Why is vinyl siding a good pick for one’s home?

Vinyl is a durable building material that can add curb appeal to one’s home. What some don’t realize is that it requires some routine maintenance and cleaning.

If a person has recently purchased a home, or they’re doing their best to care for the one they have, and the home has been fitted with vinyl siding they should make a routine of doing a walk around the house to check on the exterior of the home looking for signs of wear and tear, from the weather, on their siding.

Often in stormy weather, especially here in Nanaimo and on Vancouver Island, windy weather can loosen vinyl siding and bend it. When it gets bent, it can’t fully do its job and protect one’s home from the outside elements. A routine check of the exterior of a home could prove prudent for the homeowner in the long run.

Mold and mildew can start to grow underneath a bent piece of siding that has not been repaired and has let rain in over a period of time causing an even bigger repair job and the homeowner even more money.

Read on and see how to clean vinyl siding.

A few vinyl side cleaners include:

  • Create a mixture made up of 70% and 30% white vinegar. It makes a great all-purpose vinyl siding cleaner that has the potential to remove molds and mildews.
  • For a stronger solution, mix together one-third cup powdered laundry detergent, two-thirds cup powdered household cleaner, one-quart liquid laundry bleach and one gallon of water.
  • Simple Green offers environmentally friendly cleaners that are especially for vinyl, aluminum, stucco, and painted wood siding.

In today’s world, there are many tools readily available to increase the efficiency of any job. One

of those tools that help speed a job along is a pressure washer. Now, it would seem that tool is the right one for the job, but one should be leery when using a pressure washer to clean their siding. Some manufacturers advise completely against using a pressure washer while others advise a person to use light pressure while pressure washing if possible with their machine.

To sum that up, its use at one’s own risk type scenario. Ask how confident one is in their pressure washing abilities before starting the job.

If one is not sure how to clean vinyl siding with a pressure washer, here are a few tips.

  • Start by ensuring that the stream is at eye level.
  • Then point straight at the siding, and not at an angle. That way, one won’t drive water behind the siding.
  • Use caution when using a pressure washer around openings like windows, doors, and plumbing connections for the obvious reason of causing damage that could lead to leaks and then water damage.

solutions one should avoid would be products that contain undiluted chlorine bleach, organic solvents, liquid grease remover, nail polish remover or furniture polisher or cleaner. These products have the potential to damage one’s vinyl siding surface.

Avoid also cleaning tools that are highly-abrasive such as steel wool for the fact of the effect it could have on the vinyl surface.

With just a little bit of elbow grease, one can have their vinyl looking like new and add the curb appeal they’ve longed for or spiffy the place up for the in-laws before they arrive.