Cleaning and Maintenance Tips for Home Siding

Spring Window Cleaning Tips
March 1, 2017
Signs You Might Need New Windows
May 1, 2017
Show all

Cleaning and Maintenance Tips for Home Siding

We offer many varieties of new siding products at Double T, and we’re your all-in-one siding company. From selection to pricing to installation, we provide the full range of siding services without hiring sub-contractors for any of your vital tasks.

We’re here to help with siding cleaning and maintenance as well, but there are parts of this that will be in your hands. Here are a few basic tips for cleaning, inspecting and maintaining your new siding.

Cleaning Frequency

This may depend on the exact materials used and any weather or elemental concerns in your area, but the general recommendation involves once or twice annual cleanings. These are to help remove everything from grit and grime to mildew – elements that can damage the siding and shorten its lifespan if it builds up enough. Cleaning an average-sized house will only take a day or two over the weekend with the proper planning.

Cleaning Basics

Cleaning most forms of basic siding is a very simple process. You start with a bucket of warm, soapy water, then mix in half a cup of trisodium phosphate – abbreviated TSP, and available at nearly all grocery or hardware stores – with a gallon of water.

From here, divide the siding into sections. Many people go with 10-foot sections, but whatever works for you. Scrub each section with a soft-bristled brush attached to a longer handle, making sure to work from bottom to top to avoid streaking. Rinse regularly, and keep safety in mind if your home has multiple stories.

Inspecting for Damage

There are also a couple basic inspection tasks you can do yourself, particularly for water infiltration. Water can sneak in through worn out caulk that’s cracked or pulled away – this is a very simply fix, requiring just a basic exterior caulk you can buy at any hardware store. One tip: Make sure you do this reapplication of caulk on a day with at least a 65 degree temperature, to be sure it sticks.

Mildew

Another area of inspection is for mildew, which can cause a few big issues in the siding if it isn’t removed every now and then. Dab any mildew areas with diluted bleach – if black spots disappear, you have mildew. Clean the area with a solution of four parts water and one part bleach, and be sure to wear eye protection.

For more information on siding maintenance, or to schedule an installation, speak to the experts at Double T.