If you are like most homeowners, your biggest issue when doing home renovations is cost. That is why many homeowners do their renovations in phases. They choose a specific part of the home, remodel it completely, wait a few months and then move on to the next project. With this method, they can update the entire house without spending large sums of money at once, explains SPMTriangleRentals.com.
For instance, you might tackle the upper cabinets in your kitchen this month, and months later, you do the cabinets and countertops. With this approach, the first phase of the project doesn’t render the kitchen unusable, and the second phase doesn’t damage what you did in the first phase. With this method, you make the most of a small renovation budget.
But there are times when a phased approach isn’t possible, like when replacing your home’s siding and windows. Most times, you can do both projects simultaneously. But when you can only afford to replace one component at a time, it can be a problem. The home’s windows and siding are intimately connected. Making a decision on which one to do first takes thought.
If you are facing this challenge, which one should come first, siding or windows?
Replacing Siding First
It would be best if you do not replace your siding before your windows. The only time it takes to do this is when the siding is in bad shape, but the windows are alright. In such a situation, there is no point in replacing good windows. That will be an additional cost that you should avoid.
So if your siding is blistered, warped, and dented, but the window looks decent, change your siding first. However, even when you do this, there are valuable things you should know about replacing your siding before your windows. We will discuss them below.
Why You Should Replace Windows First
Every aspect of home construction has the proper sequence for doing it. For instance, the foundation comes before the subfloor and the drywall before the paint. Most homeowners understand this because it is obvious. But they often don’t see that this is the case with their home’s windows and siding. Even though these two aspects of the house serve different functions and appear unconnected, the sequence for their installation is interconnected.
Windows usually go in before siding for several reasons:
1. Capping
Window capping is the fragile protective covering of aluminum or sheet vinyl. It is layered over the exposed exterior wood trim of your window. The primary function of capping is to prevent water infiltration and damage. It also keeps the window frame from deteriorating.
Capping damage easily. That usually happens in the process of removing the old siding. It means that when you replace your siding before your windows, you must prepare for the cost of recapping your windows. Furthermore, when you eventually decide to change the windows, you need to have them capped all over. Either this or you will have your messed-up capping sitting right next to your new siding.
2. Moisture Barrier
The second problem with changing siding first is damage to the moisture barrier around the windows. During construction, the moisture barrier goes up before you install the siding.
If you install siding first, you will have to remove it before installing the window’s moisture barrier correctly. That can be a problem because siding, especially if it is old, becomes brittle and liable to break apart. That means your newly installed siding will get damaged when you install new windows.
3. Cost and Aesthetics
The installer needs easy access to the capping to finish the window capping properly and achieve a good finish. That is usually not possible when the siding is already in place, and the contractor has to be careful not to damage it.
The result is the window capping doesn’t look as good as it could. Additionally, installing siding first inflates the project’s price because the extra work of recapping the window or removing and replacing siding takes time. It will increase your labor, materials, and cost.
The Verdict: Replace Both Windows and Siding at Once
For better results, you should replace your windows and siding at the same time. There are two reasons for this recommendation.
Firstly, you will save a lot of money by limiting your labor and material costs. Money is the main reason homeowners feel they have to choose between siding replacement and window replacement. But doing them together is the most cost-effective method.
Secondly, replacing your windows and siding at once will let you match the color and design of both to achieve the best curb appeal for your home. Any other approach might result in a mismatch between the windows and siding.
What this means; if you can’t replace windows and sidings together, wait until you can.