How to Maintain Your Siding

The siding of your home is one of the first lines of defense it has to protect itself against the outside elements. Maintaining your siding can extend its life. Performing regular visual inspections for signs of damage, such as cracks or mold, and cleaning the siding annually with a hose and soap are essential practices. Additionally, keeping vegetation around your home trimmed to prevent moisture buildup, maintaining the health of your gutters, and addressing any damage promptly are also crucial steps in protecting against siding issues. 

Inspect Your Siding 

Keeping an eye out for any visible signs of damage on your siding can help prevent the issue from snowballing into a more costly repair. You should check your siding at least twice a year, in the spring and fall. Check to see if there are any cracks, holes, warping, buckling, mold, mildew, loose panels, or discoloration of the siding. Also, want to be on the lookout for any access points that pests can make their way into. Look for signs of insect infestations, especially in wood siding, like sawdust around joints or wood-boring beetles.

Wash Your Siding 

It's a good idea to provide a general cleaning of your siding. You can use a garden hose and a soft-bristle brush to scrub the siding surface. Using a mixture of water and some mild soap should do the job. For harder to reach places, you can use a hose, but be cautious if using a high-pressure setting on wood or fiber cement siding, as this can strip paint or damage the material. Keeping your siding clean prevents the buildup of mold or mildew, which can cause damage to your home. 

Prevent Moisture Build-up

To prevent moisture buildup, make sure you trim the vegetation around your home and check your gutters. Keeping space between the tree branches, shrubs, or grass and your home's siding allows for air circulation and prevents moisture retention. Checking your gutters and downspouts regularly prevents water from overflowing and seeping into the siding. If water gets between your siding, this could cause damage and mold growth. 

Address Damage Promptly 

Addressing damage quickly is the best way to prevent the spread and potential snowball of a higher repair cost. Repairing the siding when it's cracked or warped immediately can prevent further water infiltration. And replacing damaged or rotting wood boards can prevent pest infestations. Keeping your home safe from the elements is the main job of your siding. When it's in its peak condition, it's able to do this job the best. 

Contact StormCare Roofing 

StormCare Roofing can help maintain and fix your siding. As soon as you spot any damage, contact us for a free inspection. Our trained experts know what to look out for and will document and show all of the damage they found. Maintaining your siding is essential to increasing longevity. For all your siding needs, contact StormCare Roofing.