Maintaining Your Home’s Siding

Most people spend a lot of time and money maintaining the interior of their home, but not everyone realizes it’s just as important to maintain the outside as well, including home siding. Whether it’s made of wood, vinyl, brick, fiber cement or stucco, siding plays a crucial role in protecting your family from the elements and providing your home with its own style and personality. Plus, the better maintained your siding is, the less likely it will require costly repairs or replacement in the future.

Well-maintained and healthy siding is important for a variety of reasons. Primarily, structurally sound siding keeps your family from being exposed to the harsh elements. Though Spokane doesn’t receive as much rainfall as some other Washington cities, it’s still vital your siding can hold up against heavy rainfall and snow. Compromised siding can allow moisture to accumulate inside your walls, which leads to mold growth and wood rot, potentially causing health issues and damage to your home’s overall structure.

Siding also helps your home maintain a comfortable temperature. Poor or deteriorating siding can prevent your HVAC unit from completely heating or cooling your home due to air escaping through the walls. This causes your unit to work much harder than necessary, resulting in higher utility bills and potentially expensive repairs to your HVAC unit caused by an excessive workload.

It’s worth mentioning, when your siding looks great, your home looks even better, which can boost your home’s overall curb appeal and market value tremendously.

Siding maintenance varies depending on the materials from which it’s comprised. Here are some of the more common siding materials Alpine Construction services and some general maintenance tips for each.

Wood – While wood siding is one of the more aesthetically pleasing sidings around, it often requires more maintenance than other materials. For instance, dirt and mildew can rot wood siding, so be sure to clean it about once per year with a soft brush and soapy water. Trees and shrubs can carry a lot of moisture, so keep nearby trees and bushes trimmed so stray branches don’t rub against your wood siding.

Vinyl – Vinyl siding won’t rust or rot. However, keep an eye out for loose or curling pieces, as that opens your home to damage and allows moisture to become trapped underneath. Vinyl siding should be cleaned with water about once a year. You don’t need to paint vinyl siding, but a strong latex coat can add some additional protection.

Fiber Cement – Fiber cement siding is very durable due to its cement and cellulose fiber composite makeup. It’s recommended homeowners inspect for cracking paint, warping and cracks in the chalking about once a year to detect any structural issues. Clean the siding with a pressure washer or garden hose as needed.

Stucco – Though stucco siding is also very durable, it’s vulnerable to cracking and mold growth due to its porous nature. An easy way to combat the accumulation of any mildew or even tree sap, which is known to collect on stucco siding, is to rinse it off with water as often as necessary.

There are a handful of ways to spot that your siding is ready for either professional repair or even replacement. Things to watch for include:

Siding is too often overlooked, but it plays just as vital role as just about any other piece of the home in terms of providing protection and comfort. Whether your home is in need of siding repair or you simply want to upgrade your home’s exterior with a more pleasing or modern appearance, Alpine Construction employs local, trusted roofing and siding professionals you can rely on.

Our siding experts install vinyl, steel, wood, HardiePlank®, brick, stone and many other beautiful and energy-efficient siding materials for affordable prices. Contact Alpine Construction for a free siding consultation by calling 509-448-8099 or by visiting us online today!