Wood siding is a common feature on U.S. homes, especially historic homes that have been around since the colonial days. Of course, wood siding is especially beautiful so it is a great aesthetic choice for nearly every home. Yet wood siding must also be maintained carefully because exposure to the elements can result in damage over time.
The first step in wood siding repair is making sure that you do whatever you can to prevent extensive damage in the first place. You need to paint or stain the wood and apply a sealant to keep insect and water damage to a minimum. Nevertheless, it is impossible to keep such things from harming your wood altogether, and there are several common problems with wood siding that most homeowners need to address at some point.
First, holes can result from insect damage or even the effects of weather. Depending on the size of the holes in the wood, these problems are not necessarily too difficult to address with a wood putty or other filling material. Really deep holes can require layers of putty. In any case, make sure the putty is dry before you sand and repaint it.
Cracked and split boards can be similarly easy to repair as long as the split is not large. The board can be pried apart and then re-glued along the split to re-form the cleaved plank into one solid board. Wood siding can also warp or buckle and may need to be cut short or re-nailed to the wall for repair.
Even if you have experience in wood siding repair, most experts recommend that you hire the services of a siding contractor to fix your siding. Their knowledge and experience guarantees that they will do the job correctly and prevent further costly damages to your home.
