If you want to keep your house appealing, exterior siding is great. It offers protection against the elements and improves curb appeal as well. However, the key to durable, beautiful, and long-lasting siding is proper maintenance. With low attention and effort, you can help your siding perform at its best.  

 

The form of siding maintenance you do varies on the type of siding your house has. It also affects how frequently you should maintain it. Today, we’re going to share with you some tips on how to maintain the most common types of home siding. Doing so will help you avoid an expensive Topeka siding repair. 

Fiber Cement Siding 

This type of siding is made from a solid combination of cellulose fibers, sand, and cement. It can be made to copy the look of brick, stone, or wood. It is low maintenance, appealing, and long-lasting. Here are several tips to follow to maintain it: 

• Paint Every 10 to 20 Years 

Fiber cement can hold paint properly. However, you might want to refresh its color eventually. Make sure you utilize exterior-grade acrylic paint when repainting your fiber cement siding. 

• Clean Every 1 to 3 Years 

You can use a power washing machine since fiber cement siding is extremely durable. However, if you don’t have this equipment, you can rinse it with a hose or wipe it down using soapy water.  

• Check Every Year 

While fiber cement does not suffer from damage from severe temperature changes and pests, it still can occasionally suffer from the repeated impact of the elements. Indications of damage can include cracks around and in the siding, mildew, warping, and damaged paint.  

Vinyl Siding 

This type of siding is affordable and reliable. It works well for rental properties and starter homes. Here are several tips to maintain it: 

• Paint as Required 

Over time, the color of vinyl can fade. If you do choose to paint it, utilize a high-quality exterior latex paint in a light color. This includes light grey or white. Darker colors will draw in the heat of the sun. This can result in warping. 

• Keep Away Damaging Elements 

Vinyl can be damaged by repeated impact from heavy-duty items, such as lawnmowers. In addition to that, it can melt from repeated exposure to extreme temperatures from grills and BBQs. Keep these things away from your siding. 

• Wash Every Year 

Typically, all you’ll need to get rid of dust and dirt from vinyl siding is a garden hose.  

• Check Regularly 

Though vinyl resists pests and rot, it can get cracked or warped. Thus, it’s best to regularly inspect it. 

Wood Siding 

Wood such as cedar offers a natural and gorgeous look. That’s why a lot of homeowners love it for their siding. However, wood is also greatly affected by wear and tear, pests, and weather. Thus, it requires a lot of maintenance.  

• Clean Every Year 

Utilize soapy and warm water to get rid of dust and dirt. Use a solution of 4 parts water and 1-part bleach to get rid of mildew. 

• Re-Treat Every 2 to 5 Years 

Wood has to be re-stained or repainted at least once every 5 years. This will guarantee that you can maintain your wood siding properly. 

One of the simplest approaches to improve your home’s curb appeal is to work on its exterior colors. Oftentimes, it is the ideal choice for homeowners since there are a lot of different colors to choose from when it comes to vinyl siding.  

 

Vinyl sidings are becoming more and more popular since their colors do not peel or fade. They can also make your house more energy-efficient.  

Though it might appear easy to choose a nice color for your home, there is one issue you have to consider. You might choose the wrong color for your home. There are a couple of tips that you can follow to choose the ideal color of Topeka siding for your home. Here are some of them: 

Size of Your House 

Your house is big and the swatches are small. Color may appear darker or lighter when applied to a house. You should remember this when choosing your color. Darker colors may be extremely intense on a bigger scale. Lighter colors may not be intense enough. You should definitely do it if you’ve got the chance to produce a larger paint test area.  

Color of the Roof 

Your roof’s color plays a major part in your home’s exterior color choice. You can match a range of colors if you’ve got a neutral-colored roof. On the other hand, a darker roof is sometimes softened using a lighter siding color. It will be up to you how much you want the roof to stand out.  

Your Neighborhood 

Pay close attention to the houses in your neighborhood. Do you see any colors that you want? You might want your house to stand out in your neighborhood. However, you shouldn’t overdo it. Else, it will become an eyesore. Try to keep the color match with the colors of the other houses. A couple of neighborhoods have guidelines about house color. Thus, you’ve got to ensure you examine it before you change your home’s color.  

The Style of Your Property 

A couple of property styles typically follow one exterior color. On the other hand, some styles enable several colors. Here are several popular property styles and color themes: 

• Cottage – Typically has a brighter exterior color. 

• Ranch – Sometimes has a single color, with a matching trim color. 
• Prairie – Sticks to a single color. However, it has a lot of organic patterns and windows.  
• Mediterranean – Sticks to lighter colors. 
• Contemporary – Typically sticks to 1-2 colors. 
• Craftsman – Enables for a lot of natural colors with stone, brick, and trim. 

• Cape Cod – People can enjoy with accents such as shutters for the windows. 

The Climate 

Choosing the correct siding color can be a natural way to help keep your home comfortable and cooler. For instance, your home can absorb around 70% to 90% of the sun’s radiant energy if you’ve got a dark roof paired with a dark siding color. This is the reason why almost every house is light-colored. However, on a lot of occasions, the home’s exterior wall is light while the roof is dark.  

Your home’s exterior siding helps enhance your property’s curb appeal. It is an ideal way to add definition and color to your home. You will have to think about elements such as cost, aesthetics, energy efficiency, and durability to choose the right siding for your house.  

 

The exterior of your house unavoidably requires a bit of upgrade every 25 to 35 years. However, choosing among all of the various styles of home siding involves a lot of various factors. Of course, you’ll need something that can protect your house for more than 35 years.  

Lucky for you, we are here to help. Here are several of the most popular types of siding Topeka: 

Imitation-Shake Siding 

This type of siding is more affordable compared to other siding materials. Imitation-shake siding is extremely durable. It also copies the look for wood.  

Stone Veneer Siding 

This type of siding is utilized to accentuate the exterior of both commercial and residential properties. Both natural stone and manufactured veneers are available. Usually, manufactured stone veneers are made from materials such as Portland cement and lava rock.  

Since they’re extremely lightweight, stone veneers are primarily re-enforced with lightweight construction aggregates. The aggregates help in improving durability without adding to the overall weight. Stone veneers are simple to install. They’re available in a range of colors and designs. You can install them on any type of surface. This includes drywall, metal, wood, and concrete.  

Steel and Metal Siding 

Before, this type of siding was mainly utilized in factories and industrial buildings due to its strength and durability. It can endure most weather elements.  

High energy-efficiency is another advantage of metal siding. Your house will be protected from air leaks if you use a thick layer of metal as insulation. In addition to that, you can reflect the radiation of the sun away from your home if you paint your metal siding with cool-paint technology. This helps when it comes to stabilizing temperatures inside your home.  

Also, metal siding is extremely resistant to cracking, chipping, warping, and fading. With routine cleaning using a hose, your siding will appear as good as new. 

Vinyl Siding 

This is a durable synthetic material that’s extremely resistant to weather elements. Vinyl siding is available in various colors and textures. It offers you a huge variety of exterior aesthetic choices. It’s available in the form of horizontal or vertical panels, beaded and fish scales designs, and shingles.  

Another advantage of vinyl siding is that it has little to no maintenance. It does not require painting and scraping to keep its look. 

Choosing among the various forms of house siding does not have to be a stressful process. When you’re looking for the best siding for your home, make sure you keep this list in mind. It can help you feel confident in your final choice.  

Do not consider the cost first. You have to think about the material’s quality. When it comes to installing your exterior siding, you can always rely on a professional siding company for help.