How to Prevent Your Siding from Buckling

We’ve spoken at length in the past about just how important durable and high quality siding can be for your home. But today we’d like to hone in on an uncommon but particularly obnoxious issue that can crop up with vinyl siding: buckling. Do you want to prevent your siding investment from going the way of getting trashed and save yourself the cost of replacement? The experts at APCO can arm you with the vital info you need!

Interested in learning the advantages that a new siding installation can provide for your home? Contact APCO in Columbus, Ohio today to find out what our team can do for you!

What Exactly Is Buckling?

If you’ve ever heard of someone falling or losing footing described as “bucking at the knees” then you have a half decent idea. Siding that is bucking is crumpled, warped, bulging outward, or any similar visual sign of damage. It’s more of a loose term than a definition, honestly. But it’s an important problem to be aware of because in most cases bucking is a point of no return. If your siding is bucked, you’re probably looking at a siding replacement in the very near future.

How Do I Prevent Buckling?

Honestly speaking there’s not much to be done about bucking siding outside of a few simple preventative measures. Barring unfortunate circumstance bucking can just happen over time. However this is far more common to older, outdated vinyl as opposed to the tougher and higher quality versions we see in use today.

To do what you can to avoid buckling be sure to:

• Hire a trustworthy contractor. The number one reason for buckling siding out there is nothing more than a bad installation job. When installed the slats of vinyl siding are supposed to be nailed securely, but with a bit of give in them. Vinyl and similar types of siding are supposed to hang rather than be fixed to allow normal and safe movement when the house settles or wind kicks up. If the siding was nailed in too tight, well, then buckling is nearly inevitable.
• Avoid reflective surfaces near the siding. Though very, very rare, it is possible for reflective surfaces such as those created by low-e treated glass windows to actually “melt” sections of siding. This will leave the siding warped out of shape, which is essentially the same in appearance as buckling, if not a bit more pronounced. The good news here is that it can be prevented with awnings or by shifting the location of windows, and if the issue is affecting only a small portion of the siding a repair might be able to handle the issue rather than a full-on replacement.
• Keep hot stuff out of reach. Modern vinyl is sturdy and reliable, but it’s still going to lose shape if you keep a grill, outdoor kitchen, or fire pit too close. We’ve also been told that the sun can cause this all on its own, but frankly it smacks of tall tale to us!

Superior Vinyl Siding Installation in Columbus, Ohio

Worried that your siding might be showing signs of buckling, or looking for professionals that never skimp on the quality of your siding installation? Trust the experts at APCO to bring you the quality you deserve—we’ve been doing it for over 50 years! Contact us today to set a date for your appointment, or give us a call with any questions you might have.