Siding installation and replacement

Siding is the weather skin of the house. What keeps water out is everything behind and around it: the house wrap, the flashing over windows and doors, the trim, and how the pieces are lapped so water runs out instead of in. A re-siding job is the one time the whole wall is open, so it is also the time to fix soft sheathing, add or replace the weather barrier, and get the window and door flashing right.

The material choice in this part of Ontario comes down to cold, snow and sun. Vinyl is the most common and needs little upkeep, but it becomes brittle in deep cold, cracks if it is hit in January, and has to be hung loose enough to move as it expands and contracts. Steel stands up to impact and fire but can dent. Engineered wood and fibre cement give the look of painted board, take paint, and need careful detailing at cut ends and joints so freeze-thaw cycles do not open them up.

Across Simcoe County and Muskoka, the snowbelt along Georgian Bay, lake winds and heavy snow against lower walls all wear siding out faster on some faces of a house than others. Cottages add their own questions: older board siding over little or no insulation, walls that have moved over the years, and sites that are hard to reach with material. Whether replacing siding needs a building permit depends on the municipality and on what is changed underneath, so ask the local building department before the work starts.

Simcoe Muskoka Exteriors is a free referral service: your request goes to one independent local exterior contractor who covers your town, and they quote and do the work.