Being the first line of defense of your home, siding needs proper maintenance to prolong its lifespan. This maintenance is important not only to keep its appearance appealing but also to maintain its strength and reduce the repair cost. Luckily, certain tips can help you increase the durability of the home’s siding at a low maintenance cost.
Here we’ll go through the top siding maintenance tips. Let’s learn all about them.
How To Maintain Your Home Siding?
Below are all the tips that will help you increase the lifespan of your home siding.
Clean The Siding Regularly
The cleansing of the siding is necessary not only for the aesthetic appeal but also to reduce the risk of damage. The more dirt accumulates, the greater the chance of siding damage. Therefore, you should regularly clean your siding to remove the dirt, algae, mildew, and other debris.
Consider using soft-bristled brushes for scrubbing the siding with a specific detergent while cleaning the fiber cement or vinyl siding. For wooden siding, a cloth can be a better option for scrubbing. Then, use a power washer for rinsing the siding thoroughly and let it dry. Consider cleaning your home siding once every year.
Repair The Damages Instantly
The unchecked minor damages on the home’s siding can lead to severe and costly impairments. For example, if you ignore a minor leak on the siding, it will allow the water to penetrate into the interior walls as well. Besides, the risk of fungal growth gets accelerated with increased moisture content. Not only this, but holes in the siding open up the ways for the rodents’ entry.
The ultimate result of the minor damages will be the disturbed integrity of the entire home. So, whenever you notice any kind of damage, contact the trustworthy siding companies such as Global Exterior Experts for repairs and replacement.
Coat and Paint The Sidings
The application of the paint and sealant helps in increasing the lifespan of the siding. Many times, extreme weather and environmental conditions reduce the siding’s resistance abilities against the surroundings. To maintain the siding’s protective capabilities, paints and sealants can help you a lot.
For the wooden siding, the application of these coatings once every five years is considered enough. If you have vinyl siding, you may not need these coatings. However, their application can help you increase the lifespan and fresh appearance of the vinyl.
Keep The Gutters Clean
The blocked gutters can lead to water overflow, forcing the water to flow over the siding surface. It will not only stain the siding but also allow the water to penetrate deep into the siding material. It will further rot the siding, thus making it unappealing and weakened over time.
Therefore, it’s always a great favor to keep the gutters clean to avoid clogging or blockage. Moreover, inspect for any kind of leakage on the gutters and proper disposal of the gutter’s waste.
Avoid Extra Moisture Contact
The moisture penetration will disturb the appearance and integrity of the siding material. So, you have to take all precautionary measures to reduce the moisture contact to the maximum extent. Firstly, consider applying a water-resistant coating on the siding in the rainy season.
Secondly, ensure that the water flow from the gutters and downspouts is smooth and fast enough to prevent water accumulation. Besides, try to maintain enough distance between the siding and the ground to avoid moisture absorption from the floor, particularly if it consists of soil
Trim The Extra Tree Branches
The falling tree branches and shrubs on the siding not only disturbed it physically but also opened the way for other types of damage. The risk of increased moisture exposure is much more prominent for the areas surrounded by trees and shrubs.
Similarly, pests and rodents are more likely to invade the siding when you have overgrown shrubs in your home. So, to avoid all of these risk factors, trim the extra branches and shrubs regularly from your garden.
Final Thoughts
The maintenance of the home’s siding demands regular cleaning, coating, and immediate repair of the damage. Further, gutter cleaning is one of the best ways of limiting the water contact with the siding material. Moreover, if you have trees and shrubs growing excessively around the siding in your home, consider trimming them on a regular basis.
