When selecting the material for your siding replacement, there are a variety of features to look for. How well will it hold up in your region’s weather? What styles does it come in? Can you achieve a board-and-batten look or another specific visual design you desire? Is it compatible with the fixed parts of your home you would like to complement, such as brick or stone siding? How does it hold up against pests like termites? Does it keep water from infiltrating your home?
These are common questions to ask when choosing siding replacement. A less common question, but equally important one is, “Does the siding material resist woodpeckers?” If you’ve never experienced woodpecker damage to your home exterior, this may not seem important. But it is!
Woodpeckers 101
Many homeowners aren’t aware of the potential problems woodpeckers can cause their home’s protective layer. When you’re in the market for replacement siding, be sure to gain knowledge about the costly destruction woodpeckers can inflict on wood siding such as cedar shake and tongue and groove cedar.
The good news is that you can avoid the expensive damage woodpeckers cause by choosing a siding material that resists them.
What Woodpeckers Love about Some Siding Materials
Some siding products provide woodpeckers just what they’re looking for:
- Food—Woodpeckers eat insects that tend to live inside wood siding or any other siding type that has been compromised and infiltrated with pests.
- Shelter—These pesky birds make their nests by creating large holes in your siding.
- Storage—The need to store food such as acorns drives them to drill holes in siding where they can hide their food.
- Territory—They peck at siding in order to claim their territory. The problem is—it’s your home!
- Mating—The loud sound made when they peck on various siding types actually has a purpose: to attract a mate. The persistent loud drumming sound is irritating to homeowners, and seemingly hard to stop!
- A Place to Return Annually—One of the most annoying things is the fact that once they claim territory, their destruction can go on for generation after generation (of woodpeckers). They make your life miserable as they drill holes in your siding, and damage your home’s protective layer. And once you fix the damage, they come back to destroy your home again.
Featured Woodpecker Damage Repair Projects
Woodpecker-Damaged Wood Siding Replaced
A homeowner needed a total exterior remodel due to a lack of upkeep and major woodpecker damage…
What Siding Resists Woodpecker Damage?
Once you understand the costly hassle of repairing recurring woodpecker damage, you’ll do what it takes to avoid it. Here are three siding materials that don’t leave the welcome mat out for them, saving you time and money:
James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding
Fiber cement siding is made of cement, sand, and cellulose. It offers nothing that woodpeckers are looking for when it comes to food, shelter, insect foraging, or nesting. James Hardie is the most popular fiber cement siding in America, and its durable makeup resists woodpeckers—saving you both time and money. Enjoy the peace and quiet you deserve in your home by avoiding pesky drumming sounds made so relentlessly.
Brick Siding
While it’s one of the most sizable investments when it comes to siding material, brick will keep woodpeckers and other pests at bay. It’s not a common remodeling option, but can be preferred if you are looking for a new home to purchase or if you’re building a custom home.
Stone Siding
Beautiful natural stone siding doesn’t attract woodpeckers and stands up to pests and moisture intrusion. Your home’s trim, fascia, and chimney won’t likely be covered in stone, so be aware of their potential vulnerabilities based on what you choose for their protective layer.
How Do You Stop Woodpeckers from Damaging Siding?
There are some remedies homeowners try that may decrease the likelihood of more damage:
Hang plastic owls or hawks from your home’s siding or eaves to frighten encroaching birds.
If your home has suffered woodpecker damage in the past, the only way to stop them from destroying your exterior’s protective layer is to choose replacement siding they aren’t attracted to. As dramatic as it sounds, residing your home is the long-term solution to woodpecker damage.
Hardie siding delivers woodpecker resistance, giving you peace of mind about your home’s protection.
How to Repair Woodpecker Damage to Your Siding
Woodpeckers can invade your property and harm your siding, trim, soffits, trees, and your roof.
- Repair begins with getting rid of the insects woodpeckers feed on. Carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and termites are all looked at as food for these birds.
- Plug holes left by woodpeckers. Siding holes can be filled with a two-part adhesive of epoxy resin and putty. On a warm day, mix the materials with a putty knife and spread over the holes in your siding until their opening is covered thoroughly. Air dry and then sand the putty before painting the patched area to match your exterior.
Life Can Be Simple Again—With James Hardie Siding
You can avoid the troublesome hassles of woodpecker damage. By installing Hardie siding, trim, and soffits made from woodpecker-resistant fiber cement, you can return to the simplicity of life again. You won’t have to worry about the annual recurrence of these birds and their harmful influence on your property once fiber cement siding is installed.
At Refined Exteriors, we are a James Hardie Preferred contractor, so we install your siding right the first time and according to the strict standards set by the James Hardie company. Your 30-year warranty will be honored as a result, giving you peace of mind.
Hardie siding is the most popular home exterior material in America, protecting over 8 million homes with reliable durability, distinct beauty, and customized style! Discover more reasons homeowners choose James Hardie Siding.
