Three figures to hand a siding installer
A siding job is easier to judge when you know what the wall has to stand up to. NOAA's engineering weather data for Waco-Madison Cooper, the station in Waco, supplies three useful starting points: a 50-year basic wind speed of 90 mph, measured as a 3-second gust at 33 feet; a 100-year rainfall rate of 4.0 inches per hour; and design temperatures running from a 99% winter figure of 26°F to a 1% summer figure of 99°F. Bring those numbers to every estimate and ask each company to tell you, in plain terms, how its installation answers them.
The sections below take the figures one at a time, then turn to materials, damage claims, permits and the bid itself.
The wind figure and how panels stay on
Siding comes off a wall when wind gets under an edge and pries. The 90 mph gust figure at Waco-Madison Cooper is a design value, not a forecast, but it is a reasonable basis for questions:
- Which fastener, at what spacing, does the manufacturer call for, and will the crew follow that schedule exactly?
- How are the starter strip and the top course locked in, since those are where peeling often begins?
- How are soffit panels and corner posts secured?
- For vinyl, will nails be left slightly loose so the panel can slide, as most makers require, rather than driven tight?
Ask for the manufacturer's printed installation instructions and have the contract say the job follows them.
Rain at 4.0 inches an hour
Cladding is the first barrier, not the only one. A cloudburst at the station's 100-year rate drives water into every lap and joint, so what matters is how the water gets back out. Ask each bidder to walk you through:
- the water-resistive barrier, how seams lap shingle-style and how tears are taped;
- head flashing over windows and doors, and how sills are pan-flashed;
- kick-out flashing wherever a roof edge ends against a wall;
- drip caps above trim boards and band boards;
- sealing at hose bibs, dryer vents, meters and cable entries;
- gutter size and downspout placement, since overflowing gutters soak the wall below them.
From 26°F to 99°F: leaving room to move
Every siding material grows and shrinks with temperature, some far more than others. The span between the two design temperatures at Waco-Madison Cooper, 26°F and 99°F, is the range to design around. Vinyl needs gaps at corners and channels so it can expand; when it's installed tight, it buckles. Fiber cement and engineered wood need joint treatment the manufacturer specifies, whether flashing behind butt joints or a set gap with sealant. Dark colors absorb more heat than light ones, so ask whether the color you like is approved for the product and what the fade terms say. The same station's data counts about 22 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year; water left sitting in an open joint goes through each one, so caulk lines and bottom-edge clearance are worth asking about.
Wet-bulb hours and drying
NOAA counts about 1,889 hours a year above a 73°F wet-bulb temperature at Waco-Madison Cooper, and about 3,503 hours above 67°F. Those numbers describe how much moisture the outside air carries, and a wall that gets wet needs a way to dry. Ask whether the bid includes a drainage gap or rainscreen behind the siding, whether wood or engineered products will be primed on all sides and cut ends, and how much clearance the bottom course keeps above soil, mulch, decks and roofs.
Picking a material
- Vinyl costs less and needs little upkeep; it relies on loose fastening and enough expansion room, and can crack if struck hard.
- Fiber cement resists rot and insects and holds paint for years; it is heavy, and cut edges need sealing.
- Engineered wood is lighter and easy to cut; edge sealing and clearance from the ground decide how long it lasts.
- Wood can be repaired board by board and repainted, and asks for paint or stain on a regular cycle.
- Metal stands up to impact well in some profiles; ask about dents, finish warranties and how panels are fastened.
After storm damage
Photograph torn, cracked or missing pieces with a wide shot and close-ups before anyone repairs them, and make a temporary cover to keep rain off exposed sheathing. Call your insurer, and get your own contractor's written estimate alongside the adjuster's. If you can't settle a home or renters claim with the insurance company, the Texas Department of Insurance points to two options, an appraisal or a public adjuster, and accepts complaints online or by its Help Line, 800-252-3439, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday. Be cautious about anyone who arrives unannounced after a storm and wants a large deposit.
Permits and coverage
TDLR's license search lists the trades Texas licenses, such as air conditioning and electrical, and Texas has no state general contractor license, so for other trades, siding among them, ask for the city permit. Ask each bidder: "Which city permits does the job need, and who pulls them?" Ask for proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation before work starts.
Reading the bid
A fair comparison needs the same items priced by every company: tear-off and disposal, the exact product and thickness, barrier and flashing, trim, soffit and fascia, a per-sheet price for replacing damaged sheathing, permits, cleanup, schedule, and both the product and the labor warranty. When totals differ sharply, look for the line one bidder skipped.