Tips For Proper Siding Maintenance
The experts at Cobalt Exteriors Inc. have been your trusted exterior contractors and construction managers since 1989.
When driving past homes in your neighborhood, chances are, one of the first things you notice is the material the house is built from and the condition it’s in. If you take care of the siding on your home, it can last you upwards of fifty years, maybe more! Without regular maintenance, you are looking at more around 15-20 years. Siding is not only something cosmetically pleasing to the eye, but it is the first layer of protection for your home. In the winter, when it snows, you wear a coat.
The siding on your home is like the coat for your home, while the insulation, foundation, and roof are the sweatshirt, shoes, and hat. Continue reading to learn more about the benefits of taking care of your siding and the best tips for siding maintenance depending on what siding you have.
Benefits of Taking Care of Your Siding
The primary and most obvious benefit of taking care of your siding is that you will get the longest life possible from your siding. However, this isn’t the only benefit of regular maintenance.
Some other benefits include:
- You can keep an eye on the natural progression of your home
- Ensures your home is protected from the weather as much as possible
- Keeps pests and birds from living in your walls
- Maintains a high property value for your home and neighborhood
- Can even reduce energy costs
When your siding is well maintained, there is less risk of air escaping through holes and cracks. You will know about these blemishes sooner and can have them repaired before any real damages occur.
When it comes to siding maintenance, though, the method is different for each siding material type.
The Best Practices For Siding Maintenance
Some siding material requires more maintenance than others. Vinyl siding, for instance, requires the least overall maintenance of all the siding types. For each material type, however, there is a unique maintenance practice.
Learn the best maintenance practices for each type of siding below:
- Vinyl: In its design, vinyl siding is made to withstand all conditions and to not be messed with. Typically, vinyl siding only requires you pressure wash it once or twice a year to keep it clean and free from dirt, debris, and pests that like to live in the stair-steps of the siding. If you have a piece of siding that is loose or blowing in the wind, you will want to have this taken down before it bends or breaks, and you’re forced to replace it altogether.
- Wood: Wood siding requires a treatment every 4-6 years for the residents of Woodinville, WA. Washington is a mountainous state which means it is more susceptible to harsh sun rays and snowfall. It is because of this that residents are encouraged to shoot for the more frequent option of every four years. This type of siding also requires yearly repairs. That said, most repairs are relatively easy to fix with the help of a professional. Wood siding cracks and gets holes sometimes. Moisture can build up in these types of places and threaten to damage your home, but with yearly repair checks, you can ensure the condition of your siding.
- Stone: When you clean and maintain a stone siding home, you want to be conscious of your efforts to clean without damaging the surface of the stone. The recommended maintenance practice is to take a brush or broom to knock off any debris, and then to wash the stone with soaps that don’t contain any harsh chemicals like bleach or anything with acid in it.
- Metal: The most important maintenance practice for metal siding is to look for chipped paint spots, especially ones that are starting to rust. You will want to scrape off the rust, wash and repaint or apply a sealant to keep the roof from rusting through.
- Fiber Cement: Fiber cement siding is the closest to vinyl siding. You really only need to pressure wash it once or twice a year to keep it clean. However, there is one major difference. Fiber cement siding requires repainting fairly often, which can be costly in the end. Without regular paint jobs, the siding will not be able to withstand the weather as vinyl siding can.
Need To Upgrade? We Can Help!
When you choose Cobalt Exteriors Inc., you can trust that you are getting trained, insured, and experienced workers. We have been around since 1989, serving the residents of the Woodinville, WA community. We are here to answer any questions you might have about a siding upgrade on your home. Maybe you don’t need an upgrade yet? We are here for all of your maintenance needs and questions as well! Give us a call today.
