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3 Tips for Maintaining Your Siding

October 19, 2017

Large House with Siding — Waukee, IA — Allstate Gutter & Siding

Home ownership can be an exciting and satisfying accomplishment, but it might come with some maintenance tasks that were unexpected and may be a challenge to handle. Most people don’t think about needing to take steps to maintain the exterior of their homes, but if you neglect your siding, you could find yourself struggling with serious problems.

The first step in mitigating those problems is being able to identify them. If you haven’t taken the time to educate yourself on the warning signs of siding issues, you need to be sure that you do everything you can to guarantee that your eyes are peeled.

Below, you’ll find a guide to some steps you should take in order to maintain your siding. Following these suggestions can guarantee that you’re always happy with the performance and security of your home and can put you in a position to enjoy a strong and clean facade for many years to come.

Regular Cleaning

It’s hard to replace good, old-fashioned elbow grease when considering the steps you can take to keep your home strong and clean. While unsightly stains from blowing dirt and even mold and mildew may creep across the surface of your home from time to time, you can take steps to combat that growth and bring back the brightness and cleanliness that you want to define your property.

Take the time to regularly clean your siding when you notice any spots appearing. You should also be sure to make an effort to clean under the overlapping layers of the material, as those spots can represent a serious threat in terms of mold and mildew growth. For particularly stubborn stains, you may want to employ a power washer. Be sure that the pressure isn’t too intense, however, and spread out the washing over a larger area to minimize the risk of causing structural damage.

Heat Control

It’s important that you’re able to enjoy the great outdoors however you see fit, but it’s also vital that you keep in mind the extent of the threat that an open flame might represent to your siding. Vinyl siding might melt and warp under extreme heat. Even metal siding might lose its paint finish and could be left with ugly scorch marks.

One of the biggest mistakes that many people make in terms of heat exposure is using a grill too close to the side of their home. Make sure that you cook far enough away that any heat has a chance to dissipate before it reaches your siding. The same should also be true of campfires, along with making sure they’re fully extinguished when you’re done enjoying them so as to eliminate the risk of any blowing embers causing damage to your surface.

Regular Inspections

As mentioned above, it’s impossible to solve a problem if you’re not aware that the problem exists in the first place. Constant vigilance can go a long way toward keeping your home secure, and conducting regular inspections on areas you might not spend much time around can help reveal early warning signs.

Any bulging or drooping siding panels need to be quickly addressed in order to guarantee they don’t cause a wider structural failure. Taking the time to note these issues can also reveal deeper problems with your home, such as erosion of the foundation.

Allstate Gutter & Siding has the experience and skills necessary to help you fully revitalize your home’s siding. Turning to skilled professionals will guarantee that you’re happy with the results, and it will create a strong surface for you to enjoy for many years to come.