Vinyl siding is one of the most durable finishes available for exterior walls. The minimal amount of effort required for maintenance and care, makes it one of the most desirable exterior wall treatments available to homeowners. Maintenance of vinyl siding does not require much time or effort. Vinyl siding is ideal for those who do not have much time to invest in caring for the exterior of a home or other structure. Vinyl siding comes in many different colors. Many building supply stores, or exterior design stores carry a large variety of colors to choose from. If there is not a suitable color in stock, many colors can be ordered, and some manufacturers offer a custom color service. There are many builders, contractors, and designers who have made the decision to use vinyl siding almost exclusively in their work, to include a variety of buildings. In addition, many homeowners have chosen to use vinyl siding, on new construction, as well as, changing the original exterior wall surfaces of their homes. Vinyl siding is also much less expensive to install than other exterior wall treatments, such as stucco, brick, or many other available options.
Vinyl siding is extremely easy to clean and maintain. The only maintenance for vinyl siding is not to hit it when it is cold outside, since it may crack, due to the cold making the siding more brittle than when it is a more moderate temperature. To clean Vinyl siding, wet an area that is manageable, and will not dry before the area can be rinsed. An area of approximately 6 foot by 6 foot, is a good size that will be easy to rinse before it dries. The following steps should make it easy to clean vinyl siding quickly, depending on the size of the exterior walls, of course.
When cleaning a building of more than one story, use a rolling scaffold to get the job done safely and quickly. The scaffolding can be rented at an equipment rental company. Before getting the scaffolding into place to do the top section be sure there is level ground around the area of the building for the scaffolding to be set up on safely. Always be sure to lock the wheels prior to climbing up onto the scaffolding. When beginning to clean the vinyl siding on a building always begin at the top, so dirt does not run down over a section that is already clean. The following steps to cleaning vinyl siding should make it very easy to manage.
- Wet the surface of the siding with a garden hose. Try to spray as much of the dirt off as possible, while wetting the surface of the siding.
- Using a mild detergent, such as dish washing liquid (hand type detergent), lather and scrub the wet area. Using a car washing wand can be a very efficient option, or a soft brush attached to a long handle are tools which can make the job easier. Many of these wands connect to the garden hose, and by flipping a switch, change from dispensing detergent to rinsing with clean water. A mild detergent meant to wash cars could be used in place of the dish soap.
If there is a spot, stain or an area that is particularly stubborn, and will not come off with the mild detergent, a small amount of liquid dishwasher detergent can be used with a scrub brush or sponge just in the area of the stubborn stain. - Rinse with the garden hose. Be sure to rinse well, so no detergent is left behind. If it was necessary, to use the stronger detergent to remove a stubborn spot, be sure to rinse that area particularly well, to ensure no residue is left behind to dull the surface of the vinyl siding. Never use anything that is abrasive, since this will scratch or dull the finish of the siding.
- Move to the next area, remembering to always clean and rinse from top to bottom. This will also help to avoid leaving a residue on the lower sections as the soap from cleaning the top section runs down over the bottom section. Rinsing an extra time after the washing and first rinse has been done may help to ensure that all soap or detergent is removed.
- Leave the area to dry. Never clean when projected weather is below freezing, this can cause the water to get between the pieces of siding and freeze there, breaking and cracking the vinyl siding.
Vinyl siding can be a dream surface for exterior walls, for those who do not like to scrape and re-paint after only a short time. Vinyl siding does not require changing, in most cases for a minimum of 25 to 30 years, some brands are under warranty for the life of the home, or as long as the person who purchased the vinyl siding owns the home. This saves money as well as time on maintenance.
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