

roof_knowledge_09Commission wind, hail and ice add up to about 32% of the insurance claims made by    homeowners.  This number is especially staggering since many sections of the U.S. don’t    see frequent hail storms, and other sections don’t have climates that produce ice dams.      Add another 14.3% for water damage and it’s clear that a majority of home insurance        claims are caused by weather and climate factors.

 

 

Property Peril
Fire 33.1%
Wind Damage 18.3%
Water Damage 14.3%
Hail Damage 11.6%
Theft 3.6%
Freezing 2.0%
Lightning 2.0%
Other Property Losses 9.6%

The most commonly damaged areas of homes are the roof, siding, foundation, windows, and gutters.  As you would expect the exterior shell of your home is the first layer of protection against the elements.  When the strength of Mother Nature overpowers the durability of your home everyone loses.  You have to pay expensive insurance premiums and rarely get the proper amount of coverage to restore your home to proper working condition.

It’s more important then ever to have the following:

A properly functioning roofing system with hurricane force wind nailing, sufficient amounts of ice and water shield and flashing, and high grade shingles properly installed.

Well maintained and properly installed siding that is wind resistant and durable enough to take the impact of flying debris.

Windows that have a high DP rating, meaning they can withstand the force of high winds and the impact of debris.

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Fiber Cement Siding: The Siding of Choice in Mass, Rhode Island, & New Hampshire

yellow house smallIn the past ten years fiber cement siding has made leaps and bounds in the residential remodeling and new construction markets in  New England. Market share for the siding is approaching 10% according to manufacturers and  the Portland Cement Association. This may not seem like a large share but given the fact that the  siding product was virtually unknown in New England just ten years ago, the progress is  significant.
Companies like Certainteed® and GAF® are providers of Fiber cement. Although some people are hesitant to use fiber cement siding because of a perceived short track record within the U.S. The product has actually been used in the U.S for close to 30 years and versions of the siding (some containing asbestos) actually date back almost 100 years.  But don’t worry, fiber cement no longer contains harmful materials.  It’s mostly made of portland cement and cellulose fibers.
Although no siding product is perfect, fiber cement seems to offer homeowners in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire the beauty of wood they desire without all of the maintenance.  The proof is that there are 1000’s of houses in New England that have fiber cement.  You’ll find the product on very high-end homes in communities like Newton, Weston, Wayland, Brighton, Hull,  Newport, East Providence, Nashua NH, and many more.

Contact us for more information or a no pressure estimate

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Coastal Siding Contractors in Rhode Island Use Different Shingles

There are several shingle or shingle style products that Rhode Island siding companies can use near the coast.  Some have been used for decades, and some are newer and more modern siding products.
Cedar shingles:

Traditionally coastal homes in Rhode Island have white cedar shingles that are left to weather naturally.  Other times they are preserved with a solid stain, transparent stain or a bleaching oil.  Red cedar shingles, a denser wood, is sometimes used as well.  Although this can be an attractive and traditional look, cedar is very expensive compared to other siding options.  It can also deteriorate rather quickly due to the sun, salty air, and moisture.  Cedar shingles have been installed by siding companies in Rhode Island for decades.

Vinyl Shingles:

Although homeowners with traditional homes are not generally happy with the look of vinyl, newer products such as vinyl (or polymer) shingles offer a more pleasing appearance.  These products are an excellent option near the coast because they are durable and resistant to the coastal elements and are lower maintenance than cedar shingles and other wood products.

Fiber Cement Shingles:

Fiber cement shingles such as Certainteed Shingles, are a good balance of traditional appearance and low maintenance.  Although they take longer to install, an experienced siding contractor can finish the project in about the same time as a cedar shingle installation.  Fiber cement shingles are resistant to high winds, moisture, termites, ants, woodpeckers, and changes in temperature.  There are not many Siding Contractors in Rhode Island that are installing these yet but we at United Home Experts have completed several projects in coastal areas like Jamestown RI, Newport RI, Narragansett RI, Wakefield RI, Barrington RI, and many other local Rhode Island towns.

Contact us today for a no pressure estimate on your project.

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Fiber Cement Siding Replacement: How is the Return on Investment?

For years real estate agents and property professionals have been telling sellers to put more money into their kitchens and baths because it would give them the biggest return on their investment. It may have been true in the past but what does today’s data tell us? There is a chance you may not have even heard of this product yet thousands of your neighbors in New England are benefiting from it.

According to Realtor.org/Realtor Magazine, in 2008 Major Kitchen remodels did make the top ten list on their annual Cost vs. Value report but the number one improvement you can make to your house and receive the biggest return on your investment is upscale fiber cement siding. Homeowners nationally received a return of almost 87% on every dollar spent. This does not include the aesthetic value, and immeasurable value of having a low-maintenance exterior. You may be asking yourself, “What is Fiber Cement Siding?” Don’t be embarrassed. If you are living in New England, you have not been exposed to this product as frequently as the rest of the nation. However, thousands of your neighbors locally are replacing their failing vinyl, aluminum and wood siding with fiber cement siding.

Homeowners simply love this product! Here are just a few of the benefits of fiber cement siding when installed properly by a professionally trained and certified contractor:

  • Termites cannot eat through it
  • Woodpeckers won’t peck at it
  • You receive a 30-year product warranty
  • It is an environmentally friendly green product made partially with recycled materials

With today’s financial uncertainty, the best thing homeowners can do is make sure their homes are well kept and updated. Fiber cement siding replacement is a great way to improve the value of your house whether you are planning on selling or if you plan on holding on to the property for the next 30 years.

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