Siding/Exterior Finishes ­ Maintenance for Exterior Wood:

Repainting of wood siding and all wood elements exposed to weathering is an inevitable maintenance item every few years. Before painting:

1. Clean surface and remove mildew.
2. Repair minor cracks.
3. Let surface dry thoroughly.
4. Choose a good quality exterior paint.

On most parts of the home, just keeping the wood dry will keep it from rotting. Most decay organisms require moisture.

Because wood is a product of nature, miters, end-butted joints and other joined details will, in time, develop separation due to the nature of wood shrinkage. This is normal during the periods of change in temperature and seasons and especially changing moisture condition. After a full season, most of these occurrences should begin to minimize. Inspect the caulking around doors, windows, skylights and trim once a year. If a space develops at joints, corners or ends, you should apply outdoor grade caulking to correct the situation and touch-up with paint or stain as necessary. Use only quality caulking products that are specifically recommended for the materials being caulked. [top]

Siding/Exterior Finishes ­ Maintenance of Vinyl Siding:
In most cases a heavy rain is sufficient to clean vinyl siding, or you can wash it with an ordinary garden hose. If neither rain nor hosing does a satisfactory job, follow these simple instructions.

Wash using a soft cloth or ordinary long handled soft bristle brush. For textured surfaces, use only a soft bristle brush to avoid smearing the stain into the groves of the texture.

To wash an entire house, start at the top and work down to the bottom in order to prevent streaking. For difficult to remove dirt and stains, such as top soil, motor oil, lithium grease, crayon, felt-tip pen, caulking, lipstick, grass, bubble gum, mold and mildew, use readily available household cleaners such as those included in the Cleaners For Stain Removal on Vinyl Siding section.

Most cleaners are inefficient in cleaning stains such as pencil, paint, oil and tar. In these cases, you may wish to us a mildly abrasive cleaner, such as Soft Scrub, Ajax, Bon Ami, etc.., but the use of any abrasive material could have a negative effect on surface appearance. Do not use cleaners containing organic solvents or other aggressive ingredients because they could affect the surface appearance of vinyl. Examples of such cleaners are: Chlorine bleach, liquid grease remover, strong soaps and detergents containing organic solvents, nail polish remover, and furniture polish/cleaners.

Vinyl siding is made from organic materials and will melt or burn when exposed to a significant source of flame or heat. Homeowners should always take normal precautions to keep sources of fire, such as barbecues, and combustible materials, such as dry leaves, mulch and trash away from vinyl siding. [top]

Siding/Exterior Finishes ­ Cleaners for Stain Removal on Vinyl Siding:

Bubble Gum	Fantastic, Murphy Oil Soap; Solution of Vinegar (30%), water (30%) and Windex
Crayon	Lestoil
DAP (Oil-based caulk)	Fantastic
Felt-tip Pen	Fantastic, water based cleaners
Grease	Fantastic, Lysol, Murphy Oil Soap, Windex
Lipstick	Fantastic, Murphy Oil Soap
Lithium Grease	Fantastic, Lestoil, Murphy Oil Soap, Windex
Mold and Mildew	Fantastic; Solution of Vinegar (30%), water (70%) and Windex
Motor Oil	Fantastic, Lysol, Murphy Oil Soap, Windex
Oil	Soft Scrub
Paint	Brillo Pad, Soft Scrub
Pencil	Soft Scrub
Rust	Fantastic, Murphy Oil Soap, Windex
Tar	Soft Scrub
Top Soil	Fantastic, Lestoil, Murphy Oil Soap [top]

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