If you’re reading this article, you may be a homeowner that finally jumped through all the hurdles of planning and now are wondering how to prepare your home for construction. Or, maybe you’re a homeowner interested in a siding or roofing project and wondering how it will affect your life.

Regardless of which you are, here at Pacific Exteriors we’ve learned one core truth: The better prepared the homeowner is, the smoother the project will go. With almost 20 years of replacing siding and roofs, we have the experience to share with you what to expect during a project, and how prep around your home for the least disruptions.

Now, it might vary somewhat for your unique project, but you can use this as an overview of what you can expect. And, while some of the tips seem obvious, they’re easy to forget in the chaos of construction.

So, let’s get into it. How do you prepare your home for your siding renovation?

What You Need to Prepare: Paperwork and Planning Before Your Project

Before prepping your home, it’s a good idea to know what you’re getting into. It can seem exhausting to go through piles of paperwork and contracts before your project starts, but it’s important to have all your ducks in a row.   

Thoroughly Understand Your Contract and Schedule.

Know your project timeline and the hours your crew will be working so you know what to expect. A respectable Project Manager will tell you this in advance so that you know who will be at your home and when.  

Additionally, the services you want done on and to your home must be included within the contract. This allows the contractors to budget and schedule appropriate crews for the project.

It also ensures that you can make any decisions to upgrade or add on things preemptively, without being confused at the end when you realize they weren’t included. Or alternatively, shady contractors will add in mysterious charges—clarify everything before getting things started.

Lastly, you may not think of it during the chaos of a project starting, but the fact is that replacing siding can get loud. It can be nice to plan a bit of a getaway day for yourself or children and pets at home.

Make Sure You’ve Picked Your Colors 

The earlier you get your colors in, the better. In fact, nothing can start until you make this core choice. It gives the contractors more time to order it in case of supply or shipping issues.

At Pacific Exteriors, we encourage homeowners to decide on their colors at the pre-construction meeting, as any later could delay the start time of the project.

If you’re having a hard time deciding, there’s a tool on our website that allows you to try out siding colors digitally on your home. Give it a shot; it can help seeing what paint will look like on your home before settling on your final choice.

If you still need help deciding and you’ve signed with Pacific Exteriors LLC, you’ll also get to work with a professional exterior designer for free!

What You Need to Prepare: Your Home’s Exterior

After you understand your timeline and crew working dates, consider taking a few steps to prepare your home’s exterior before the project starts. Here are some things we recommend to all homeowners getting a siding or roofing project.

Protect and Cut Back Your Landscaping

Clearing paths for your contractors to walk around while working is important—it reduces risk to the contractors but also protects your garden and landscaping.

Making sure there isn’t anything inhibiting walkways and that the growth in your garden is cut back appropriately so contractors can place covers like tarps or plastic sheets you’re your garden. That way, everything will look as fresh as it did before.

Crews will do their best to be respectful, but if you have a specific piece of landscaping you want to protect, make sure to let your Project Manager know.

Take Off Your Window Screens

If you’ve ever taken off your window screens, you know how fragile they can be. Keep them safe by taking them off before construction starts.

Once contractors start applying new siding to the walls, the inevitable vibrations from both removing and nailing in new siding could them fall, damaging the frames. Stray or moving materials could also snag the mesh wiring, requiring repair.

What You Need to Prepare: Your Home’s Interior

Your home’s exterior serves to protect the interior and all your belongings, so secure valuable things during construction to avoid any accidents from the potential shaking or vibrating.

Notify Your Project Manager of Any Recessions in Your Wall

Wall insets are hidden storage spaces in the wall. Examples include medicine cabinets behind the mirror or soap trays within the shower.

White wall insets behind a bathroom mirror.

It’s important to let your project manager know ahead of time, especially during siding installations. When contractors nail the siding to the wall, it’s possible the nail can come through the other side, damaging your wall insets.  

Take Down or Move Fragile and Valuable Items Away From the Wall.

This means framed photos, wall sconces, or heavy hanging light fixtures and other decorative items hanging from walls and ceilings.

If you have China cabinets, or cabinets with any sort of fragile item, move them away from the walls. The impact from nailing new siding can cause the cabinets to shake, increasing the risk of breaking your timeless collection.

Your New Exterior is on Its Way

Home renovation is such an exciting journey to be on, and now that you’re finally starting yours, we want to support you every step of the way.

By following this playbook, you’ll head into your siding or roof replacement knowing what to expect and feeling confident. 

With the right prep and expectations, you can make your siding or roofing replacement smoother, safer, and less disruptive—so why not start today with a free consultation? If you have any questions, reach out to us over at Pacific Exteriors. We’re always happy to help.