No matter where you are in the country, home repair and maintenance costs have increased in recent years. So, it makes sense that homeowners are getting creative in trying to figure out how they can save wherever they can on maintenance and repairs around their homes. Some projects are very reasonable DIY projects for the average homeowner (like cleaning out your own gutters) while others (like trying to replace your own roof or windows) would be an absolute disaster, and are definitely best left to the pros. What about installing, replacing, or repairing your home’s exterior siding? Is this a project that an average homeowner can safely take on, or is this one a catastrophe waiting to happen?
Consider the Tools
As pros, we have access to all the tools, materials, and expertise we need to get the job done. YouTube can be a helpful resource, but it doesn’t give you access to the professional tools you need, nor is it going to be a perfect resource with all the answers. It’s true that it can be costly to hire a professional, but you do get a good return on that investment.
Consider the Weather
Siding installations need to be planned around inclement weather, and the temperature and humidity should be kept in mind during the installation. In short, siding can expand and contract in warmer and cooler temperatures, and this will need to be accounted for in the installation.
Consider the Costs
Cost is a big consideration here – most people who are thinking about doing their own siding are likely to be mainly motivated by saving on the (considerable) cost of having a professional install your siding. If you install it yourself, you won’t have to pay a professional to spend their time on your siding installation, that’s true. On the other hand, we get bulk and industry rates on materials, and let’s face it – you should probably budget for an extra 5-10% of materials when you’re purchasing: mistakes will be made, and some materials might need to be replaced.
Consider Your Time
Your time also has value. While doing it yourself does mean that you don’t have to pay a pro to do it, it also means that the time you spend doing the installation, which you otherwise might have spent doing something fun, relaxing, or otherwise productive, will be spent on installing siding. Also remember that it WILL take you longer than it would take a pro to do the same job – we have experience and all the right tools (and a team to help us) – you probably don’t. Your time has value, and if you’re going to need to take time off of work or away from something you love to do in order to install your siding, you’ll need to consider what it’s worth TO YOU to have that time free for other purposes instead.
Consider Your Patience
Ever gotten halfway through a DIY project and wished you could quit? Ever gotten halfway through a DIY project and ACTUALLY quit? No matter how enthusiastic and dedicated you feel at the beginning of your DIY siding project, you have to allow for the possibility that you won’t actually be able to see it through to the end. And your local siding company probably will have some extra work to do to fix your inevitable mistakes if they need to take over halfway through. If you know you can see the whole thing through to the end, then that’s some impressive dedication! But if you’re not sure you’ll be able to stick with it, it might be better to leave it to the professionals.
Consider the Clean Up
Included in the estimate given to you by your siding installation company is the cost of clean up. That means, when your siding is installed and the trucks drive away, you’re ready to get on with your life and enjoy the new look of your home. If you do it yourself, finishing the siding installation just means starting on getting everything cleaned up.
Consider the Warranty
This is probably the most important consideration on the whole list. Your trusted local siding installation company will guarantee their work, and the materials will be under a warranty after installation. Although the materials you buy may still be under warranty, the work you do definitely will not be. And if there’s a major problem down the line, you’ll be on the hook to take care of and finance any resulting repair work or damage that results. Having a pro do the work comes with a healthy dose of peace of mind for the long run.
To make a long story short: DIY siding isn’t for the faint of heart. It truly isn’t a project for everyone to try to tackle. If you’re looking for a sign to leave this massive project to your friendly neighborhood siding company, this is it! Call in your helpful siding company, like Harper Siding and Roofing, for help having your siding installed quickly, correctly and safely … and we’ll clean everything up when we finish, too!