Cracked and punctured siding lets moisture reach sheathing and framing — document it and fix it right
When a hailstone cracks a vinyl panel or wind rips a lap loose, the damage you see on the surface is only part of the problem. Water is opportunistic. Within hours of a storm event, moisture begins wicking through gaps, cracks, and punctures in your siding and reaching the housewrap and structural sheathing behind it. What starts as a surface crack quickly becomes a wall cavity moisture problem — and wall cavity moisture problems lead to sheathing rot, mold colonization, and framing deterioration that are invisible from the exterior and exponentially more expensive to remediate.
Beyond structural concerns, there are practical claim-filing reasons to act promptly. Homeowners insurance policies in Illinois typically require that damage be reported within a reasonable timeframe after a storm event. Waiting weeks or months to document and report damage can give your insurer grounds to dispute or deny coverage. Additionally, the longer you wait, the more likely a specific siding profile or color match becomes unavailable — manufacturers discontinue products regularly, and what is a straightforward color-match repair today can become a full-elevation replacement six months from now simply because the matching panel no longer exists in production.
Finally, a compromised siding envelope is a compromised thermal envelope. Gaps and cracks allow conditioned air to escape and outdoor air to enter, driving up your heating and cooling costs every month the damage goes unaddressed. Don't let a manageable siding repair become a major structural or energy crisis. Call Allied Emergency Services for a free inspection today — (800) 792-0212.
Westmont is a well-established village in DuPage County, Illinois, situated in the heart of the Chicago western suburbs approximately 20 miles west of downtown Chicago. Bordered by Downers Grove to the north and west, Clarendon Hills to the south, and Hinsdale to the east, Westmont occupies a dense residential footprint with a mix of housing stock ranging from post-war bungalows and ranch homes near the Cass Avenue corridor to newer construction in neighborhoods north of 63rd Street. The community is served by Westmont Community Unit School District 201, with Westmont High School as the district anchor, and features several parks including Ty Warner Park and Westmont Park as community green space focal points.
From a weather perspective, Westmont and the broader DuPage County region sit squarely in one of the most active severe weather corridors in the Midwest. The area receives an average of 38 inches of precipitation annually, with significant thunderstorm activity concentrated in the April through September window. DuPage County has recorded numerous hail events producing stone sizes ranging from marble to golf-ball and larger, and straight-line wind events associated with derechos and squall lines regularly exceed 60 mph — speeds well capable of prying loose siding panels, breaking vinyl at lap joints, and lifting sections of soffit and fascia. The combination of freeze-thaw cycles through the winter months and intense summer storm seasons creates a uniquely challenging environment for exterior building envelopes throughout Westmont.
Homes in Westmont's older neighborhoods along Naperville Road, Cass Avenue, and the streets surrounding the Metra BNSF commuter rail station tend to have siding installed several decades ago. This aging vinyl siding has become increasingly brittle over time due to UV degradation, making it more susceptible to cracking and shattering even from moderate hail impacts — impacts that would merely dent newer, more flexible vinyl. Understanding this local housing profile is critical to accurate damage assessment, and it is exactly why Westmont homeowners benefit from working with restoration contractors who know the regional building stock, not out-of-state storm chasers unfamiliar with the area.
From single-panel impact repairs to complete whole-home siding replacement, Allied has the expertise, licensing, and materials to restore your Westmont property's exterior to pre-storm condition — or better.
When hail strikes Westmont, it leaves a calling card on every surface it touches. Our storm siding repair service addresses the full spectrum of impact damage — from small spiderweb cracks in aging vinyl to through-punctures where large hailstones have completely breached a panel. We also address wind-torn panels where laps have pulled loose from J-channel or nailing strips, allowing water and air infiltration behind the siding envelope. Every repair begins with a thorough assessment to confirm the extent of damage before any panel removal begins, ensuring we don't miss concealed damage that could cause problems later.
When damage is extensive across multiple elevations, when existing siding has aged to the point of brittleness, or when a homeowner simply wants to upgrade the home's exterior in the course of storm restoration, Allied provides complete full-home siding replacement. We install three primary material lines — vinyl siding in a full range of profiles and colors, LP SmartSide engineered wood composite for superior impact and moisture resistance, and James Hardie fiber cement products including HardiePlank lap siding and HardiePanel for a premium, maintenance-reduced exterior. Every full replacement includes removal and disposal of existing siding, inspection and repair of the housewrap or building paper layer, and installation of all trim, soffit, fascia, and accessory components for a complete, finished exterior.
One of the most common concerns Westmont homeowners raise after a hail event is whether a partial repair will be noticeable — whether the repaired section will stand out against the existing siding in color, texture, or profile. Color and profile matching is a specialized skill, and it is one Allied takes seriously. We work directly with manufacturer color matching tools and maintain relationships with major distributors to identify current production runs that best approximate your existing siding. For older discontinued profiles, we have alternative strategies — including lap-width blending and coordinated color matching — that minimize visual disparity. In cases where a true match is genuinely unavailable, we provide honest guidance on whether a full-elevation replacement is the better path forward for a seamless result.
When a storm damages your Westmont home's siding, the quality and completeness of your damage documentation can make a significant difference in how your homeowners insurance adjuster evaluates your claim. Allied provides professional, elevation-by-elevation damage documentation prepared by licensed restoration contractors — not a salesperson or a subcontractor unfamiliar with insurance repair scopes. Our documentation package includes comprehensive photographic evidence of all affected elevations, written measurements of damaged areas, identification of all storm-affected components including siding panels, trim, soffit, and associated soft metals, and a written damage description prepared in language insurance adjusters understand. We are licensed restoration contractors, not adjusters, and we do not negotiate or settle claims on your behalf — but we ensure you go into the claims process with complete, professionally prepared documentation.
DuPage County sits in one of the most storm-active corridors of the Midwest. Understanding the regional storm history helps Westmont homeowners recognize why proactive post-storm inspections are essential — and why Allied maintains year-round emergency response capacity in this area.
The April through June window represents peak hail season for the Chicago western suburbs. As warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with cold fronts pushing down from Canada, supercell thunderstorms frequently develop over the Illinois prairie and track northeast through DuPage County. These supercells are the primary producers of large hail — stones 1 inch in diameter and larger — capable of causing widespread siding damage across entire neighborhoods in a single storm event. DuPage County has recorded hail events in this window that have affected thousands of homes simultaneously, creating a surge in contractor demand that can extend repair timelines significantly for homeowners who wait to call.
Beyond hail, the summer months bring the risk of derecho events — long-lived, fast-moving thunderstorm complexes capable of producing straight-line winds exceeding 70–80 mph across a wide swath of the region. These events are particularly damaging to siding because they generate sustained wind pressure rather than impact events — entire panels can be lifted, laps can be separated, and corner posts can be pulled away from framing. The western suburbs of Chicago, including Westmont and neighboring Downers Grove, Clarendon Hills, and Hinsdale, have experienced multiple derecho events that caused widespread exterior damage in recent years. Because derecho events typically cover large geographic areas, roofing and siding contractors become heavily booked immediately after, making early inspection and documentation essential.
The August through October period produces a secondary peak in severe thunderstorm activity as the jet stream begins to strengthen and push farther south, creating volatile atmospheric conditions across Northern Illinois. Late-season hail events and high-wind storms in this window are well-documented in the DuPage County region. Siding damaged during fall storms faces a particularly tight remediation window — repairs need to be completed before winter temperatures arrive, as cold weather affects installation of certain siding products and leaves water intrusion points vulnerable to freeze-thaw cycle damage throughout the winter months.
While the active severe weather season winds down in winter, the impact of fall storm damage is often amplified by Illinois's freeze-thaw cycles. Water that has infiltrated behind cracked or punctured siding panels expands as it freezes, widening cracks and further separating panel laps. Hidden moisture trapped in sheathing can accelerate rot and mold growth even during cold months. Spring inspections regularly reveal structural damage that originated from unremediated fall storm damage that was worsened by a winter of freeze-thaw cycling — an avoidable and costly outcome for homeowners who delay repairs.
Not all siding damage is immediately obvious from street level, and the signs vary significantly depending on the siding material on your home. Knowing what to look for — and where to look — helps you make an informed decision about whether to call for a professional inspection.
Vinyl Siding: Hail impact on vinyl siding typically presents as circular or elongated craters, cracks radiating outward from an impact point, or in severe cases, complete through-punctures where the hailstone has breached the panel. Older vinyl siding in Westmont — particularly product installed in the 1980s and 1990s — has undergone significant UV degradation over the decades, causing it to become brittle and chalky. This aged vinyl will crack, shatter, or split from hail impacts that would only dent newer, more flexible product. Look along the full height of each elevation from a position close enough to see surface texture — surface cracking is often invisible from across the street.
Fiber Cement Siding (James Hardie): Fiber cement is significantly harder than vinyl and more resistant to hail impact, but it is not immune. Large hail impacts can cause chipping at the surface paint layer, spalling of the board material, or cracking — particularly at cut ends that may have received inadequate field painting at installation. Any exposed bare board on fiber cement siding is a moisture intrusion point that needs immediate attention, as untreated fiber cement is susceptible to moisture absorption leading to swelling and delamination.
LP SmartSide Engineered Wood: LP SmartSide is covered with a zinc-borate treated fiber overlay that provides good moisture and impact resistance. Hail damage on LP typically appears as surface denting, crushing of the textured surface, or cracking of the panel edge. Wind-driven impacts from debris can cause more severe damage including board cracking. Any damage that breaches the surface overlay requires prompt repair to prevent moisture from reaching the engineered wood substrate.
Wind Damage Signs: Wind damage often manifests differently than hail damage. Look for panels that have physically lifted from the wall — especially at upper courses near the roofline — where wind suction can pull siding outward and cause nailing strips to tear or J-channel to separate. Check corner posts for separation from the wall framing, and look for panels that have been pushed in rather than pulled out, indicating debris impact from windborne materials. Horizontal cracking along lap seams often indicates wind flexing that has exceeded the material's tolerance.
The Soft-Metal Corroboration Test: Professional damage inspectors always examine soft metals — aluminum window wraps and trim, aluminum or steel fascia, gutters, downspouts, and vent covers — alongside siding during every storm inspection. Soft metals dent and ding from hail impacts that might leave minimal visible marks on siding, making them excellent corroborating evidence of a hail event. If your gutters show a pattern of small circular dents consistent in size and distribution across multiple elevations, your siding almost certainly sustained corresponding damage even if it is not immediately visible from the ground. This soft-metal evidence is standard documentation in insurance claim inspections.
Cosmetic vs. Functional Damage: Not all storm damage is equal in urgency. Some impacts may be cosmetic — surface discoloration or minor scuffs that do not breach the siding panel or compromise the weathertight seal. However, even nominally cosmetic damage can indicate an impact event that your insurer should be aware of, and cosmetic damage that is documented today is evidence that cannot be disputed later. Functional damage — cracks, punctures, lifted panels, and separated laps — requires immediate remediation to prevent water intrusion. Only a professional inspection can definitively distinguish between the two. If you're unsure, the right answer is always to call for a free professional assessment rather than to guess.
Working with insurance after a storm doesn't have to be overwhelming. Allied guides you through every step of the restoration process — from emergency stabilization through final walkthrough — with complete transparency and professional documentation at every stage.
When you call Allied after a storm, our first priority is stopping active water intrusion and securing your home. If storm damage has created an immediate opening in your siding that allows water to reach your wall assembly, we take emergency measures to stabilize the situation — whether that means temporary weatherproof coverings, emergency panel replacement, or other protective measures appropriate to the extent of damage. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including all holidays, to respond to Westmont storm emergencies. Our 1-hour response commitment means you are not waiting overnight with an open wall cavity while weather continues to drive moisture into your home's structure.
Once your property is stabilized, our licensed restoration professionals conduct a comprehensive, methodical damage inspection of every exterior elevation. We document siding damage, trim and accessory damage, soft-metal damage to gutters, fascia, window wraps and downspouts, and any evidence of water intrusion into the wall assembly. Our documentation includes high-resolution photographs at multiple scales — wide-angle elevation shots to establish context and close-up detail shots to capture individual impact sites — along with written measurements, material identification, and a complete damage narrative. This documentation package is prepared to meet insurance adjuster standards and is provided to you in full for your records and for submission to your insurer.
After your damage documentation is complete, we work with you to ensure the information reaches your insurer in the clearest, most complete format possible. We are available to be present during your insurance adjuster's on-site visit if you request it, so our documentation can be reviewed alongside the adjuster's independent assessment. We answer technical questions about restoration methods, material costs, and code requirements that the adjuster may raise. It is important to understand what our role is and is not: Allied Emergency Services is a licensed restoration contractor — we repair damage. We are not insurance adjusters or public adjusters, and we do not negotiate, adjust, or settle insurance claims on your behalf. Our involvement is limited to the contractor side of the transaction: professional documentation and expert restoration.
Once your insurance coverage is confirmed and your restoration scope is finalized, our crews begin the actual repair or replacement work. For partial repairs, we stage matching materials, complete any necessary sheathing or housewrap repairs, and install new siding panels with manufacturer-compliant fastening and locking. For full replacements, we coordinate material delivery, permit requirements, and crew scheduling to execute the project with minimal disruption to your daily life. All installation is performed by Allied crews — we do not subcontract our siding work — and follows Vinyl Siding Institute, LP SmartSide, and James Hardie installation specifications, which is essential to maintaining manufacturer warranty coverage on your new siding.
Before we consider any Westmont siding project complete, we conduct a comprehensive final walkthrough with the homeowner. We examine every repaired or replaced elevation together, reviewing panel alignment, lap consistency, color match quality, trim and accessory installation, and caulking and sealing at all penetrations and terminations. Any items that do not meet our installation standards or your expectations are corrected before our crew leaves the site. We provide you with a complete project summary including documentation of materials installed, warranty information from manufacturers, and care and maintenance guidance for your new siding. Our relationship with Westmont homeowners does not end at project completion — if you have concerns in the months following our work, we stand behind it.
Reviews represent typical customer experiences.
"After the June hailstorm came through Westmont, our vinyl siding on the south and west elevations was cracked in dozens of places. Allied was on-site within two hours of my call. They documented everything thoroughly with photos and measurements, which made dealing with my homeowners insurance adjuster so much easier. The repair crew matched our siding color almost perfectly — you'd never know anything happened. Couldn't be more satisfied with how professional the whole process was from start to finish."
"I was worried about getting a color match on our older LP SmartSide — the house was built in 2005 and I was afraid they'd never find anything close. The Allied crew brought sample boards out and compared them in natural light before ordering materials, and the match they found is excellent. They replaced the entire north elevation plus all the window wraps that got dinged by hail, and the result looks better than new. The crew was clean, fast, and respectful of our property throughout the whole project. I've already recommended Allied to two neighbors on our street."
"We had wind damage on one side of our house — panels had completely blown loose and there was a gap letting rain straight into the wall. Called Allied at 9 PM on a Thursday night and they had someone here by 10:30 to assess and put up temporary weatherproofing. The full repair was scheduled and completed within the week. What I appreciated most was the honesty — they told me upfront exactly what was covered, what the repair would involve, and what to expect from the insurance process. No surprises, no pressure. That's the kind of contractor you want during a stressful situation."
From your first call to final project completion, Allied's process is designed for speed, transparency, and quality. Here's exactly what to expect when you call us after storm damage to your Westmont home's siding.
Call (800) 792-0212 or text ESTIMATE to (844) 907-2546. Our dispatch team is available around the clock. Describe the damage and your location in Westmont and we'll confirm response timing immediately.
For active emergencies, we target a 1-hour response to Westmont properties. Our technician arrives equipped to assess damage, stabilize the situation, and begin documentation — no preliminary visits, no call-backs required before arriving.
We conduct a comprehensive free inspection of all affected and potentially affected elevations. You receive a complete damage report with photographs and measurements at no charge — regardless of whether you ultimately hire Allied for repairs.
You receive a detailed written estimate covering all repair or replacement scope, materials, and costs. We explain every line item and answer your questions. No high-pressure tactics, no expiring offers — just transparent pricing for professional work.
Our crews complete your Westmont siding repair or replacement with manufacturer-spec installation, professional cleanup, and a final walkthrough to confirm your complete satisfaction. We stand behind our work long after the project is done.
Our team responds within 1 hour — don't let damage get worse.
Allied Emergency Services covers all of Westmont and the surrounding DuPage County communities. Whether your property is near the Metra station along Cass Avenue, in the established residential neighborhoods east of Westmont Park, in the newer developments north of 63rd Street, or along the Naperville Road corridor, our crews know these streets and respond fast. We also serve the neighboring communities of Downers Grove, Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, Willowbrook, and Darien, making us the region's most accessible storm siding contractor across southwestern DuPage County.
Text ESTIMATE to (844) 907-2546 — AI-powered, responds in minutes.
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