New Year, Better Home: Getting Your Roof, Siding and Windows in Shape – Part II: Siding

Any siding product is designed to be durable and rigid enough to take a beating from the harshest weather disturbances. However, this does not mean that it does not need caring for. With regular inspection and maintenance, your siding can last for decades, allowing you to make the most out of your investment.

Inspecting Your Siding
All siding is vulnerable to water infiltration in parts where it butts against doors, windows, and corner molding, among other openings and penetrations. You must look for caulk that has cracked or pulled away from adjacent surfaces, leaving gaps. Other than that, here other are material-specific siding inspection tips to remember:

• Wood. Check for peeling paint, rotted parts, and cracked boards and trims.

• Vinyl. Check for physical damage, from small chips to big holes and signs of warping and deformation. Check for signs of water infiltration as well.
• Stucco. Check for cracks and chips.
• Stone. Check for cracks and chips.
• Hardboard. Check for signs of rot.
• Fiber Cement. Check for loose nails and improper clearance.

Cleaning Your Siding
All types of siding can benefit from annual cleaning to remove dirt and mildew. In many cases, the following basic cleaning steps will be all you’ll need:

1. Mix 1/2 cup of trisodium phosphate (TSP) with 1 gallon of warm water. TSP is usually available in grocery stores and hardware stores, but you can also use laundry detergent or household cleaner if those are what you have on hand. Make sure you follow usage instructions provided for commercial cleaners.
2. Dip a long-handled soft-bristled brush into your cleaning solution and scrub your siding by sections. Work from bottom to top and rinse often to avoid streaking.

Other Siding Jobs
During a siding inspection, it is possible for some issues to pop up. Depending on the extent of the problem, you might be in need of siding repair or replacement. To determine what you should do, assess how old your siding is. Properly installed and depending on material, siding can last between 10 and 50 years. If yours is relatively new and you’re only looking at minor problems like cracked or loose panels, siding repair may be enough for you. If your siding has seen better years and you’ve had to do several repairs before, opting for siding replacement may prove to be more practical for you.

We’ll be rounding up this blog series in the last part by about windows — what signs of damage to look for and how to know if you need to replace them. Stay tuned to learn more!