Considering Siding? A Word of Caution

Telephone Repair Service and Information

If you're siding your property here's something of which you should be aware. Siding installers more often than not will cover up telephone and cable TV wiring. This could be a problem. These two pictures below are typical of the kind of work siders do.

The above pictures are definite examples of what you DON'T want siding installers to do. The next two pictures show the first attachment wire hooks of cable TV and telephone drop wires.

These hooks, which hold these wires to the wall of your building, are a problem if they are not securely fastened to the building wall. During maintenance by either cable TV or telephone technicians working on the cables, which bring the service to the property area (usually behind the property), a lot of stress and strain can be put on these attachments as the wires are pulled tight when the technician lays his ladder against either one or both of the cables supplying the television or telephone service. Stress and strain can also be put on these service drop wires if tree branches above them come down during severe wind and weather.

If the property owner is lucky, these wires will break; if not, what can happen is that the first attachment hooks will pull out of the wall of the building. When that happens, if the siding has been placed over the wiring, the wires will be pulled through the siding like a hot knife through butter leaving a gaping slash in the siding.

Now, instead of just having to have the wiring fixed, the siding will also have to be repaired.

Therefore, my advice is, if you are having your property sided, be sure to have the siding installer(s) place the siding BEHIND the wiring to prevent future siding damage in case these wires are pulled down.

Many's been the time over the years when I've had to go out on repair calls to put telephone drop wires back up because they came down in a storm. I just wish I had pictures to show you the damage which had been done to the siding.