Southernwood Roofing and Siding

Siding Secrets: The Difference of Degrees

Dec 01, 2014

As we gear up to install the siding on the Cobb Island house, we’re keeping a close eye on temperatures. Why? Vinyl siding, by its very nature, tends to expand and contract more with temperature extremes than other common types of house cladding. While we’ve enjoyed the late-November warm up as much as the rest of Southern Maryland, we know that as the temperature goes up, the siding on your home will expand in length. On the flip side, as the temperature drops the material will begin to contract in length.

What this means for your siding installation is that extra care should be taken to cut siding at lengths that will allow the material to expand and contract during typical temperature fluctuations for your area. This is particularly important around windows and doors. If the siding is cut too close to casings, it will expand until it actually hits the casing and then begin to buckle. Buckling is bad.

Another critical component in your siding installation is proper nailing. Because we want to allow the siding to expand and contract freely, as a general rule, the nail should never be set tight against the nailing fin. Instead, your installer should leave a 1/16″ space between the nail head and nailing fin, allowing side-to-side movement of the panel. If the panel is difficult to move, there’s a good chance you’ll experience some buckling next summer.

The bottom line? With well-designed siding and proper installation, your siding can easily expand up, down, in, out, left and right without restriction, avoiding the potentially harmful impact of extreme temperature fluctuations.

Think there might be an issue with your siding? Schedule your inspection today—we’re happy to come out and take a look!

 

What Our Customers Have to Say
Recent Customer Reviews
Southernwood Roofing and Siding
★★★★★
Team was patient and well organized in helping us get a hail damage claim completely covered and new roof/gutters installed. Special shout out to Chris for his attention to detail with the quote as well as maintaining a clean work site.
Happy Customer
La Plata, MD
★★★★★
Southernwood is the best when it comes to roofing and windows. I had 3 new windows installed on my house just as a test to see how they performed. I'm now going to have the rest of the house done. Don't bother shopping around, Southernwood goes the extra mile.
Michael
La Plata, MD
★★★★★
My wife and I are extremely pleased with our new roof. This is our weekend home so Southernwood handled the project, start to finish, while we were not there and did a great job. Very honest folks.
Wayne
La Plata, MD
★★★★★
Ralph and Southernwood Roofing LLC was exceptional. There wasn’t a question that I could ask that one of them couldn’t answer. The roof, siding, windows, garage door all was done with precision. Definitely will recommend this company.
Cheryl
La Plata, MD
★★★★★
I love the new roof. Great value compared against 5 other local companies. Ralph was very responsive getting the quote, selecting shingles and getting the work done. I would definitely recommend Southernwood
Karl
La Plata, MD
Southerwood Roofing and Siding
4.89
Rating
Based on 300+ Customer Reviews
REFERRAL PROGRAM
A Win-Win for Everyone

You’ve experienced our great service, why not spread the word with our Referral Program?

Refer someone you know to Southernwood Roofing & Siding and you’ll receive a $75 reward if your referral signs with us.

Learn More
Southernwood Roofing and Siding
Home Consultation + FREE Quote for Your Next Home Exterior Project
0% for 12 Months Financing