Don’t Let Inconveniences
Turn Into Issues
Living in the Pacific Northwest, especially Washington State comes with a lot of challenges related to moisture due to tall old growth trees, and wet, short, and dark days. Our homes often pay the price, especially if we’re not disciplined about maintaining our siding. It’s really important to take advantage of our summer months to ensure slight inconveniences don’t turn into larger issues.
We’ve pulled together a few summer maintenance tips for siding to help you keep on top of things. You may find as you start poking around, that it’s finally time to bite the bullet and invest in new siding all together. If that’s the case, our team is standing by to help you determine the best solution for your home. There’s a ton of options, and over the next few blogs, we’ll dig into various reasons you might choose one over another. If you’re ready to start a conversation, just give us a ring at: (206) 430-1927 or drop us a line on our website.
Okay, now let’s jump into a few maintenance tips to help you care for your existing siding.
Cleaning
This may sound obvious, but most of us really don’t think about cleaning the outside of our house. We focus on inside chores and lawn maintenance, but often overlook the exterior walls and siding. A little trick you might try is putting a couple of drops of Dawn dish soap and water into a sprayer similar to what you might use for Miracle Grow. Make sure it’s mixed up well, so that when you turn on the hose, a light mix of soap and water will come out of your sprayer. Just like when you wash your car, be sure to do small sections of your siding at a time, and if you can, have a soft bristle brush handy that you can use to knock off buildup. An added little tip, if you want to keep away unwanted critters and bugs, you can also put a couple of drops of peppermint essential oil in your sprayer after you’re done cleaning and it will chase them all away. They’ll nest somewhere else and leave your home alone!
Inspect for Damage
We’ve all done it! Walked past that minor damage and think, “I’ve got to take care of that!” Guess what, you’re right. You do need to take care of it. Specifically in relation to siding, we cannot stress highly enough how important it is to ensure there are no breeches in the structure of your siding. Not unlike an iceberg, it may seem small and insignificant on the outside, but could be wreaking havoc beneath the surface. Mold and mildew are our home’s arch nemesis. If it’s not something you can handle with a quick trip to Home Depot, then give us a ring, we may be able to help – or make a good, local recommendation.
Trim Overgrown Shrubs, Bushes & Trees
We wait all year for summer to arrive here in Washington, and part of the joy is seeing our landscaping come to life. And yes, it’s beautiful, but it also needs to be maintained when close to the exterior of your house and siding. Some of these can actually creep up under the seams of your siding and really cause damage. They can also scrape and deposit sap, dirt, and other difficult to remove debris. Large, old growth trees are guilty of shedding and leaving traces behind. Just be sure to keep on top of it.
Caulking & Sealing
This is pretty straightforward. Walk around with a caulking gun and paint (or stain) and make sure everything is sealed up and your siding is protected.
We hope this is helpful and again, please remember to reach out if you have siding, window, or roofing needs. We’d love to take care of you and your home.
