Atlanta, Georgia Home Maintenance

Regular maintenance is imperative to ensure the longevity of your siding whether its wood, masonry, or manufactured siding. Looking for obvious problems such as warped boards, or missing or damaged singles can be the first step.

Wood siding includes board siding along with shingles and shakes. With regular maintenance wood siding should last at least 30 years. Often repainting or replacing the defective area is all that is needed. Heat combined with humidity may mildew wood or painted surfaces. To retard mildew, wash the siding with a detergent, trisodium phosphate, and bleach solution; then rinse well. Always wear goggles, gloves and protective clothing when working with these types of chemicals.

Masonry siding is practically resistant to weather and should last for the life of the house. These materials include stucco, brick, and stone. Inspection to masonry should include holes in stucco, crumbling mortar, cracks, or deteriorated caulking.

Manufactured siding includes vinyl and aluminum which are available in many colors, with smooth or wood-grain textures. With regular maintenance, both will last from 40 years to the life of the house. To keep siding in good shape, hose it down and if necessary brush it with a carwash brush. Hose down vinyl panels and sponge them with a mild liquid detergent. After cleaning repair any loose or missing caulking.

Siding Maintenance

Wood Shakes and Shingles:
Wood is able to protect against moisture in the air, but direct contact with liquid water does irreparable damage to shakes and shingles. It’s important to install wooden siding high enough on your exterior walls so that they don’t absorb too much moisture. Even if you do install your siding high enough up (.5-1.5 feet), make sure that soil build-up doesn’t threaten to spread wetness to your walls. Shakes and shingles will inevitably fade over time, so realize that the loss of color might happen unevenly, depending on the position of your house relative to the sun as well as external landscaping. Staining should be done roughly every 5-7 years.

Composition Board:
Though it’s less costly than most forms of siding, composition board requires the most care. This is especially true if the level of moisture is particularly high in your area. It must be repainted often, more so than most wood since it doesn’t adhere to paint as well. Hardboard doesn’t shrink after it expands when it’s wet like most wood does, and if it gets too wet it might disintegrate. 6-8 inches between the lowest part of the siding and the ground should be maintained at all times, and keep sprinklers and downspouts from getting the house wet.

Brick, Block & Stone:
Brick, concrete block and stone are used as sidings on veneer walls and are also built into masonry walls. Veneer walls are standard wood frame walls with a brick, block or stone facing for weather protection. The wood frame provides the structural support. Masonry walls, on the other hand, use the brick, block or stone as both the structural support and the weather protection.

Inspect your masonry chimney and any brick, block or stone walls twice each year. Look for chipped, cracked, loose, deteriorating and missing material. Any such problems should be repaired to keep water out of masonry material and from causing future damage. You should also check the mortar joints for weak or crumbling mortar. Use an old screwdriver to test the mortar by scratching along the mortar joints. The mortar should be firm. If it crumbles easily, is cracked or has fallen out, have the mortar joints repaired or water will enter the joints and cause additional damage.

A white powdery substance that can form on the surface of masonry work is known as efflorescence. It is caused by moisture bringing salts to the surface. Efflorescence is common in new masonry work and can be washed off. If the condition persists, it may be a sign that water is penetrating the wall through cracks, faulty mortar joints or defective caulking or flashing around wall joints or openings. Have the problem investigated and repaired.

If you ever notice bulging sections or large cracks in either a veneer or masonry wall, have the condition checked by a professional contractor. It may indicate structural problems.

The biggest problem veneers can encounter is spalling. This simply refers to crumbling or flaking. It happens most often where the wall meets another wall or at the bottom of the wall. The most effective way to prevent spalling is to clear the area below the wall and make sure no debris can come into contact with it. Vines also present a serious threat. Remove them as soon as you notice them growing on your wall.

Aluminum:
Vinyl might be the easiest to maintain, but aluminum isn’t very difficult either. It simply requires repainting every year or so, and it occasionally dents. The younger it is, the easier it is to take care of aluminum siding. As it ages it will need painting more and dents will begin to accumulate. To wash, use a similar technique to vinyl. If you want to use a power washer, test it on an unnoticeable portion first. It can strip paint and even dent aluminum if it’s too powerful.

Plywood:
Plywood’s biggest issue is expansion. It expands and contracts, but usually not at the same rate as the frames that it’s attached to. This can cause nails to pull out, joints to loosen and siding to fall apart. Surface finishes can help prevent this, but keep the finish fresh. Once warping begins, it becomes difficult to prevent damage. Water can also penetrate plywood siding as it ages.

Vinyl Siding:
Vinyl is by far the easiest siding to maintain. It should be washed to remove dirt and mildew, but stains are uncommon. Use a soft cloth or soft bristled toothbrush. Any cleaner will do so long as it isn’t abrasive. Vinyl can melt under fire and flame, so keep grills, fires, and anything else combustible a few feet away from your home.You bought vinyl siding because it's supposed to be maintenance-free. Now you hear that just a little maintenance is required. Vinyl siding is easy and relatively carefree, but there are things to be done. Maintenance-free? Almost, but not quite. You can keep your siding looking good for as long as possible by following a few simple tips.

-- Wash It: Once a year, invest an hour or two in rinsing every bit of the siding with a garden hose to get rid of dust and dirt. If allowed to accumulate
year after year, the siding will eventually begin to look distinctly grimy and won't come clean unless scrubbed.

-- Don't Bash It: Be careful where you park your lawn mower, bicycle, or snow blower. Vinyl doesn't dent (unlike aluminum, which sustains big,
permanent damage when smacked with a line drive or poked with a rake handle), but it can crack or break, especially when rendered brittle by
cold weather. Replace any damaged sections as soon as you can.

-- Inspect It: Although vinyl siding doesn't cause wood rot, it may conceal moisture-related problems from another source. If a leak is hidden behind
the vinyl siding -- which is itself impervious to decay -- it may go unnoticed for a long time. Investigate any suspicious streaking or staining that
appears on the vinyl itself or on the exposed foundation wall beneath, either of which may warn of hidden trouble. Because the nails or screws
that secure the siding to the wall lose their holding power in rotted wood, loose areas of siding are another warning sign.

-- Don't Melt It: Vinyl has a low melting point and is slow to burn. You'd be amazed at the number of people who park their gas grills a foot away
from the siding and fire them up. Later they notice a big melted patch on the wall. Keep your barbecue a safe distance away from the wall, and
be careful with patio torches and other sources of intense heat.

We strive to earn your continued business with each and every visit to your home. Our goal is to provide you
with the extraordinary service you should expect, while treating you and your home with respect and care.