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Vinyl Siding: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:56:52 -0800

Vinyl siding as been around since the 1960s, and it is growing in popularity each year. It was originally designed to be a re-cover siding, intended to be installed over the top of an existing water-tight siding material as a means of quickly enhancing the exterior of a house. Unfortunately, the easy application and relatively low cost enticed builders into using this material as a primary waterproofing material. At this time, nearly 30% of new homes now have vinyl siding.

As a long-standing roofing company in the Seattle area, Raynproof Roofing has witnessed the effects vinyl siding has had on the building industry. Multiple times every year, Raynproof Roofing is asked to investigate a roof leak, only to discover that the source of the leak is a nearby vinyl-clad wall! Many homeowners and contractors are discovering that their initial cost savings by installing vinyl will ultimately cost them many times more through water damage to their homes.

How can this possibly be the case? Let's take a look at the three “faces” of vinyl siding.

The Good

Vinyl siding is a contractor's dream material. It installs quickly and it is much less expensive than other siding materials on the market, resulting in both cheaper installation and material costs. With vinyl siding, no painting is required. This means a contractor can avoid painting-related scheduling delays that are often caused by our cold and wet Seattle winters. Vinyl siding is available in a great variety of colors, and the newer generations of vinyl are less prone to fading. It is also available in a variety of faux wood grain finishes to mimic natural materials. With all of these positive attributes, it sounds like the ideal siding material, right?

The Bad

Vinyl siding is not a watertight covering for a variety of reasons. The material expands and contracts with temperature fluctuations. The result of this is that vinyl siding cannot be caulked and sealed at wall penetrations like windows and doors. Wind-driven water can be forced into these gaps around the unsealed window and door trims, as well as into the overlapping ends of the siding pieces. In addition, the installation of vinyl siding requires the use of several pre-made trim pieces. These trim pieces have limitations in their applications, and they cannot possibly be bent, trimmed, and formed to meet every conceivable installation requirement.

The Washington Post explains some of the problems that vinyl-clad homes face these days:

"...for most people, the real surprise is that vinyl siding leaks -- a lot. The industry puts a positive spin on this issue, describing the siding as a 'supplemental rain screen' that works by 'reducing the amount of water that reaches the underlying weather-resistant barrier.' The Vinyl Siding Institute says, 'vinyl siding is designed to allow the material underneath to breathe; therefore it is not a watertight covering' -- which is to say, it leaks. Water enters through overlapped joints, but mainly at open-sided edge trim. Anticipating this, manufacturers provide weep holes along the bottom edges of clapboard panels. You can't stop water infiltration by caulking because, unlike stationary trim seams in wood or masonry, vinyl has to move freely."

Since vinyl siding itself is not waterproof, the building is ultimately protected by a water-resistant underlayment (house wrap), with additional protection provided by peal and stick waterproofing membranes that are used at high-risk areas such as window and door openings. Unfortunately, the water-resistant underlayment is punctured by several hundred siding nails. Also, any installation mistakes with the underlayment, or the way the underlayment is integrated with the peal and stick window/door membranes, will ultimately result in leaks.

The number of lawsuits being filed against contractors and vinyl siding manufacturers has been on the incline for many years now. Many condominiums and housing developments in the Pacific Northwest have experienced lawsuits involving vinyl siding installations. Raynproof Roofing is called quite often by people throughout Seattle and King County to investigate phantom “roof” leaks, only to discover that the problem is the result of the siding.

The Ugly

Vinyl siding does not increase the value of one's home, and in some cases, can actually diminish its value if the home has historic value or is located in a nicer neighborhood with more traditional siding material such as wood, brick or stucco

When used as a recovering material, many of the defects of the base siding will be reflected in the vinyl covering. In addition, using vinyl as a recover material “thickens” the wall and many window and door trims actually get buried so you start to lose some of your home's character.

Squeaking and even clattering has been heard when the wind blows strongly against vinyl-clad homes. This is due to the way vinyl must be installed leaving the width of a dime between the nail head and the vinyl panel to allow for movement.

The other "ugly" reality that homeowners sometimes forget to consider is that the color of the vinyl will be the color of their home forever -- or until they decide to reside it with something else. Yes, it could be painted, but then you lose the low maintenance quality that it provided in the first place. Vinyl siding can also be easily damaged either by windblown debris, lawnmower debris, ladders or anything else that is harder than the vinyl. Once damaged, the entire panel must be replaced and new replacement panels will not be an exact match since vinyl does tend to fade within five years or so.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when facing vinyl siding and the possible effects it has on your home. If you do own a vinyl-clad home, be sure to check it out on a regular basis and in a variety of weather conditions, because trapped water behind the vinyl siding can cause all kinds of problems, including structural damage, mold, mildew and insect infestations.

If you suspect water intrusion into the interior of your house, have a professional siding company inspect your home. You might also consider having a thermal imaging analysis done to identify the extent of any leaks and/or damage. Finally, don't assume that all water leaks are due to a roof leak.

By David Buckles

Raynproof Roofing (Seattle, WA)

Winter Roof Care Tips

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 10:22:41 -0800

• Due to icy conditions, take extra precautions whenever accessing your roof.

• If snow and ice arrive for any length of time, be sure to check for ice damming along your gutters and roof drains as this will prevent proper drainage. If water can't drain properly, it will seek out any minor roof deficiencies and enter your house.

• After strong wind storms, inspect your flat roof for membrane uplift around perimeters. Inspect shingled roofs for shingle uplift which can be seen during the actual windstorm.

• Avoid shoveling snow off your roof as you could do more damage than good.

Note: Your safety is of primary importance. The following are some tips to look out for on your roof. We recommend you use a professional to inspect and maintain your roof as they will take proper safety measures when accessing your roof. If you insist on doing your own roof inspection or maintenance, at the very least make sure you tell someone of your intentions because if you do fall, you could be incapacitated for a long time before someone is aware of your problem.

Fall Roof Care Tips

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 10:24:36 -0700

• Look for signs of fatigue: splits and cracks along stacks, vents, expansion joins, walls and perimeters which are the hardest hit by your house's movement as temperatures rise and fall.

• Remove all debris and leaves from all drains, scuppers and gutters. (Blocked drains are the biggest source of roof leaks so attend to them before the rain storms hit.)

• Make sure all skylights are not broken or cracked due to falling limbs and debris

Note: Your safety is of primary importance. The following are some tips to look out for on your roof. We recommend you use a professional to inspect and maintain your roof as they will take proper safety measures when accessing your roof. If you insist on doing your own roof inspection or maintenance, at the very least make sure you tell someone of your intentions because if you do fall, you could be incapacitated for a long time before someone is aware of your problem.

Help! There's Water in my Crawl Space!

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 13:59:36 -0700

In general, roofing companies are not experts in diagnosing "water in basement" problems; however, I am an experienced house builder and remodeler, so I will provide you with my knowledge on this subject.

If the source of the water problem is not an obvious water-flow issue, for example, water flowing down a sloped driveway and directly into the garage, then the problem is quite often the result of excessive ground water next to the foundation.

Because of gravity, the water levels on BOTH sides of the concrete (inside and outside the house) want to equalize. If the water level on the outside of the house is higher than your basement floor, then you can have leaks because the water level inside your house will want to rise until equilibrium is achieved.

Modern building construction makes great efforts, therefore, to remove excessive water from the outside of the house. This is done in two ways. First of all, modern houses have a footing drain. This is installed at the height of the footing, which should be about 4-6" lower than a finished concrete basement floor. This drain collects water from the perimeter of the house, then takes it elsewhere (typically to a combination sewer, a storm sewer, or "daylights" to a city street).

The second type of drain on a modern house is used to collect all roof water, and direct this water away from the house (again, to a combination sewer, a storm sewer, or "daylight").

The first thing you should check is your downspouts. Does your roof water drain next to the house?? If so, this needs to be changed as soon as possible. Install drain lines that will collect the roof water, then direct this water away from your house. IMPORTANT: Do not direct this water towards a neighbor's house, as you might flood them out, nor should you direct the water to the top of a steep hillside, as the hillside may collapse due to excessive water!

If this does not solve the problem, you might have to install a sump pump in your basement. Typically, these are dug down 18" to 24" lower than your basement floor. By having it recessed, you are encouraging ground water to flow to this lower point. Inside the sump hole, install a pump, and pump the water out (and away) from your house. A sump pump is a good alternative for older houses since it would be virtually impossible to retrofit a house with a footing drain. Call a plumber for more information on sump pumps and sump pump installation.

Written by David Buckles, sales manager of Raynproof Roofing. He has over 18 years experience in the residential construction industry.

Angie's List Super Service Award Recipient

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 09:00:27 -0800

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 9, 2007

Raynproof Roofing Named 2006 Angie’s List Super Service Award Recipient Seattle, WA (03/09/07) – Raynproof Roofing, a family-owned roofing contractor that has been servicing roofs in the Greater Seattle area since 1986, has been selected as a 2006 Angie’s List Super Service Award Recipient. The award is given annually to companies that achieved and maintained a superior service rating on Angie’s List (www.angieslist.com) throughout the year. There are more than 283,000 companies that have been put on Angie’s List by consumers, but fewer than five percent of these companies are eligible for the recognition.

Raynproof Roofing (www.raynproofroofing.com) is the longest-standing roofing company in West Seattle. In addition to being long time members of the Roofing Contractors Association of Washington, Raynproof Roofing and their crews are trained and certified by several roofing manufacturers. This sets them apart from the numerous companies that come and go every year! Raynproof stands behind their work with some of the best labor and materials warranties in the roofing industry.

Angie’s List is where consumers share their ratings and reviews on the local companies they hire. Members of Angie’s List also check the list’s more than 270 categories for highly rated companies before they hire. Company ratings are based strictly on feedback from members of Angie’s List. Companies cannot pay to be on the list, nor can they put themselves on the list. Angie’s List currently has more than 500,000 members in 124 major cities across the U.S.

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For more information about Angie’s List, please contact Kevin Gray at 317-808-3349 or keving@angieslist.com. For more information about Raynproof Roofing, please contact David Buckles at 206-935-1400 or david@raynproofroofing.com.

Spring & Summer Roof Care Tips

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:55:06 -0800

Tips for all Roof Types:

• Check all gutters and downspouts to make sure water is flowing freely.

• Clean out all roof drains and gutters from spring time flower blossoms.

• If your roof is over 10 years old or you suspect that your roof is aging badly, inspect it from the ground during an intense wind storm. Look specifically for shingle lift -- this is an indication that the shingle adhesive strip is no longer doing its job, exposing your roof to potential leaks and shingle blow off.

• Moss on your roof can be removed by either sweeping it off while it is wet OR by first applying a roof

moss killer product (not "yard moss killer") available at local hardware stores and then sweeping it off once the moss has been killed.

• Never walk or sit on your ridge shingles if you have continuous ridge ventilation.

• Pressure washing your roof: We do NOT recommend pressure washing roofs. If you have asphalt shingles, pressure washing will potentially remove the granules which are the shingle's sunscreen material. If you lose that sunscreen layer, you are exposing the asphalt shingle to harsh UV rays which will start premature aging and the shingles will become brittle. If you have cedar shingles, pressure washing them will basically remove the top, aged layer making your shingle thinner and also requiring you to treat the newly exposed cedar so it will once again repel rain water.

Flat / Torch Down Roofs:

• Due to summer heat, try to do any roof inspections early in the morning when it is cooler so you prevent causing damage to the torch down bitumen.

• After strong wind storms, inspect your roof for membrane uplift around perimeters and elevation changes.

• Torch down and hot tar roof surfaces should be checked for deep cracking, similar to alligator skin as this is an indication that the roof is nearing its life expectancy.

• Every five years, be sure to apply an aluminum-based coating in order to protect the roof from UV degradation.

Note: Your safety is of primary importance. The following are some tips to look out for on your roof. We recommend you use a professional to inspect and maintain your roof as they will take proper safety measures when accessing your roof. If you insist on doing your own roof inspection or maintenance, at the very least make sure you tell someone of your intentions because if you do fall, you could be incapacitated for a long time before someone is aware of your problem.

Dealing with Insurance Adjusters

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 13:58:28 -0800

On January 16, 2007, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer had a great article about dealing with insurance adjusters in the wake of last December's worst storm since 1993. It has been unfortunate how many insurance companies have been low-balling their customers. Raynproof Roofing will work together with their customers to help make the insurance claim process as smooth as possible, but be assured it will involve a lot of communication between all three parties to get a favorable result.