May is siding maintenance month!

Exterior siding is like armor, or a shield to your home. It protects from the elements, and provides curb appeal. There are a few different types of siding, each requiring some of its own methods of maintenance, which is key to a long lasting siding. Some types of siding are a little easier to maintain than others, and we’ll cover a few types here.

Wood siding maintenance

Wood siding, though becoming a little less common, has a beautiful and natural appearance many folks love. Unfortunately, wood is also highly affected by pests and weather and the elements, leaving is more vulnerable to wear and tear over time.

We suggest inspecting your siding every 6-8 months, looking for any damage, pest entry, or rotting.

We also recommend re-treating your wood siding every 2-5 years. The more often you treat your wood siding with a sealant, the more likely it is to go the extra distance.

Clean annually! Using warm, soapy water and a gentle brush, we suggest scrubbing to remove mildew and dirt that may build up each year – and follow it up with sealant!

Untreated, uncleaned wood siding can begin to deteriorate quickly!

Vinyl siding

Inspect your vinyl siding regularly, at least once or twice a year – and after any mild to severe storms – especially involving hail! Unfortunately like many other things, hail can do quite a number on your homes siding.

Because of the material, vinyl siding is very easy to wash – so we recommend doing so once or twice a year, ideally before and after the winter season. Power washers are great – but can generally be avoided if your siding is more regularly cleaned.

Be sure to keep damaging elements and appliances such as barbeque grills, lawn mowers, etc away from vinyl siding where possible.

If you choose to paint your vinyl siding, as it can fade over time, be sure to use a high quality exterior latex based paint, preferably in a lighter color like white or gray – as darker colors will draw in the heat of the sun, causing warping.

Get to it, before it gets to you! Too much exposure behind your siding can lead to expensive or hard to repair problems!

Siding maintenance is key!

Chandler Inspections motto is “preparing home buyers to become better home owners” and we hope these tips bring some perspective into maintaining your home. If you already do these things, keep up the great work! If not – you may want to consider, as neglecting your homes siding maintenance may leave it open to much larger, more expensive problems in the future!