Q: Ever since we bought our house — yes, we’ve put off doing anything about it for 17 years — we’ve heard what sounds like wind swishing against the house in certain rooms. We figured it had something to do with the siding but ignored it because you could only hear it on one side of the house in rooms we rarely use. We recently learned that the siding has come loose close to the foundation — where it’s anchored, I guess. It’s likely also loose in other spots, which accounts for the noise we’ve heard.

Our question is, what can we use to reattach the siding to the house (stucco, I think), at least at the bottom?

I suppose fixing it elsewhere would involve replacing the siding, an expense that we don’t want to take on if we don’t have to.

A: Because it is stucco, the siding (vinyl, I’ll bet) is nailed to furring strips that are screwed or nailed to the stucco. Lap siding or the J-channel used to install vinyl siding is attached directly to the furring strips. Lap or vinyl siding begins flush with the sill plate or at the bottom of the stucco wall.

Each new piece of siding overlaps the previous piece and is leveled to ensure a true horizontal line.

The ends of the siding are placed next to the edge of the wall, window frames, and door frames. I assume the furring strips have come loose from the stucco, and the siding has as well. Since it starts at the foundation, so should you. You’ll need to remove the siding and see if the furring strips are still attached to the stucco. If not, a two-inch screw or nail would be used to reattach it. Then you’ll have to nail the J-channel to the furring strip.

Not a job I would do myself, if it is as extensive as it sounds. You should never let small problems morph into bigger ones. This one might have been easier and less expensive had you gotten to it sooner.

It’s like putting a pillow over your head during a rainstorm so you won’t hear the water dripping from the ceiling.