Siding takes the full force of Pittsburgh weather year round: freeze and thaw cycles, humid summers, wind driven rain and road grime on homes near busy streets. A little siding maintenance each year keeps it looking good and catches small problems before water gets behind the wall.
Most of the routine is easy to do yourself. When it turns up damage that goes deeper than the surface, that is when it is time to talk with a pro about repairs or siding installation in Pittsburgh.
Wash Your Siding Once a Year
A soft brush, a garden hose and a mild soap solution handle most dirt, pollen and mildew on vinyl and fiber cement siding. Work from the bottom up so streaks do not set, then rinse from the top down.
Skip the high pressure washer, or keep it on a low setting and aim it down. Spraying up at the laps forces water behind the siding, which is exactly what you are trying to prevent.
Clean vinyl siding on a Malick job. A yearly wash keeps it looking like this.
What to Look For on Your Walk Around
Once the siding is clean, walk the whole house slowly. These are the problems worth writing down.
Loose or cracked panels
Wind can pull vinyl panels loose, and impacts can crack them. Both let water in behind the wall.
Gaps at trim and windows
Check where siding meets window and door trim. Failed caulk and open J channel are common leak points.
Waves and bulges
Siding that bows or ripples may have been nailed too tight or may have moisture behind it.
Soft spots near the ground
Press on the lowest courses. Soft sheathing there often means splashback or grading problems.
Keep Water Moving Away From the Walls
Clogged gutters overflow straight down the face of the siding, and short downspouts dump water against the foundation. Clean the gutters in fall and spring and make sure downspouts carry water a few feet from the house.
Keep mulch and soil a few inches below the bottom of the siding, and trim shrubs back so the wall can dry out after rain.
The lowest courses of siding take the most splashback and deserve a close look.
Seasonal Siding Maintenance Checklist
Spring is the best time to wash and look for winter damage. Fall is the time to clear gutters, reseal gaps and trim plants before the freeze. After any big wind storm, take a quick look for loose or missing panels.
Write down what you find each year. A record makes it easy to see if a problem area is getting worse.
Upper walls are easy to forget. Binoculars help you check them from the ground.
Maintenance by Siding Type
Vinyl siding needs the least care. A yearly wash and a check for loose or cracked panels covers it. Fiber cement, including James Hardie siding, holds paint well but should be checked for chipped paint and failed caulk at the joints, and cleaned without high pressure.
Wood siding needs the most attention. Peeling paint, soft boards and gaps let water in fast, so wood needs scraping and repainting on a regular schedule. If you are tired of keeping up with wood, that is often the point where owners start pricing new siding.
Check Caulk and Trim Every Year
The siding panels themselves are only part of the wall. Water usually gets in at the edges: around windows and doors, at outside corners, where the siding meets the roof and at hose bibs, dryer vents and light fixtures. Caulk at those spots dries out and cracks over time.
Walk the house with a utility knife and a tube of exterior caulk once a year. Cut out caulk that has pulled away or cracked and replace it with a fresh bead. On vinyl siding, never caulk the laps or nail the panels tight. Vinyl needs room to expand and contract with temperature changes, and sealing it in place causes waves and buckling.
Look at the trim too. Wood window and door trim that has soft spots or peeling paint is often the first place rot starts on a sided home.
Pests and Siding
Siding problems are not always caused by weather. Woodpeckers sometimes peck holes in wood and fiber cement siding, especially if insects are living in the wall behind it. Mice and other small animals can get in through gaps at the bottom of the siding, open J channel or holes around pipes and wires.
During your yearly walk around, look for small holes, chewed edges and nesting material near the foundation and at the roof line. Sealing gaps with proper trim pieces or metal flashing keeps animals out without trapping moisture.
If you find holes in the siding itself, have them repaired before winter. A small opening lets in water and cold air and can grow larger over time.
What Wears Siding Out
Siding does not usually fail all at once. It wears down from the same few forces year after year, and knowing them makes it easier to spot trouble early.
Sun
UV light fades color and slowly breaks down the surface of vinyl and paint. The south and west walls usually show it first, with chalky residue or uneven fading.
Moisture
Water that gets behind the siding soaks the sheathing and framing. Over time it leads to rot, mold and soft spots that are hidden until the damage is well along.
Freeze and thaw
Pittsburgh winters swing above and below freezing often. Water in cracks and open joints freezes, expands and makes the gap a little larger each cycle.
Temperature movement
Vinyl grows and shrinks with the temperature. Panels nailed too tight or trapped by caulk cannot move, so they wave, buckle or crack.
Winter Siding Care
Winter is hard on the walls of a house. Snow piled against the siding by a shovel or plow sits there for weeks and keeps the bottom courses wet. Push snow away from the walls when you clear walks and driveways.
Watch where ice melt and road salt land. Salt splashed against the lower siding and trim can stain and wear finishes, so rinse those areas in spring. Cold vinyl is also more brittle than warm vinyl, so take care with ladders, snow shovels and anything that might strike the panels.
Check the walls after big storms. Wind can loosen panels, and a loose piece left alone lets in water and snow until it is fixed.
Know What Your Siding Needs Before You Clean It
The cleaning that is fine for vinyl can damage other materials. Fiber cement siding has a painted or factory finish that should be cleaned with gentle pressure and a soft brush, and harsh scrubbing can wear through it. Painted wood can lose paint along the edges if a washer is held too close.
Check the manufacturer care instructions for your siding when you can find them. Following them keeps the finish looking right and avoids problems if you ever need to ask the manufacturer about the product.
When Maintenance Is Not Enough
Some problems are beyond cleaning and caulk. Widespread cracking, siding that keeps coming loose, rot in the sheathing or colors that no longer match after a repair all point toward replacement. At that stage, new siding with proper house wrap and flashing fixes the problem at the source instead of patching it again and again.
Related reading: siding repair in Pittsburgh and fixing loose siding.
Siding Maintenance FAQs
How often should siding be cleaned?
Once a year is enough for most homes. Homes under trees or near busy roads may need a second wash.
Can I paint vinyl siding?
It can be done with paint made for vinyl, but darker colors can cause warping. Most homeowners are better off cleaning it or replacing it.
Does siding need to be sealed?
The siding itself does not, but the caulk around windows, doors and trim should be checked and redone when it cracks.
What is the best way to clean vinyl siding?
A soft brush, a mild soap solution and a garden hose. Work bottom to top, rinse top to bottom, and avoid high pressure aimed upward.
How long does vinyl siding last?
With basic care, vinyl siding can last for decades. The panels themselves hold up well. What usually fails first is the trim, the caulk around openings or the house wrap underneath when water has been getting behind the siding for years.
Should I touch up chipped paint on fiber cement siding?
Yes. Chips and scrapes in the finish leave the material exposed to water. Clean the spot, let it dry and touch it up with exterior paint that matches the finish. Small touch ups done promptly keep the boards protected and help the wall look uniform. Larger areas of peeling or worn finish may call for repainting the full wall.
Talk to Malick Brothers About Your Siding
If your walk around turned up loose panels, soft spots or water damage, we will take a look and tell you whether a repair will do or new siding makes more sense.
Malick Brothers Exteriors is a family owned roofing and exterior contractor at 500 Perry Highway in the North Hills, rated 4.9 on more than 350 Google reviews. Contact us or call (412) 616-0191 to schedule a free inspection and written estimate.
