No matter if you have wood siding or not, you’re most likely all too familiar with its ultimate menaces: mold and wood rot. Many siding brands today, such as LP Siding, have been innovated and manufactured to be tough on wood rot. However, for those with older siding types, mold and rot still bring concerns, simply due to the inherent properties of wood itself. Rot is caused by fungi, and fungi feed on organic materials, a category in which wood belongs. In addition, man-made siding types, such as seamless siding and steel siding, might not be able to rot, but no siding is completely immune to mold formation. Fungi are a hazard for homeowners everywhere.
However, even if you know this, and even if you’ve been protecting your wood siding against mold and rot for years now, you might think that in the winter, there’s nothing to worry about. After all, doesn’t mold need warmth to grow? Wouldn’t our frigid Minnesota and Wisconsin winters effectively kill it off, which leaves your home a clean, fresh slate in the spring?
Well, not quite. There are countless factors that enable mold to keep growing on your wood siding in the wintertime, which wreaks havoc on your home’s appearance and, in some cases, completely destroys your siding itself. Below, C&T Siding, a Southeastern Wisconsin siding contractor, will discuss what allows mold to grow on your wood siding even in the colder months, along with what can be done to prevent this process.
Siding Rot: A Big Wintertime Concern
Mold requires moisture to grow. Because your siding is exposed to a ton of precipitation in the wintertime, such as ice and snow, opportunistic mold species can take advantage of this and continue their growth throughout the colder months. Pure wood siding is extremely vulnerable to harboring wintertime mold infestations, as prolonged moisture exposure breaks down the protective barriers applied to the wood and leaves it exposed to the elements. Of course, this opens the door for wood rot. Though, it’s worth noting that engineered wood siding brands, such as LP Siding, are specially innovated to resist this process.
But what about the heat component? Doesn’t mold need heat to grow, too? Well, remember how we said that rot was caused by fungus? Fungi are a huge and diverse class of creatures, and not all of them behave in the same way. According to the Bradbury Science Museum, as of January 2019, 120,000 species of fungi have been discovered. Of these species, there are many different types that could choose your wood siding for their next home. In fact, according to Bobvila.com, there exists a group of fungi that can both survive temperatures between 0 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit and can also target wood structures. In short, all this science means that it pays to check your pure wood siding over and be aware of the dangers rot poses to your home, no matter what season it is or what the temperature is. There are so many species of fungi out there; who knows when one could strike!
What Can be Done to Stop Wood Rot?
Unfortunately, not much. Pure wood siding will always be inherently vulnerable to rot, no matter what products you apply or what brands you invest in. If your home has historically had issues with rotting pure wood siding, C&T Siding recommends investing in a type that isn’t so vulnerable to fungal infestations. This could include:
● Steel Siding | Though mold can still form on top of inorganic siding in the warmer months, steel siding is far from vulnerable to extensive damage from mold. It is tough, hard to chip, and flame-retardant. Moreover, it can also be made to look like real wood siding. If it’s the aesthetic of wood siding you crave without the inherent mold vulnerability, then this is the choice for you!
● Engineered Wood Siding | Get the benefits of wood siding without the fungal drawbacks! Engineered wood siding from LP Siding is specially made to resist the mold and termite damage that so many pure wood brands can suffer from. If you crave the warmth and beauty of real wood in your siding, but can’t stand its vulnerability to mold, this siding type is the way to go.
● Vinyl Siding | Though mold can still accumulate on this siding in the warmer months, it is much more resistant to it than pure wood siding. Combined with its durability and energy efficiency, it renders itself a great choice for a variety of homeowners.
In Need of Siding Installation? C&T Siding is Here to Help
We’re a Southeast Wisconsin and Twin Cities Metro siding installation company that would be happy to provide you with the perfect siding solution for your individual home. Give our Wisconsin office a call today at 715-749-3162 or reach our Minnesota office at 651-483-6146.