A siding year in Rochester
Rochester's climate splits the siding year in two. From late fall into spring the wall is under cold, snow and repeated freezing; from late spring to early fall there's a window for repairs, caulking and paint. This calendar sets out what to check in each season so problems found in winter get fixed while the weather allows.
Winter: December to February
NOAA's engineering weather station in Rochester puts the 99% winter design temperature at -12°F, and its data lists a 50-year ground snow load of 47 pounds per square foot.
- After a heavy snowfall, keep drifts from sitting against the siding for weeks; move them back from the wall with a plastic shovel, not a metal one.
- Look at the eaves for icicles and ice dams. Water backing up behind an ice dam can run down inside the top of the wall.
- Watch for frost or wet spots on interior walls and around windows, which can mean warm, moist air is leaking into the wall.
- Vinyl is brittle in deep cold; keep ladders, snow blowers and hockey pucks away from it.
- Write down anything you see. Most repairs have to wait for warmer weather.
Spring: March to May
The Rochester station counts about 58 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year, and much of that damage shows up in spring.
- Walk around the house once the snow is gone and photograph every wall.
- Look for cracked or split boards, panels that have pulled loose, and gaps at corners and trim.
- Check the bottom courses where snow sat all winter. Soft wood, swollen engineered siding or peeling paint there means water got in.
- Clean gutters and make sure downspouts carry meltwater away from the walls and foundation.
- Book a siding contractor early if you need repairs; the warm months fill up.
Summer: June to August
Summer is the main repair and painting season. NOAA's 1% summer design temperature for Rochester is 86°F, with a mean coincident wet-bulb temperature of 72°F.
- Replace damaged pieces and re-caulk joints around windows, doors and penetrations.
- Paint or stain wood and fiber cement within the temperature range on the product label.
- Wash siding with a soft brush and a garden hose. A pressure washer can force water behind the laps.
- Rochester Public Utilities says its water is very hard, at 17 grains per gallon, and that hard water can leave film and mineral build-up. Point lawn sprinklers away from the walls so they don't leave residue on siding and trim.
Fall: September to November
- Finish caulking and painting before nights get cold enough to stop the products from curing.
- Seal gaps where pipes, cables and vents pass through the wall.
- Trim shrubs back from the house so walls can dry.
- Clean gutters after the leaves fall, before the first hard freeze.
- Move firewood, bikes and other stored items away from the walls for the winter.
Hiring for bigger work
If the spring walk-around shows more than a few pieces to fix, get a written bid. Minnesota requires a residential remodeler or residential building contractor license from the Department of Labor and Industry for anyone contracting with a homeowner to improve a home using two or more of eight special skills; siding falls under the exterior finishing skill. Look the contractor up on DLI's license lookup before you sign.
Keep a record
Keep your seasonal photos, the product names and colors, repair receipts and any warranty papers in one place. When you sell the house or need a larger repair, that record shows what the walls have been through.