Siding damage is a serious issue for business buildings, because customers that visit the premises will judge the business by how the building appears. Damaged siding will give your building an ugly, unprofessional appearance that won’t make a good impression on customers, especially those who are visiting for the first time. Here is why siding is so essential to your office building’s structure.
Why Is Siding Important?
A building’s siding is the main component which will protect it from the elements. If there are vulnerable points in the material this will cause moisture to get trapped within the frame or sheetrock, leading to damage within the building’s interior. Once the damage becomes significant enough you’ll begin to see problems inside the office, but by this point fixing it will be extremely expensive. Recognizing the problem before it reaches this stage is the key to success. Here are some problems to watch for.
Rust And Water Damage
When the siding is installed for the first time, the contractor would have installed nails to make sure the panels were held in place. Sometimes these nails loosen and fall off, which will make the siding susceptible to wind. Additionally, if the nails become rusty, this is a sign that moisture has entered, and over time this can result in rust stains, which are very unattractive.
Aging And Pests
Siding will wear out with time, but the signs will vary from one material to another. For instance, wood siding will usually warp because of moisture or heat while a material such as vinyl may warp due to damage from the sun. Regular exposure to the elements and constantly changing conditions will ultimately damage the siding, and the sooner you recognize and address it, the lower your repair costs will be.
Pests are another problem which adversely affects siding. While materials such as aluminum or vinyl won’t be impacted by insects like termites, they can completely destroy wood siding. If you see visible signs of damage from termites or hear rats or mice within the walls, this means your siding has an opening which they are using to gain entry. Investigate the structure for panels which or loose or holes and contact your contractor as soon as possible.
Rot, Mold And Water Stains
Once siding becomes damaged, it will no longer be capable of keeping moisture away from the building’s interior. As a result you could see mold along the walls or detect a musty odor. Rot and mold are serious long term problems because they can comprise the integrity of the building’s framing. To detect water stains you will want to look for areas on the siding which are discolored, or streaking near the panels. These stains result from water which has entered the structure and gotten trapped in between the drywall and siding. These are the main issues that your siding will face overtime and paying attention to it and resolving problems as soon as they appear will dramatically lower your maintenance and repair costs.