Storm & Hail-Damaged Siding in Indiana: Repair or Replace? A Terre Haute Homeowner Guide

When storms roll through West-Central Indiana, siding often takes the first hit. Wind-driven rain, large hail, and sudden temperature swings can crack panels, loosen trim, or send water behind parts of the siding system that should never get wet. The damage isn’t always obvious from the ground, which is why many Terre Haute homeowners don’t catch problems until months later after moisture has already reached sheathing or insulation.

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This guide walks you through how to tell the difference between light cosmetic storm damage, deeper siding and wall problems, and the kind of issues that often qualify for insurance-backed repairs or replacement. You’ll see how vinyl, fiber cement, engineered wood (LP Smart), and wood siding each respond to hail and wind, what early warning signs to look for after a storm, and when a simple repair is enough versus when full replacement is the smarter long-term move for your home.

Here’s the short version for homeowners in Terre Haute:

• Look for cracks, holes, loose panels, and swelling on your siding after any severe storm.
• Pay extra attention to windows, doors, rooflines, and corners, because those areas fail first.
• Remember that not all hail damage is visible from the ground; some issues need close inspection.
• Insurance usually covers functional storm damage that affects performance, not small cosmetic marks.
• Repair is often fine when damage is isolated and the wall behind the siding is still dry and solid.
• Take clear photos of any damage before you start temporary fixes, tarping, or clean-up.

The rest of this guide explains each of these points in more detail so you can make confident decisions about storm-damaged siding on your Indiana home.

How Indiana Weather Damages Siding

Storms in the Wabash Valley bring more than just strong gusts. Sudden temperature swings, heavy rain, sideways-blown moisture, and hail hitting at high speed all put stress on siding systems. When flashing, fastening, or clearances were “just barely okay” to begin with, those conditions can push materials past their limits and open up new paths for water to get in.

On homes across West-Central Indiana, storm-related siding problems usually show up in four main ways:

• Impact damage from hail that cracks, chips, or dents siding surfaces
• Wind pressure that lifts panels, opens gaps, or loosens trim and corners
• Water driven behind trim, J-channels, laps, and other small transitions
• Thermal expansion and contraction as temperatures jump quickly during and after storms

From the yard, the siding might still look fine, but wind-driven rain can already have soaked the wall behind it. That hidden moisture is what leads to long-term issues like soft sheathing, mold, and peeling finishes.

What Hail Damage Looks Like on Different Siding Materials

Hail does not treat all siding the same way. Vinyl, fiber cement, engineered wood, and traditional wood each show damage in slightly different patterns. Knowing what to look for on your specific material helps you decide whether you’re dealing with light cosmetic bruising or real functional damage that needs attention.

Vinyl siding

Vinyl can flex and absorb some impact, but repeated hail strikes still leave their mark. Most problems start as small defects that grow over time if water and movement keep working on them.

Common signs on vinyl siding include:

• Small punctures or star-shaped marks where hail hit directly
• Cracks along panel edges, corners, or nail hems
• Brittle spots that crumble or flake when gently pressed
• Dents and distortions on older, sun-faded, or already brittle panels

Hairline cracks and weakened nail hems may not stand out from the ground, but they can spread with each freeze–thaw cycle or wind event.

Fiber cement siding

Fiber cement is tough, but it is also rigid. Instead of denting, it tends to chip, crack, or lose coating where hailstones land hardest.

Storm damage on fiber cement often shows up as:

• Surface chips at edges, corners, or lower laps
• Fine cracks radiating from nail heads or fastener points
• Circular spots where paint or coating has been knocked away
• Rare but serious cases of deeper delamination or shattered corners

The big concern is not just the chip itself, but the loss of protective coating that lets water park on the raw surface and slowly work into the board.

LP SmartSide and other engineered wood siding

Engineered wood products handle impact better than many people expect, but they rely heavily on sealed edges and cuts. When hail hits those vulnerable spots, problems can develop later.

Watch for these signs on LP and similar products:

• Edge chipping or crushing along bottom laps and corners
• Compressed or bruised areas that feel slightly softer than surrounding boards
• Cracks where nails, fasteners, or field cuts were not sealed properly
• Swelling or slight bulging on lower courses that take more splash-back

Minor marks might not look urgent, but if water begins to wick into damaged areas, the board can swell and lose its clean profile.

Traditional wood siding

Wood siding makes hail damage easier to see, but that can also make it easier to ignore if the house “still looks okay from the street.”

Hail damage on wood siding typically appears as:

• Denting or dimples where hailstones struck directly
• Splintering or feathered edges along the grain
• Paint chipped away to bare wood on leading edges and corners
• Cracks that slowly widen as the wood dries out after the storm

Because bare wood absorbs moisture, any exposed areas should be primed and sealed again as soon as possible to slow down rot, cupping, and paint failure.

How Wind Damages Siding in Terre Haute

Wind creates different stresses than hail. Instead of just striking the surface, strong gusts put pressure behind the siding, try to lift courses off their locks, and pull at trim and corner posts. Older systems, or siding that was never fastened quite right, are more likely to shift under that load.

After a strong wind event, walk around your home and watch for:

• Panels that move noticeably or rattle when you press on them
• Courses that have unhooked from the row below and no longer sit flat
• Trim pulling away from windows, doors, or outside corners
• Corner posts with visible gaps, twisting, or leaning sections
• Housewrap or sheathing visible behind panels or at open seams
• Panels that look pushed upward, bowed, or out of alignment with their neighbors

Even small gaps can allow a surprising amount of water to get behind the siding, especially when storms drive rain sideways. Catching wind damage early helps you avoid hidden leaks and long-term moisture problems in the wall behind.

Where Storm Damage Shows Up First

These areas typically fail first during Indiana storms and are worth a closer look after heavy wind or hail:

• Bottom courses near soil, concrete, decks, and splash zones
• Corners and trim where different materials and joints come together
• Window and door perimeters where proper flashing and sealant are critical
• Roof-to-wall transitions where large amounts of water are concentrated

If any of these zones shows new movement, staining, or swelling after a storm, there is a good chance moisture is getting behind the siding and starting to affect the wall structure, not just the surface.

Repair vs Replacement: What Makes Sense?

Not every storm calls for a full siding replacement. The right move depends on how widespread the damage is, whether water has made it into the wall, and how the siding system was installed and detailed in the first place.

Repair makes sense when

• Only one or two panels or small sections are cracked, chipped, or punctured
• Damage has not reached sheathing, insulation, or interior finishes
• Trim, J-channels, or corner posts are loose but can be re-secured and sealed correctly
• Hail marks are mostly cosmetic and do not affect how well the siding sheds water
• Only one side or a small portion of the home was affected by the storm
• Underlying housewrap and sheathing test dry, solid, and structurally sound on inspection

On vinyl siding in particular, small, localized repairs can blend in nicely if matching material is still available and the surrounding panels are in good shape.

Replacement makes more sense when

• Multiple elevations took hail impacts or wind damage across large areas
• Panels show cracks, fractures, or punctures in many locations, not just one spot
• The siding material is older, brittle, or discontinued and cannot be matched cleanly
• Moisture has reached the wall behind the siding, attic, or interior finishes
• Wind created widespread gaps, uplift, and panel movement along long runs
• Color mismatch would make spot repairs look patchy, uneven, or obviously “repaired”

On aging siding systems, replacing large numbers of pieces often leads to a mix of old and new that never quite matches. At that point, a well-planned replacement is usually more cost-effective and less frustrating than chasing storm damage a little at a time.

Does Insurance Cover Storm-Damaged Siding?

Most homeowner policies are written to cover functional storm damage that affects how well your siding protects the house. Scratches, light scuffs, and small cosmetic marks may not qualify for coverage, even if you can see them from the yard.

When an adjuster looks at storm and hail damage, they are usually trying to document things like:

• Cracks, holes, or punctures in the siding surface that can let water in
• Loss of material, chipped edges, or exposed substrate under the finish
• Warping, deformation, or panel failure caused by hail or wind impact
• Wind-damaged panels, corners, or trim that create gaps for water intrusion

If your siding product has been discontinued or cannot be matched, the matching language in your policy may require replacing entire elevations instead of just swapping a few damaged pieces. That is often where a contractor’s detailed inspection and photos help your claim.

How to Inspect Your Home After a Storm

A short walkthrough after any big storm can help you spot issues early, before they turn into hidden leaks or long-term wall damage. You do not need special tools; you just need to know where to look.

Focus on these areas:

• South and west walls that take the brunt of wind, rain, and sun
• Sections under eaves where hail can rebound off the roof and strike the siding at an angle
• Siding and trim around windows and doors where flashing and sealant are doing the most work
• Bottom rows near decks, sidewalks, patios, and landscaping where splash-back is heavy

If you find more than a couple of suspicious spots like cracks, gaps, swelling, or fresh staining then having a siding contractor do a full storm-damage inspection is usually worth it.

What Patriot Property Pros Checks During a Storm-Damage Inspection

A professional siding inspection looks far beyond obvious dents or cracks. On homes in Terre Haute and across the Wabash Valley, the goal is to understand how the entire siding system, wall, and weatherproofing are holding up after a storm, not just whether one panel is damaged.

During a storm-damage evaluation, we typically check:

• Loose or uplifted courses that no longer lock together the way they should
• Nail-slot cracks and other stress points that can grow with future wind and temperature swings
• Moisture levels behind the siding using meters, probing, and visual clues at joints
• Flashing and detailing around windows, doors, rooflines, and other transitions
• Housewrap and sheathing condition behind any areas that appear compromised
• Color-matching options and product availability for both repair and full replacement

From there, you will get a clear explanation of what can be repaired, what truly requires replacement, and which parts of the damage are likely to qualify under an insurance claim.