Siding fails slowly and then all at once. For years it just looks tired; then a storm pops a few panels loose, or you find soft wood under a window, and it turns out water has been getting behind it for a while. Michigan makes this worse: freeze-thaw cycles open every gap a little more each winter, the sun bakes the south and west walls in summer, and spring and summer storms throw wind and hail at all of it. Here are the signs worth acting on, starting with the ones that mean water is already getting in.
1. Soft, stained or rotting wood
Press on the trim and the bottom edge of the wall, especially under windows, at inside corners, and below gutters. Soft wood, dark stains, or paint bubbling on the inside of an exterior wall all mean water is getting behind the siding. This is the sign that matters most, because the damage is in the sheathing and framing, not the siding. On a tear-off we open the walls, photograph what's there, and replace bad wood before new siding goes on.
2. Warped, wavy or buckled panels
Vinyl expands in heat and shrinks in cold, and it's meant to slide on its nails as it does. Panels that were nailed too tight, or that sit next to a dark surface or a reflective window, have nowhere to go and ripple or bulge. Waves you can see from the street, usually on the sunniest wall, mean the panels are stressed and the joints behind them have probably opened up.
3. Cracks, holes and chips
Vinyl gets brittle in the cold. A snowblower kicking up gravel, a ball, a ladder, or a January hailstorm can crack a panel that would only have flexed in July. Every crack is a path for wind-driven rain. One or two can be replaced; cracks across several walls usually mean the panels have aged past the point of flexing.
4. Loose, unlocked or missing panels
Each vinyl panel locks into the one below it. Strong wind can unlock them, and once one goes, the wind gets behind the next. Panels that rattle, gaps you can slide a finger into, or pieces in the yard after a storm need attention before the next storm, because the housewrap behind them is now taking the weather. If it happened in a named storm, photograph it first: see storm damage repair for how we document siding damage for a claim.
5. Drafts and high heating bills
If rooms feel cold along the exterior walls, or you can feel air at outlets on outside walls, the wall is leaking air. Older siding was often installed over no housewrap at all. New siding over taped housewrap and an insulation board closes most of those leaks. To be fair about it: if the upstairs is cold and the bills are high, the attic is often the bigger culprit, so we look there too. See attic insulation and ventilation.
6. Fading, chalking and mismatched patches
Faded or chalky siding isn't a leak by itself, but it tells you the panels' surface has broken down, and it means any repair will stand out. If a past repair already doesn't match, future ones won't either. This is usually the point where homeowners decide the house looks tired enough to replace.
7. Hail and wind damage
Southeast Michigan gets damaging wind and hail most years. Hail leaves dents or holes in vinyl and dents in aluminum trim and gutters; wind unlocks and tears off panels. Storm damage is the one case where someone else may be paying: homeowners policies usually cover sudden storm damage, so get it documented before anything is repaired.
8. Peeling paint on wood siding or trim
If you're repainting wood siding or trim every few years, you're paying for siding replacement in installments. Vinyl over taped housewrap, with the trim wrapped in aluminum, ends the paint cycle.
Repair or replace?
- Repair: a few cracked or loose panels on otherwise sound siding, when the color is still made and the wall behind is dry.
- Replace: problems on several walls, soft or rotting wood anywhere, panels too brittle to work with, or a color nobody makes anymore.
- Get it looked at soon: any sign of water behind the siding. That damage grows every freeze-thaw cycle.
When it's time, our vinyl siding replacement is a full tear-off with taped housewrap, insulation board and CertainTeed siding at about $750 per square installed. For budgeting, read how much vinyl siding costs in Michigan. Overflowing gutters are one of the most common reasons water gets behind siding, so check your gutters at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the best time of year to replace siding in Michigan?
Spring through fall is easiest. Vinyl is stiffer and more brittle in hard cold, so deep-winter installs need more care; we schedule around weather rather than hang siding in conditions that compromise the install.
Q: Can new siding go over the old siding?
Some contractors do it. We don't, because the only way to find water damage in the walls is to take the old siding off, and new housewrap has to go on the sheathing to do its job.
Guthix Roofing is a licensed and insured Michigan residential builder (License #262600716) based in Wyandotte, replacing vinyl siding, roofs and gutters across Downriver and metro Detroit. Book a free siding appointment, or call (734) 360-0805 and tell us what you're seeing.
Want a roofer to look at yours?
See our vinyl siding replacement page, or how we work across Downriver from our shop in Wyandotte.
