Siding Maintenance

Types of Siding | Types of Materials used in Siding

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 and Stone

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.

Stucco

The largest threat to stucco is cracks. They can be patched and become unnoticeable, but if they go for too long they can cause structural damage. Make sure that you sue a paintable caulk so that you can match the colors and not make your repaired cracks visible.

Vinyl

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.

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.

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