Vinyl Siding: A Guide To Maintenance And Care
If you're considering the siding options for your home, there's no doubt that you've heard about vinyl siding and the benefits that come with it. Unfortunately, a popular misconception tends to be that vinyl siding requires no maintenance, which is entirely untrue. If you're considering vinyl siding for your home, read on to learn how to properly care for and maintain it.
Decrease the Odds of Outside Damage
One of the biggest dangers to your home's vinyl siding is untamed trees and shrubbery. For best results, properly maintain your yard's greenery.
Vinyl siding has been known to crack or puncture, so any damage caused by the scraping of branches or other shrubbery can quickly turn from a simple scratch to a much larger issue. Once the siding has been cracked or punctured, replacement is the only option. Failure to replace a damaged area can result in spreading of the damage to a larger area. Regular grooming of the greenery around your home will be sure to decrease the odds of your vinyl being damaged and is also a great way to keep it cleaner.
Learn Proper Washing Techniques
A large part of vinyl siding maintenance includes learning and following proper washing techniques. While vinyl siding can be power washed, a gentler method usually produces better results. Power washing can result in a buildup of water underneath the siding which can lead to decay if not properly drained. Instead, washing with a regular garden hose and mild detergent will produce similar results without the added risk that comes with power washing. For harder to remove stains, such as mildew, a solution of 1 part bleach to 4 parts water will do the trick.
Regularly Inspect for Signs of Moisture Damage
As mentioned above, moisture can become trapped behind the siding, causing all sorts of damage to the material beneath. While the vinyl siding itself won't decay, the foundation beneath it can. This can lead to structural issues that, without proper inspection of the siding, can go unnoticed. When inspecting your siding, look for staining or streaks that seem to be coming from beneath the siding. Siding that is loose or otherwise detaching from the house is another sign of hidden moisture damage and should be inspected thoroughly and properly fixed by a contractor.
Vinyl siding is a great siding option for a number of reasons, including its ease of maintenance and care. Even though the myth exists, vinyl siding does require regular maintenance and care, though much less care than wood and similar counterparts. For more information about vinyl siding, visit Leger Siding.