Siding care in a humid town
Cleveland's site was Taylor's place, the home of early settler Andrew Taylor, and in 1842, after a vote of its citizens, Bradley County reported to the legislature that it would be the site of the city. Houses here deal with a climate where damp is the steady pressure on a wall and cold is the occasional one. This calendar is weighted that way: more checks in the long warm season, fewer in winter.
The weather figures come from NOAA's engineering weather station at Chattanooga/Lovell Field (elevation 689 feet), about 20 miles southwest of Cleveland. They are that station's numbers, not Cleveland's.
Spring: March to May
NOAA lists a 100-year rainfall rate of 3.4 inches per hour and a 50-year basic wind speed of 90 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet) at Chattanooga/Lovell Field. Spring storms test every joint.
- Walk the house after the first big storm and look for lifted panels, loose trim and gaps at corners.
- Check the heads of windows and doors for stains or streaks that suggest water is getting past the flashing.
- Find each kick-out flashing where a roof edge meets a wall, and make sure it's there and points water into the gutter.
- Clear gutters and downspouts, and add extensions where water pools near the foundation.
- Book repair work before the summer rush.
Early summer: June
- Set the sprinklers. Cleveland Utilities treats water from the Hiwassee River and Waterville Springs at two plants and serves the city and much of Bradley County. However much you water, keep it off the walls; aim heads at the lawn and beds only.
- Cut shrubs back so there are several inches of air between leaves and siding.
- Re-caulk cracked joints around trim, vents and penetrations while the weather is dry.
High summer: July and August
Chattanooga/Lovell Field logs about 894 hours a year with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 2,434 hours above 67°F, and its 1% summer design temperature is 92°F with a mean coincident wet-bulb of 75°F. That's a lot of time for a damp wall to stay damp.
- Look for mildew and algae on north walls, under eaves and behind plants. Clean it with a mild cleaner the siding maker allows and a soft brush, then rinse with a garden hose.
- Skip the pressure washer. High pressure pushes water up behind laps, where it can sit for days in humid air.
- Feel the bottom courses on shaded sides. Wood or engineered boards that stay soft or swollen need a closer look.
- Paint early or late in the day within the temperature and humidity limits on the label, never on a wall in full afternoon sun.
Signs a wall is holding water
In a climate this damp, a wall that can't dry tells you in small ways before the damage is serious. Watch for:
- paint that blisters or peels in the same spot every year;
- a musty smell in a closet or room on an outside wall;
- boards or trim near the ground that dent under a fingernail;
- stains running down from the corners of windows;
- mildew that returns within weeks of cleaning.
Any of these is worth a closer look before the next rainy season.
Fall: September to November
- Clean gutters once the leaves are down, and again if the trees are slow to drop.
- Seal openings around cables, pipes and vents before cold weather.
- Finish outdoor paint and caulk while nights stay warm enough for curing.
- Move firewood and stored items away from the walls so they don't trap moisture over winter.
- Drain and shut off outside faucets before the first hard freeze.
Winter: December to February
The station's 99% winter design temperature is 20°F, and NOAA counts about 48 freeze-thaw cycles there in an average year.
- Look for cracked panels after cold snaps; cold vinyl breaks more easily if something hits it.
- Check inside near windows and outside corners for damp spots or peeling paint.
- Note winter wind damage and plan repairs for a dry spring stretch.
Hiring for larger repairs
If a walk-around turns up more than a few damaged pieces, get written bids from at least two companies that price the same items.
In Tennessee, a state contractor's license is required for a construction project totaling $25,000 or more, including materials, labor and profit, and the license must be in place before a price is bid or offered. For residential remodeling or repair work on an existing home costing more than $3,000 and less than $25,000, Tennessee requires a Home Improvement Contractor's license in Bradley County.
Ask each company for its license number and look it up on the state's Verify tool (verify.tn.gov) before signing a construction contract. Ask for proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation as well.
Keep a record
Keep one folder with the siding brand, profile and color, your seasonal photos, repair invoices and warranty papers. Matching a replacement piece or filing a warranty claim goes much faster with it.