Here at Triangle Painting & Siding, our #1 goal is to ensure our siding installation and replacement customers are not only incredibly satisfied with our work, but also know how to take care of their new James Hardie siding in order to help it stay as beautiful as possible for as long as possible.
If we’ve installed James Hardie siding on your home in recent years and you’re now starting to notice damage to your home’s siding, it could be due to improper maintenance and poor cleaning practices.
These types of damages are not typically covered by your warranty, so please be sure to follow our cleaning recommendations below to ensure you don’t void your James Hardie siding warranty.
How To Keep Your James Hardie Siding Clean
The following recommendations will allow you to clean the exterior of your home, thus keeping it beautifully maintained without diminishing the value of your siding.
To clean your siding, we recommend you start with your garden hose. Pick up your garden hose and gently spray water at the exterior surface of your siding every six or twelve months. Go in a side-to-side motion with a wet soft cloth or soft brush. Try to do it in the same direction that your plank siding stands.
NOTE: Always take on small sections when cleaning; go from the top to the bottom. This may help prevent damaging dripage or streaking on areas that have already been cleaned.
Try to find a water spray that’s low pressure and a medium soft bristle to gently clean siding. These two items are the most suitable when it comes to cleaning cement products.
NOTE: Those who use acid or decide to go with a high-pressure wash may damage their fiber cement surface. It’s definitely not recommended.
The best way to clean James Hardie ColorPlus siding is by using a brush that’s soft or a cloth with water. If you’re looking at a stain that’s stubborn, you may want to add a little detergent while using the soft brush.
NOTE: If paint has been applied to your siding, we recommend you refer to the paint manufacturer to learn how to wash and maintain it.
Pressure Washer Warning
It’s important to be extra careful when using a pressure washer to wash your trim and siding.
To keep damage at a minimum, try using the wide fan tip when working on an area.
Stay at a six-foot distance from the wall and maintain the pressure at 1500 psi.
An Overview of Fiber Cement Siding and Trimming Maintenance
Water intrusion is often a pesky problem for those who do not take the trouble to maintain their home’s siding. This often results in a decrease in the value and beauty of the home. A lot of what you need to do for maintenance depends on how your home is designed, the home’s location, the weather it comes in contact with, as well as the landscaping near the home. To help maintain your siding, we recommend the following:
Try installing downspouts and gutters to keep your siding clear of water damage. They may already be present.
Be sure to clean out all blocked pipes that may be on your gutters. This includes an overload of dirt, leaves, debris and twigs.
Make sure all vegetation, which may include trees, shrubs, and bushes are trimmed and kept away from the siding.
Look at your sprinklers and see if they spray an excessive amount of water onto siding or leave too much water on the ground around your home.
Do not use deicing salts on your siding. These salts can cause damage to your siding over time. This will ruin the finished look. Instead of using salt, try to use gravel or sand to manage snow or ice on the surface close to your siding.
Ensure that all required clearance (around six inches) of ground around the home and its siding is properly maintained. We also recommend you keep a close eye on drainage slopes.
NOTE: Make sure your landscaping has not been designed to come into contact with your home and the James Hardie siding we installed on your home.
Painting Your Siding Again
As It Pertain to ColorPlus® Products: Those pesky scrapes and nicks that begin to occur over a time can be covered up with Colorplus products. It’s best to use their touch-up kit.
If you notice that the area is bigger than dime sized, the touch-up kit will probably not be enough to cover it. The whole section will need to be replaced in such a case.
Primed Products
Always research painting recommendations first if there was painting done after we installed your siding.
NOTE: Always avoid using oil-based paints or stains when it comes to James Hardie products.
Repairing or Patching Your Fiber Cement Siding
Moisture may leak inside the wall’s cavity if caulking is not properly re-applied on a timely basis. Please keep a close eye on flashings, penetrations, trim and plank connections and plank joints to ensure they are not experiencing leaks.
NOTE: Caulks and sealants that stay flexible over time are definitely recommended. They should have something on the label that tells you if they’re permanently flexible. Find a joint sealant that’s compliant with ASTM C920 Grade NS. They have a class of 25 or higher. You can also use a joint sealant that complies with ASTM C834. Please read the instructions before applying any sealant.
Cementitious patching can also help if there are cracks, chips or dents present.
Please Call Us If You Have Any Questions
If you have any questions about how best to maintain the James Hardie siding we’ve installed on your home, feel free to contact us at (919) 805-1970. We look forward to hearing from you.
