Remember when you were a kid, and you were so excited to pull a prize out of your favorite cereal box? Choosing a Raleigh siding contractor is similar – but sometimes the results are not so magically delicious!
This Raleigh siding contractor and his crew installed Hardie Siding too close to the roof. The siding wicked up the moisture, causing it to crumble.
This Raleigh siding contractor installed the siding on top of flashing (a waterproof layer). The water ran behind the siding and into the wall cavity, leading to extensive rot. It is imperative that the last piece of flashing (coming down the wall) goes on the outside of the siding – otherwise it will definitely rot. Every job requires careful attention to detail!
This contractor “spot replaced” the siding covering up rotted wood, wet wall sheathing, and the obvious black mold.
These are real pictures of damage caused by siding contractors who are making disastrous mistakes. However, they still have shiny trucks and strong sales techniques that sway home owners to trust them. At Rain-Go, we hear potential customers say “Give me your best price,” and “I’ve got four other contractors coming behind you!” If you are truly trying to save money, focus on making a smart investment the first time to avoid paying for repairs. Many of these mistakes were more costly to fix the second time around than the original siding job.
What Makes Rain-Go Different from other Raleigh Siding Contractors?
It is imperative that a siding crew knows exactly what they are doing. They should each be trained to properly install siding on your Raleigh home. Having the right skill set is a very simple concept; but from our experience at Rain-Go, very few siding crews have any knowledge of what they are doing.
Many of the crews are subcontractors who will never be held accountable for their work, but the average homeowner doesn’t find out that they were subcontractors. As long as the job looks good, you will never realize that they covered rotten wood and made mistakes until you begin to have issues. Unfortunately, you are the last one to know and the only one to pay for the damage.
Common Siding Contractor Mistakes
Here are two of the most common mistakes siding crews consistently make in our daily travels:
1) If you install HardiePlank Siding too close to the roof or deck, the contact point will wick up moisture. The “rot free” product will crumble and fall apart. We keep the siding off of the roof and any other structures to prevent water seeping into the ends of the siding.
2) Installing HardiePlank directly over your wall sheathing without any Moisture Barrier House Wrap. Fiber Cement is porous in nature, and rain water could infiltrate the siding causing mold and rotting. Here at Rain-Go, we realize budget constraints. However, homeowners take a risk when they only “spot replace”, as there is no moisture barrier wrap that can be covered behind this siding on the wall. If the wall of siding has pieces that are no good at the bottom, middle, and top; then we recommend to replace the entire wall of siding.
What Else Do We Do Differently?
1) We always level and nail all siding to every wall stud to ensure the sturdiest and tightest installation.
2) We make sure all End Flashings are ran properly on the outside of the siding to prevent structural rot and mold.
3) All seams on the siding are staggered or “skipped back” so no seam is in line with the other adjoining piece below it. This staggering effect enhances visual appearance and adds security of a watertight installation. We are perfectionists!
4) We have the ability to “cap & wrap” all fascia and soffit with aluminum and vinyl. This practice creates a 110% maintenance free, long lasting, and visually appealing Raleigh siding job!
5) We can install and make any repairs on any kind of siding from HardiePlank to cedar or vinyl siding.
Customer Reviews for our Raleigh NC Siding Services
“I hired Rain-Go for rotten wood removal, siding installation, gutter repair and replacement.
It was a great experience working with Tim’s crew. Came when they said they would, did great work and cleaned up nicely. Explained different issues encountered and provided options for addressing. Will use Tim again, him and his crew are ones you can trust to get things right, the first time.”
– W.K. (Cary, NC – 7/26/2014)