If you live in an area where high winds blow, and your home is in an exposed position, then this article may interest you. Strips of siding are regularly torn away in these conditions, and moisture penetration may follow. Installing vinyl siding in windy areas requires specialist skills. Read on to understand why.
Precautions Before Installing Vinyl Siding in Windy Areas
- Confirm that the underlying sheathing or battens are in good condition, and attach firmly to the building. Upgrade this where necessary before continuing.
- Ensure that an effective house wrap, or building paper barrier is in position. Double check that there are no gaps where moisture may penetrate and tidy up.
- Ask your installer to confirm that their siding is suitable for your particular circumstances, and rated for your climate. Be prepared to pay for the quality you need.
The First Layer of Siding Is Most Critical
Few Calgary residents go down on their hands and knees, to check the lower edges of their siding. Little do they know how critical this is, when installing vinyl siding in windy areas. You see, and this is very important, wind often tears away siding on elevated buildings beginning at the lowest point.
Standards for Vinyl Siding Installed in Windy Areas
Most vinyl siding should be able to resist Calgary wind storms when installed over solid wall surfaces. However, this assumes the contractor attached it firmly with suitable fasteners, because if one piece tears away then the fingers of wind will follow.
Please take another look at our diagram of standard versus double fastenings for high wind vinyl siding. Notice how the nails drive though the midpoint of the slots to allow maximum thermal movement, and the thicker panels for greater wind resistance.
Don’t Let Amateurs Spoil Your Siding Job
The satisfaction of a cheaper job soon fades, whereas the unfortunate homeowner may have to live with shoddy workmanship for a long time. We are always prepared to help with emergency repairs, although the customer may end up paying more that what we would have charged for the original job.
Please scroll down to the lower part of our homepage, and spend a few minutes reviewing our customer feedback. We are justifiably proud of what we do, and we apply the same standards to every job. We are local people and we live in Calgary. Please ask us for a quote before you order your siding.
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