Signs your siding needs replacing
Siding · 5 min read ·
Siding is due when it stops keeping the wall behind it covered and dry: cracked, loose or missing pieces, peeling paint, bare wood showing, or patches that never matched. The older houses we re-sided in 2026 showed several of those at once.
Bare wood and peeling paint
Paint is what protects wood siding from the weather. Once it peels away in sheets, the bare boards take on water every time it rains, dry out, and take on water again.
The photo above is the original clapboard on the Tyvek-wrapped house we re-sided in June 2026, after the siding covering it came off. Most of the paint is gone and the wood has gone gray. That is a wall telling you it needs cover.
What to look for from the yard
You do not need a ladder to spot most of the warning signs. Walk around the house on a clear day and look at each wall straight on and at an angle.
One sign on its own may just need a repair. Several on the same wall, or the same sign on every side of the house, usually point to a re-side.
When the windows are part of it
The HomeGuard house came to us in July 2026 with worn siding and boarded windows. Boarded or failing windows are their own sign, because a re-side is the easiest time to fix them.
On that job we set new windows as we went, including in the front gable. Our note on doing siding and windows together explains why the order matters.
Stripping tells the rest of the story
Some problems only show once the old siding is off. On the Tyvek job, the old siding came off and went into piles in the yard, and only then could you see the weathered clapboard underneath.
That is a reason to be a little wary of anyone who prices a full re-side without looking closely. We price after a site visit, and we tell you what we see.
Patch or re-side?
A small damaged area can sometimes be patched. The catch is matching: older siding fades, and a new piece next to it often stands out. If the damage is on one hidden wall, a patch may be the right call.
A full re-side costs more up front, but it gets the whole house wrapped and trimmed at once. Our house wrap note explains what that layer adds behind new siding.
Have someone look at it
If your house is showing two or three of these signs, it is worth a visit. Call Schaub and Sons at 724-954-2329 or use the siding quote form, and we will come look at the walls.
We cover Armstrong County and beyond, from Rural Valley about 11 miles east to Butler about 20 miles west. You can browse our finished siding jobs in the builds gallery.
Questions
How do I know if my house siding needs to be replaced?
House siding usually needs replacing when several signs show up together: cracked, warped, loose or missing pieces, peeling paint or bare wood, faded or uneven color, mismatched patches from old repairs, or siding pulling away around windows and corners. One sign alone may only need a repair. Schaub and Sons checks the walls in person before recommending a full re-side.
Can damaged siding be repaired instead of replaced?
Damaged siding can sometimes be repaired when the problem is small and limited to one area. The challenge is matching, because older siding fades and a new piece can stand out. A full re-side costs more but lets the whole house be wrapped and trimmed at once. Schaub and Sons talks through both options at the site visit.
What is under the old siding on an older house?
Under the old siding on an older house there is often an earlier layer of wall covering. On a June 2026 two-story house, Schaub and Sons pulled off the old siding and found the original painted wood clapboard underneath, weathered and peeling. What is under any particular house is only certain once the siding is opened up.
Who replaces siding on older houses in Armstrong County, PA?
Schaub and Sons, based in Kittanning, PA, replaces siding on older houses across Armstrong County and nearby towns. In 2026 the company wrapped and re-sided three two-story houses, trimming the windows and gable ends. Requests come in through the online quote form or by phone, and the final price follows a site visit.
