Wet-bulb hours at Grand Forks Air Force Base
In an average year at Grand Forks Air Force Base, a NOAA station about 15 miles west of Grand Forks, NOAA counts about 79 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 409 hours above 67°F.
Coverage papers on a North Dakota license application
A North Dakota contractor license application must include a certificate of liability insurance, and applicants with employees residing in North Dakota need a current certificate of payment from Workforce Safety & Insurance (WSI) for workers' compensation.
When you hire someone to repair your siding, ask for current proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation, issued to the business named on the quote. If you have a question about how your own homeowner's policy treats the repair, call your insurer.
Learning what is on your walls
Start by finding out what the siding is. If you have the original paperwork, find the maker, the product line, the profile and the color. If not, look in the garage, basement or attic for leftover pieces, which may carry a label. Ask the next contractor who visits to identify the material for you.
Once you know the product, find the maker's care instructions. They can list approved cleaners, clearances from the ground and roof, and what voids the warranty. Keep a copy with your house records.
A monthly glance from the yard
Once a month, take a slow walk around the house without tools:
- Look for any piece that has slipped, cracked or gone missing.
- Notice new stains running down from windows, vents or the roof edge.
- Check that downspouts still point away from the foundation.
- Look for plants, vines or stacked items that have crept against a wall.
Anything that catches your eye goes on a list for the next seasonal check.
Spring tasks
- Look at the bottom course and the trim beside it for swelling, splitting or lifted paint.
- Pull soil, mulch or gravel back so the clearance below the siding matches what the maker lists.
- Rinse the walls from the top down with a garden hose on a gentle setting, and use only a cleaner the maker allows on any patch of growth.
- Clear the gutters, then run water through each downspout and watch where it comes out.
- Turn sprinkler heads that wet the house toward the lawn or beds.
Summer tasks
- On walls facing the afternoon sun, look at vinyl for waves or panels pinched tight against trim.
- Check painted siding and trim for chalking, blistering or bare wood, and note which walls show it.
- Look under eaves and laps for wasp nests, and deal with them carefully or call a pest service.
- Keep the grill, fire pit and any heater well away from the walls.
- If you plan to repaint, read the label's temperature and humidity limits before picking a day.
Fall tasks
- Once the leaves are down, clean the gutters again.
- Cut out caulk that has cracked or pulled away at windows, doors, faucets and fixtures, and run a new bead with a sealant rated for both materials it joins.
- Look at the soffit and fascia for gaps where birds, wasps or rodents could get in.
- Move firewood, bikes, bins and lumber off the walls.
- Shut off and drain outdoor faucets, and put hoses away.
Winter tasks
- If you clear snow from walks or the driveway, pile it away from the siding.
- If ice builds up along the eaves, note where it forms.
- From inside, watch the walls and ceilings below windows for new stains.
- Keep the dryer vent hood clear of snow and lint so its flap can open.
- Save ladder work and caulking for later, and add what you notice to the spring list.
After other trades visit
Roofers, window installers, cable and internet crews, satellite installers and painters can all leave marks on siding. After any of them have worked on the house:
- look for new holes, screws or brackets in the siding, and check that each one is sealed;
- check for pieces that were unhooked and not locked back into place;
- look for scuffs, dents or ladder marks;
- ask the trade to fix anything they caused before they leave.
Signs worth a professional look
Leave these to a crew with the right ladders and staging:
- trim or sheathing that feels soft when pressed;
- an inside stain that returns after it has been dried and repainted;
- panels that will not lock back together;
- damage above the first floor or near the overhead electric line;
- streaks below the joint where a lower roof meets a wall.
Questions for a repair quote
- Does this job's value call for a North Dakota contractor license, and if so, which class do you hold and what is the number?
- Does the repair need a city permit, and who would apply for it?
- How will new pieces be matched to what is on the wall, and what happens if they do not match?
- What written warranty covers the repair?
A siding record
Keep a folder or a phone album for the outside of the house. Note the product name and color, where the spare pieces are stored, the date of each seasonal check and what you found. Log every repair with the company, the date, the price and the wall it was on.