4 Siding Home Maintenance Tips
Even though you see it every day, your siding doesn't get much consideration or attention unless it is tarnished or faded. But siding plays an important role in the integrity of your home.
Your siding protects your house, the foundation, and the contents inside. It shields your home from insects, pests, UV, wind, snow, rain, and other elements.
If you're considering selling your home in the next few years, it is helpful to know that siding provides an outstanding return on investment, especially compared to other home improvement projects. On average, you can expect to receive 76 percent on your siding installation, and that dollar amount could substantially increase based on the material you choose.
You may be wondering how long your siding will last. Quality vinyl siding can have a lifespan of 30 to 40 years, depending on the climate, and wood siding could last anywhere from 15 years to as long as 40 years. However, it does require extensive maintenance.
You no doubt would rather avoid the high cost of replacing your siding. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to properly maintain your siding so it lasts more years, delaying needed siding repairs.
3Rs Construction & Remodeling is your siding contractor here to make siding installation and repairs easy! We are your team of experts for general contracting services in Salem, OR.
Get More Life for Your Siding with These 4 Maintenance Tips
Here we will share four siding home maintenance tips that will reward you with immediate savings by putting off repairs or a replacement as you enjoy more years with attractive and unblemished siding.
1) Be on the Lookout for Damage
One sure way to have your siding last as long as possible is to periodically look for damage. For best results, you want to examine your siding every six months or so, depending on your siding's material.
Begin by keeping an eye out for water damage. You may overlook what excess water can do to your siding, but it can cause extensive damage if not treated. If you have wood siding, water damage will become noticeable by swelling or showing signs of cracking and peeling.
With stucco siding, it will begin to break apart and chip. For brick siding, you'll see damage to mortar joints that crumble and fall off. It is not so easy to spot water damage on vinyl siding, so look carefully. You may want to call a professional siding contractor to make sure your siding is in good condition.
You should be able to see more obvious signs of damage to your siding, such as that from strong weather like hail, heavy rain or snow, and severe winds. After major storms, get in the habit of inspecting your siding as soon afterward as possible.
This siding home maintenance is sure to extend the life of your siding.
2) Regularly Paint and Seal
Never underestimate the aesthetic advantage of a fresh coat of paint on your siding. Just by painting your siding, it could look almost new.
No matter what type of siding you have on your home, you should periodically paint it, especially if it is vinyl siding. The benefits of painting vinyl siding include the following:
- Helps resist fading, cracking, and peeling.
- Cost-efficiency as repainting is much cheaper than replacing vinyl siding.
- Painting will extend the life of your vinyl siding and brighten your exterior.
Before painting your vinyl siding, check to ensure that your manufacturer's warranty allows it. Some might void your warranty if you paint over your vinyl siding, and doing it incorrectly will cause intense warping and require a siding replacement.
If you have wood siding, adding a fresh coat of paint every five years or so is a good idea. Paint it sooner if you see paint chipping or other signs of damage.
For those of you who have fiber cement siding, a coat of paint will last for many years, even as long as two decades.
3Rs Construction Pro Tips:
- Be sure to paint the lower edge of each board. This is the most often overlooked area and usually where the damage begins.
- Using an acrylic paint made for exterior conditions will last longer
- Semi-Gloss exterior paint cleans off easier and will maintain its color longer.
This siding home maintenance will boost the aesthetic appeal of your home and extend the life of your siding.
3) Keep Siding Clean
All types of siding should be cleaned occasionally. Cleaning your siding is one of the best things you can do to prolong its lifespan.
For example, keeping the siding clean will help to eliminate the buildup of mildew, grime, and dirt. A power washer will yield the best results for cleaning your siding. Power washers are best suited for vinyl and wood siding. You want to be cautious with power washing on brick buildings in order to prevent unnecessary mortar deterioration.
If you want to maximize your cleaning efforts, it is best to use a combination of trisodium phosphate (TSP) and water. Place a half cup of TSP into one gallon of warm water and mix them together. Next, use this mixture to begin scrubbing your siding. Feel free to use attachments to clean difficult-to-reach areas of your siding.
A thorough cleaning will give your siding a beautiful and fresh appearance.
Cleaning is one of the best home maintenance measures to ensure your siding is in good shape for years to come.
Looking for help painting or cleaning your siding? Contact 3Rs Construction & Remodeling in Salem, Oregon today! Contact us for a FREE quote!
4) Trim the Landscape
You will do well to closely look after your landscape if you want to prolong the life of your siding. Be sure to regularly trim and tame your shrubbery, bushes, and trees, so they don't rub against your home's siding. You'll know it's time to do landscaping if they come into contact with your siding.
You may not think that a bush would damage your siding, but over time the friction and moisture that a plant transfers to your home could deteriorate your siding. By trimming your landscaping periodically, you also will be protecting your roof and gutters.
This siding home maintenance might be the most important as out-of-control trees and plants can potentially damage your siding in a short time if not maintained properly.
Hire 3Rs Construction & Remodeling in Salem for Your Siding Home Maintenance
Whether you need siding for new construction, replacement siding for your existing home, or repair of damaged siding, 3Rs Construction & Remodeling is the Salem, Oregon, siding contractor you can trust to do the job right the first time.
3Rs Construction can assist you with siding repair and installation for homes, rentals, apartments, and some commercial structures. If your siding looks worn or faded, we recommend including siding repair or replacement as part of our home maintenance service.
Call us at (503) 363-1059, so we can get started on your siding home maintenance service as soon as possible!
