If you’ve got a siding replacement coming up, it helps to know what’s ahead. New siding changes how your home looks and how well it stands up to weather, but the project itself has a rhythm to it, and knowing that rhythm makes the whole thing easier. Here’s what happens at each stage and what you can do to help it along.
Step 1: The Consultation
The consultation you have with your contractor sets the tone for the rest of your siding replacement project. This is a time to explore your options, make decisions, share inspirational ideas, and get more information about how the project will go.
Explain to your contractor any problems you’ve had with your old siding. Tell them what you’re hoping new siding can do for your home and what outcomes you hope to achieve. Describe the kind of siding you like best. If you need more information, don’t hesitate to ask.
Have a chat with your contractor about what will happen during your project, including what you need to do and what you can expect from their team. Find out what days and hours they’ll work during the week and on weekends. Ask what you will need to do to prepare. Talk about practical matters, like where you need them to park, where to place materials, and waste containers. Finally, ask what you can do to improve the outcome of your project.
Step 2: Getting Permits
You may or may not have to get some permits before the siding project begins. It all depends on your city regulations and the type of project. Your contractor can provide some guidance on this by letting you know what your city requires.
You may also need to get a permit to have a dumpster at your home for the tear-off. If you need a building permit, it’s essential to get it in time for the project to begin as scheduled. In some cases, the contractor will take care of getting all the needed permits. Or you may need to get them yourself.
Step 3: Think about Safety
Be mindful of everyone’s safety. Before the project begins, you can set the scene for a safe project. This involves three types of safety – protecting your home, your belongings, and all the people involved.
- You may find nails in your yard during or after construction. This is a natural part of the process, no matter how careful your contractor’s team might be. You can stay safe by watching for them and wearing sturdy shoes or boots. Make a recommendation to your contractor to use drop tarps, as it will prevent most nails from being left behind.
- Many children find it tempting to climb on the scaffolding when the builders go home for the day. So, remind your children, as well as your neighbors, that the scaffolding can be dangerous. Don’t allow anyone to play there. Also, be mindful of pets and their area, and if they need to be let out, it’s best to take them for a walk instead of letting them out while construction is underway.
Step 4: Getting Everything in Place
Before your contractor’s team can get started on your project, they will need the materials and the dumpster in place at your home. That means you’ll have to accept deliveries of siding and other materials. You’ll also have to receive the dumpster and tell whoever delivers it where you want it to be. If you choose to have the dumpster placed in your driveway, ask the driver to place wood underneath it to protect the surface of your drive.
Step 5: Preparing Your House
When you take the right steps to get your house ready, the project will go more smoothly, quickly, and safely, and you’ll get better results. Here are some things you can do ahead of time to prepare the way for an exceptional project.
- Clear the way for the team to access power outlets, preferably one on a 20-amp circuit. The crew will need it to plug in power tools.
- Make sure there are no objects around the outside of your home. Your contractor’s team needs to be able to get to the work area without being hampered by patio furniture, firewood, or bicycles.
- Move items from the inside to the exterior walls as well. Otherwise, items can fall off the walls and get damaged or hurt someone.
- Take care of your plants. You can cover plants with landscaping canvas if they’re planted in your yard. If they are in pots, you can simply move them away from the sides of your home.
Step 6: Tear-Off Begins
After all the previous steps are completed, your re-siding team is ready to begin. Their first move is to tear off all the old siding. If they’re concerned about changing weather or have a small crew, they might tear off one side of your home at a time and re-side it before they move on to the other side. However, if they have a larger crew and the weather is in a stable pattern, they may complete the entire tear-off process before they move on to re-siding.
Step 7: Checks and Repairs
If there’s one thing you definitely don’t want in a re-siding project, it’s old problems hidden beneath your new siding. To avoid this, your re-siders will inspect all the outside surfaces of your home. Then, if they need to do repairs, they’ll do them before they put on the new vapor barrier & siding.
Step 8: Replacing the Siding
Now the crew puts on the siding you chose. They start by wrapping the whole exterior in a water-resistive barrier, which is the layer that actually keeps wind-driven rain out of your wall. Once that’s on, they mark out the stud locations so the siding and trim fasten into solid framing, and install everything to the manufacturer’s specification.
Now, the project is nearly complete. As the worker place, attach, and secure the new siding on your home, you can see the beautiful results taking shape. By the time they finish with this part, your project is complete.
Step 9: The Reward
The whole process, from tear-off through repairs to the last piece of trim, usually takes between 3 and 14 days. How long yours takes depends on the size of your house, how many repairs turn up once the old siding is off, and the material you’ve chosen. Then you get to stand back and look at it, which is the part everybody enjoys.
Ready to Start Yours?
At GS Exteriors, we install James Hardie fiber cement and Woodtone RusticSeries siding across the Denver metro, and we’ll walk you through the whole process before anything gets torn off, so you know what’s coming and when. Give us a call on (720) 683-6288 or contact GS Exterior Experts to set up a consultation.
