Siding salesmen have a notorious reputation for saying things like, “zero maintenance” and “never paint again”. Remember the 1987 movie Tin Men starring Richard Dreyfuss and Danny CeVito? Don't buy into these claims.
Although the endless and expensive painting projects go away along with the original wood siding, aluminum and vinyl still require maintenance. It's no fun repairing rotten window sills when you're dealing with wood.
Keep Siding Looking Like New with Annual Washing
Where you live determines what you need to clean off your siding. Do you live in the country surrounded by dirt roads? You'll likely have a dust-like accumulation. It might happen so slowly that you don't really notice it happening, but it does.
High humidity areas are conducive to mold or mildew growth, especially on exterior walls that are partially or completely shaded.. Depending on the color of your house, you might not see it making creeping progress.
There are two standard methods for cleaning vinyl and aluminum siding and both are easy to do in most cases. With either one, it's important to bear in mind that keeping water on the outside of the home rather than inside is of paramount importance. Be sure to mask off possible entry points. Visqueen (sheet plastic) is a good choice.
Using a Power Washer
Using power washers for exterior spring cleaning makes the job speed by, but there are a few things to keep in mind. The first is to use minimal pressure. Aluminum siding can dent and vinyl can crack. The second thing to be careful of is to make sure that the power washer wand is always pointed downwards on horizontal panels.
This will prevent water from getting under the panels. Obviously, for a one story home you'll need a tall ladder (always use a helper to steady it), and on a two story home you are probably out of luck unless you own a sky hook. Take care not to blow any water through your soffit vents.
Use a Car or RV Washing Brush
These handy brushes attach to a garden hose. Types like the Adjust-A-Brush Flow-Thru Wash Brush are capable of telescoping which means you can reach more real estate from one position. This is handy for those hard-to-get-to spots. You can use a mild detergent solution to enhance the cleaning.
Whichever method of cleaning you tackle, the fall and springtime are the best times to do the job. During the summer it might get so hot that it's an uncomfortable task. During very cold weather, vinyl becomes more brittle and cracking is a very real possibility.
Kelly Smith - Kelly has over 30 years experience as a journeyman carpenter and 20 as a freelance writer and photographer.
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