Wood Siding Information and Maintenance Everyone Should Know Before Buying a Home

Wood Siding

Buying a home is an exciting decision, and it can be difficult to know where to begin. While there are many factors that you’ll need to consider before making your final decision on which property will work best for you, one of the most important aspects of any purchase is whether the exterior material needs repair or replacement. This blog post will explore some things that both buyers and sellers should know about wood siding as they go through the process of finding their next home.

Wood Siding Requires Routine Maintenance

Wood is a beautiful material, particularly when it is used on the exterior of a home. With its natural beauty and appeal, you might be surprised to learn that wood isn’t as widely used in construction as other materials like vinyl, brick veneer, or siding made from composite plastic pieces Wood siding requires diligent maintenance including caulking and sealing/painting as a part of routine maintenance to ensure it keeps its integrity and properly protects the underlying building materials. Typically, wood siding and/or log homes need to be properly painted and/or stained every 3 to 7 years and treated for termites roughly every 5 years (depending on treatment) and diligently monitored every few months.

The reason for this has nothing to do with aesthetics–it’s because wood simply doesn’t hold up well over time due to rot among other risks associated with being organic matter such as insects getting trapped between sheets of lumber while framing out walls!

What to Look For

That said if your eye does automatically gravitate towards homes where there are heavy accents placed on exterior woods – here are some things worth considering before jumping at what feels like an obvious opportunity:

  • When inspecting wood exteriors, never trust your eyes. There are many factors to consider when checking the overall quality of a piece such as color and texture, but appearance is not one you should rely on alone. As any old carpenter will tell you, while it may look good now in most cases that won’t last long because termites or rot can be hiding behind what’s seen at first glance.
  • Wood is a material that can degrade over time. Though it may be in perfect condition when you first lay eyes on the building, once inspected more closely wood will show signs of rot and decay if not handled carefully or treated properly. When looking at particular areas, make absolutely sure to give the structure a good poke with your finger and check for soft spots which are indicative of rotting wood.
  • Termites are another common enemy to any prospective homebuyer considering buying a home with exterior wood. Soft spots in the wood can be troubling but there is something worse if you poke or squeeze the piece of wood and dust falls off. This type of degradation often means that there are termite problems.
  • Flaking paint or weather areas of wood siding allow for water and UV damage to the material. If the home you are looking to purchase is in dire need of painting/staining we highly recommend you looking into the cost in your local area. 

Termites and Wood Destroying Organisms 

Termite problems mean that your home may need tented before it becomes infested with these evil pests. Purchasing an already infected property isn’t worth saving on money yet checking whether your potential future homes have been inspected and/or treated by specialists should help alleviate some fear.

Termites are a huge red flag for any prospective home. They can be as small and unnoticed, but just one bite from one of these bugs is enough to start the process of destroying your house bit by tiny bit until there’s nothing left. Though it is rare but possible for some termite species to damage a house beyond repair, repairs to termite can be costly depending on the extent and location of the damage. Click Here for more information on different US termite species and repair termite damages.

Mindful Considerations

Do you want a home that has an attractive exterior? There are many things to consider such as the cost and maintenance of different materials, your desired location, etc. Make sure it’s perfect for you by being thorough with research!

Wood is very popular in exteriors because it usually looks great from afar but when inspected too closely there can be problems. The wood may have been improperly installed or was not treated properly before installation which could cause rot later down the road so make sure all inspections are done thoroughly at first glance instead of just visually inspecting what appears good enough.

I hope you have found this blog post helpful and informative. If you are considering buying a house with exterior wood, make sure to have a professional check the integrity of the wood so you can sleep safe at night.

If you have questions, you can contact us via our contact page.

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