Maintaining Your Investment

            Siding maintenance

All siding requires some maintenance. With the types of products we use, about 90% of the maintenance is simply proper cleaning.

Hardiplank®, Smartside®, and Vinyl sidings are low maintenance products. They need to be cleaned at least once a year. You need a water hose, a spray nozzle, a soft bristle broom, and a low suds detergent, like laundry detergent or dishwasher detergent. There are other cleaners you can purchase but always read the directions. Simply rinse the walls down with water. For dirty spots use the broom and soap as needed, then rinse again.

DO NOT USE BLEACH for regular cleaning. Bleach can breakdown some mildicides in the paint.

If you do get mildew or mold on the siding, you will need to use bleach to kill it. Rinse the effected areas first. Make sure you use a bleach safe detergent and spray just the effected areas. For spraying you can use a handheld sprayer or a pump up sprayer. Scrub with a soft bristled broom or brush if necessary. Let it stand for at least a ½ hour. No More than 2 hours. Rinse thoroughly to dilute the bleach. You can purchase a mildew cleaner which will have more detailed directions. After the bleached areas dry it is best to repaint these areas to reinitialize the mildew inhibitors in the paint.

Whenever cleaning with bleach, make sure you use a bleach-safe detergent and wear proper protection. Some detergents will react violently with bleach .Bleach is also an irritant to the skin and eyes .Please follow directions carefully.

It is not recommended to use a power washer to clean siding.A power washer can force water to the back side of the siding, saturating it. This could affect the paint, causing it to peel or bubble loose from the face of the siding. The more powerful washers can peel the paint off the siding or damage the face of the siding. It could even damage the moisture barrier.

Caulking

Even though these sidings are dimensionally stable, some of the caulk may show small cracks over a period of time. Between the heat, sunlight, cold, rain, and foundation movement, (due to typical soil moisture levels), a lot of strain can be placed on the caulk. When this occurs, remove the damaged caulk, then re-caulk these areas and touch up with paint.

Scratches and dings in the siding.

Lightly sand and fill with caulk or spackle then paint. If you get a crack or hole in the siding you may have to replace the affected piece. Small screw holes can be filled with caulk, then painted.

Another common occurrence is proper slab exposure. It is recommended to have 6 inches of slab exposure around the entire house. This is a minimum recommended distance. All new homes built must meet a 6 inch slab exposure and have a 6 inch grade extending 10 feet out from the home. This is to help prevent insect intrusion and flooding.

            Attaching items on the home

It is best to attach to the frame of the house behind the siding. Locate a stud behind the siding and drill a pilot hole. Then caulk the hole before you insert the screw. Before the caulk sets up insert the screw. This will help seal the siding, preventing water intrusion.

            Common misconceptions and mistakes

                        Power wash

Hanging objects on Hardiplank®

Weight

Indestructible

Improper flashing

Caulk as a primary sealant,

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Maintenance questions

For any other questions or concerns email us at sales@houstonsiding.com

or call us at 281-859-9000 Fax 281-859-9001