How To Clean Vinyl Siding
Vinyl siding has been the leading exterior siding choice in the U.S. since 1995, and for good reason. Durable, versatile and resilient, you can keep your vinyl siding looking great for years to come with basic routine care and cleaning. It doesnt rot, its not difficult to clean and maintain, and its a sustainable material, making it the preferred siding choice for environmentally-conscious homeowners.
Cleaning vinyl siding can be a quick and easy task, if you keep a semi-regular maintenance schedule. Simple Green Oxy Solve House and Siding Cleaner can help make the task even easier. This EPA Safer Choice Direct Release formula uses peroxide to brighten and renew surfaces without bleach, while removing dirt and stains from mold, mildew, moss, algae, chalking and more. Use it for hand cleaning or in your pressure washer on vinyl siding as well as stucco, wood, brick, and aluminum siding.
Follow the simple cleaning steps below to remove dirt, pollutants, grime, and stains from algae, mold, and mildew, and keep the best look and longest lifespan for your vinyl siding.
When in doubt about a surface, always spot test first. Be sure to check your warranty beforehand. Always follow the manufacturers recommendation on proper cleaning practices.
Exterior House Mold Prevention
- Trim the trees and bushes regularly so that the branches never touch the siding and there is enough air between the plants and the wall.
- Make sure your sprinkler doesnt aim directly at the house.
- Apply a fungicide recommended by your siding installation company.
- Wash your siding at least once a year. Give special attention to the walls on the shady side of the house.
Sap/sugar Aerosols From Trees
You might be wondering how can mold survive on PVCs? Well, the problem is deeper than you realize. The months-old dirt accumulated on the vinyl siding of your home exterior acts as a breeding ground for molds.
Moreover, trees and other smaller nearby plants are also likely to release sappy aerosols rich in sugars. Molds are fond of such organic matters. So, what molds are actually feeding on are not plastics but delicacies that have been accumulated on your vinyl sidings over time.
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Tips For Keeping Mildew Off Your Vinyl Siding
While the rain might keep pollen at bay, youll soon find another problem popping up: mildew. Here are some tips for keeping mildew off of your homes vinyl siding.
Late spring is a rainy season, and sometimes it feels like all you can do is sit and wait for the rain to stop falling. While the rain might keep pollen at bay, youll soon find another problem popping up: mildew. Here are some tips for keeping mildew off of your homes vinyl siding.
Remove Algae From Vinyl Siding With The Help Of Experts
Our team here at Washh are expert home exterior cleaners. Their extensive experience helps homeowners get their home siding back to the best condition it can be. We have years of experience and knowledge of the best new products and solutions. As a result, our team continues to amaze our customers not only in having the power washing completed quickly. They also impress with their knowledge of the best cleaners and washing methods for a home.
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Mix Vinegar And Water
White vinegar is a gently acidic cleaning, deodorizing, and disinfecting agent. It works well with both porous and non-porous surfaces and obliterates most of the contaminants from the surface.
Speaking of vinyl siding, it is proven that vinegar alone can remove 82 percent of fungal species breeding on its surface.
Simple Methods For Cleaning Your Vinyl Siding
Home»Blog» Simple Methods for Cleaning Your Vinyl Siding
Cleaning your siding is vital to your homes maintenance. While pressure washing is a common method employed by homeowners to clean their siding, there are other ways to go about this task if you dont have access to a pressure washer.
In this post, Spicer Bros Construction, Inc., your trusted siding and roofing contractor, discusses simpler methods of cleaning your vinyl siding.
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The Dangers Of Hidden Mold Under Your Siding
It is a common problem that plagues all types of homes. While mold can be found visibly growing on the outside of siding, it is most dangerous when it is found hidden under siding. Often unbeknown to the property owner, mold can quickly spread causing a wide range of problems that can be costly to remedy. Knowing the right way to locate mold and determine its underlying causes can help minimize the damage. Learn more about the dangers of hidden mold under your siding and how to know if siding repair or replacement is necessary.
Remove Vines & Moss On Your Homes Vinyl Siding
Vines and moss that grow around or on your homes vinyl siding can also increase the risk of mold growth. Many homeowners leave the vines around their homes exterior due to the rustic appeal that it can create.
However, it is important to understand the risks of doing so as it pertains to mold growth. While removing vines and moss is the best way to prevent mold, it is important to provide extra care to your homes siding if you choose to leave any vines. This should include regular inspections and annual professional cleanings of your homes exterior.
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Use Professionals For Regular Cleaning
Cleaning siding could seem like an easy job to do yourself. However, calling a professional to assist you can save you a lot of time, energy, and future injury or damage to your home.
The experts at Thompson Creek clean your house by pressure washing it with the greatest possible care to prevent any damage to your siding. The pressure washing process removes dirt, grime, and mildew from your home.
Inspect your siding regularly for signs of mold growth so any early issues can be fixed before they become major problems. Keeping your siding clean is one of the keys to maintaining your home and preventing mold growth. If you need to ask, how do you prevent mold?, contact the experts at Thompson Creek, and they will keep your siding maintained and looking great. Looking to replace your siding altogether? Thompson Creek can help. Learn more today!
Products And Tools Youll Need To Clean Vinyl Siding:
- Soft-bristled brush or broom: You want the bristles to be fine enough to get debris from the siding without damaging its surface effectively. A brush is perfect for the lower sections of your siding, while a broom, or brush with a long handle, is effective at reaching those higher parts.
- Soft cloth: We recommend using microfiber cloths, as these wont scratch or chip the surface of your vinyl siding. Ensure you have plenty on-hand depending on how dirty your vinyl siding is, you may go through a lot!
- General-purpose cleaner, such as Dawn Dish Soap or Palmolive: A simple solution of dish soap and warm water can work wonders as a siding wash, plus it wont wear away at the vinyl sidings protective coating.
- Commercial house siding cleaner, such as Wet & Forget Roof and Siding Cleaner or Simple Greens House and Siding Cleaner: For a heavy-duty clean, look to products specially formulated for cleaning vinyl siding. Avoid harsh products like straight chlorine bleach, paint thinner, acetone , furniture cleaner, and spot or paint remover.
- Bucket: Youll need this to mix your house siding cleaner and to take with you as you move around the house.
- Garden hose: Use a hose to rinse off each section as you clean to avoid residue and streaking. Make sure your garden hose is long enough for the water to reach the highest sections of your vinyl siding.
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Getting Rid Of Mold In Your Indoor Growing Environment
When a cannabis grower sees a small area of mold developing on a plant, its time to get serious about fungal treatments. Mold can attack nearly any portion of a cannabis plant, from seedlings to stems to leaves to buds. The most common strains of mold, gray mold and powdery mildew, can seriously affect individual plant health as well as overall yield. As a result, it is essential to take a proactive approach to getting rid of mold in your growing environment.
How To Remove Mold From Walls
Mold on your interior walls doesnt just look unpleasant it can be a health hazard for your family. Depending on the amount and location, its presence also suggests a larger problem in your housewater infiltration.
For this project, we will focus on solving the mold problem. The remedy is two-fold: 1. Control moisture and 2. Kill the mold. While the former may take a more involved approach, depending on the situation, the latter often can be done with some bleach, water and a bit of elbow grease.
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How To Get Rid Of Mold On Siding
Luckily, if you have mold on your siding, its not the end of the world at least not if you get it taken care of as soon as you can. Unless your whole house is covered with patches of mold, its usually a fairly easy process to remove it.
As with any other aspect of your home, cleaning is something you should make a routine for your siding. However, if you have wood siding with mold on it, it might get damaged and have to be replaced.
In order to remove mold from siding, all you need to do is perform a thorough cleaning. Depending on how much mold build-up there is, you can choose to hand-wash it or use a pressure washer. You can read a detailed guide on cleaning siding in this article.
You might also be wondering what to clean your siding with. A very common method is to use a mixture of 30% vinegar and 70% water, or you can use a quart of bleach for each gallon of water you use. We break down the best siding cleaners here.
In short, to remove mold from you siding, you should scrub the moldy area with your cleaning solution and let it soak for a few minutes before rinsing thoroughly. Depending on the severity of the mold, you may need to repeat the process until the area is free of mold.
What Kind Of Algae Is On Vinyl Siding
But people often refer to mold growth on surfaces as mildew and so product manufacturers selling cleaners intended to remove mold will understandably call them mildew removers. Its mold if you care. The photo at above left shows green algae on vinyl siding. Algae may also look black or brown, as may some molds.
Where does mold build up on house siding?
Oftentimes, homeowners find that mold grows on their siding where theres shade covering the home or where sunlight is limited. You might notice that the northern side of your home is where you experience the most mold/mildew build up on your siding.
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Cleaning House Siding Mold And Algae In Five Minutes
Vinyl siding is common in many houses because it is low maintenance and easy to clean. However, it is not uncommon for algae to grow on vinyl siding, especially in humid or damp conditions. Algae can cause staining and discoloration of the siding, as well as make the surface more slippery.
There are a few things you can do to clean mold and algae from your house siding:
1. Use a power washer. This is the quickest and most effective way to remove mold and algae.
2. Mix up a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water, and apply it to the affected areas with a brush or sprayer.
3. Scrub the mold and algae with a stiff brush, then rinse it off with a hose.
4. If you have severe mold or algae growth, you may need to sand or scrape it off before power washing or applying bleach.
5. Use a commercial cleaner to add to your pressure washer to clean the algae from your siding.
Tree Sap Can Cause Mold On Siding
You may not realize the amount of sugar and sap that falls from trees and the damage it can do to your vinyl siding. Think about times youve parked your car under certain trees and return to find your windshield covered in countless tiny droplets of sap. Similarly, sap from nearby trees can fall on your house, becoming a breeding ground for mold and mildew on vinyl siding.
For mold prevention, you should keep tree limbs from pressing up directly against your house and prune all plants and bushes to ensure there is space between them and the siding.
Be sure to frequently inspect siding exposed to surrounding trees, both Evergreen and , as this siding maybe more susceptible to mold and mildew growth.
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Check Ventilation Ducts For Signs Of Moisture
Fighting against mold growth can be an ongoing battle for many homeowners. Be sure to regularly take a walk around the interior and exterior of your property to check for mold growth. If you notice mold starting to accumulate on your window sills, check and see that the window is appropriately ventilated.
Mold tends to grow in moist, dark places, making areas of the home with poor ventilation a prime target for infestation. If you notice an area on the exterior of your home where mold is growing, check the surrounding ventilation to ensure that water isnt being trapped behind the siding.
Moisture that comes from your clothing dryer exhaust produces steam, which can cause mold and mildew to appear. Inspect areas above your duct vent area to ensure that no moisture is accumulating. If you spot any moisture, mop it up and dry the area thoroughly, and this will stop mold from accumulating on your vinyl siding.
Change The Direction Of Your Sprinklers
A perfect way to prevent mold problems linked to moisture is to keep the water flow from sprinklers far away from your siding. If you use sprinklers for your yard area, point them away from your vinyl siding. You can still use the
Its not just heavy rains and interior moisture problems that can lead to mold issues for your home. If you frequently use a sprinkler system in your lawn care routine, the direction your sprinklers face could quickly become an unexpected source of mold growth on your windows and doors.
A perfect way to prevent mold problems linked to moisture is to keep the water flowing from sprinklers far away from your siding. If you use sprinklers for your yard area, point them away from your vinyl siding. You can still use the sprinklers to water plants that lean up against your siding but try not to have water spraying directly onto the vinyl materials.
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Will Vinegar Kill Mold On Vinyl Siding
Yes, vinegar is also effective at cleaning vinyl siding, especially to remove mold and mildew. But make sure to dilute it with water first. We recommend a solution containing 70% water and 30% white vinegar.
Will bleach hurt my vinyl siding?
You can also use bleach to kill mold and mildew on your vinyl siding, but make sure you water it down to the right concentration. One quart of household bleach to one gallon of water is ideal but you should weaken it even more if possible.
Siding Contractor Woodbridge Va
Knowing how to prevent mildew on vinyl siding is important information for every homeowner. Lets face it, no one wants their beautiful siding to be damaged by mildew! When it comes to mildewy siding, prevention is the best solution. Evaluate your gutters, ventilation ducts, and sprinklers. Follow the steps we discussed above and your siding will be well on its way to being safe and dry!
If your siding has already been damaged by mold, your best bet is a siding replacement or siding installation. During a siding replacement, our specialists will remove your old, mildewy siding and replace it with brand new vinyl siding in your choice of color and design. MidAtlantic Contracting, Inc. has been the go-to siding contractor Woodbridge VA since 1979. As a family-owned business thats fully licensed, insured, and bonded, you can expect high-quality craftsmanship with a down-to-earth approach to customer service.
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How To Prevent Algae Growth On Vinyl Siding
Its common for algae to grow on vinyl siding, especially in humid or damp conditions. Algae can cause staining and discoloration of the siding, as well as make the surface more slippery.
You can prevent algae from growing on vinyl siding by regularly cleaning it with a garden hose or pressure washer, and using a mildew-resistant cleaner if necessary. You should also make sure that your gutters and downspouts are clean and free of debris so that water can flow freely away from your home. If you have any areas of your home that are particularly shady, you may want to consider trimming back trees or shrubs to allow more sunlight to reach those areas.
Algae are a large and varied group of simple, usually autotrophic organisms that may be unicellular to multicellular. Many are tiny and dwell in freshwater or saline environments. Algae have chloroplasts that capture light energy for photosynthesis, giving them their green coloration.
In addition to containing chloroplasts, some algae also have specialized photosynthetic pigments that absorb light energy at different wavelengths, allowing them to live in a variety of habitats from the deep sea to high mountains. Some algae are capable of forming large blooms that can cover entire bodies of water and deplete oxygen levels, leading to fish kills. Algae are an important part of the global carbon cycle and are used in a variety of products, including food, cosmetics, and fuel.
