Installing New Siding Onto Your Home
Written by Elizabeth Wood
Editor In Chief, United Home Improvement

Choosing a siding contractor is one of the first decisions to make when considering to have your home resided. Picking a contractor to work on your home is like selecting a beautician to style your hair. It’s not safe to just go to anyone because too many things could go wrong. If you do take that risk and something does go wrong, your home, just like the hair on your head, can be viewed and insulted by just about anyone. Unfortunately, they haven’t invented hats for houses yet.

It’s a good idea to have a view things sorted out before speaking with a siding professional. Let’s start by considering what kind of siding you would like to have installed. The most commonly used materials are aluminum and vinyl. However, aluminum, reasonably priced and durable, seems to be replacing vinyl these days. Keep in mind that there are many places to find help deciding on the type of siding you want. Some find it beneficial to look around at others houses like yours. Most cities have home centers to browse through different siding materials and styles. There are also magazines and books geared toward home improvement to help you develop more ideas.

Once you have decided on what type of material you want, you must decide on what type of contractor you wish to install it. Certain questions should be answered before selecting a qualified siding contractor. It is important to ask if they have had experience with roofing similar to your house. Definitely compare prices with several different contractors. Also, it is good to know how many years experience they have had. Remember, this is your house and you want what’s best for it. Often it is a good idea to do a background check on your contractor and use past customers as references. Find out if other people are satisfied with the work done on their houses. Most importantly, make sure that whatever work was promised, was work that got done.

Once you have selected the contractors that are right for your house, make sure you have explained to them, either verbally or on paper, exactly what you need. It is crucial that everyone agrees on what needs to be done. For example, make sure you are hiring a contractor who removes old siding from your home and from the site once the job is finished. It is important that an agreement be made on the cost and payment arrangements, the start date, the work that will be done, and an estimated finish date.

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