How Do You Remove Mildew From Exterior Siding?
As we begin to tackle our preventative maintenance list for our homes, one of this most popular items that our residential clients ask is about cleaning the mold and mildew from their vinyl siding (and even brick, concrete, and wood surfaces!). But, today we’re going to focus primarily on vinyl siding. Vinyl siding is a durable, versatile, and resilient building material, but it does require some routine care and cleaning.
The growing popularity of vinyl siding is indisputable. Indeed, U.S. Census Bureau statistics indicate that vinyl siding has been the leading exterior covering in homes in the U.S. since 1995. Its popularity shows no sign of waning; in 2011, 33% of new single-family homes sold in the U.S. were sided in the material. Still, that doesn’t mean homeowners know how to clean vinyl siding—and keep it clean.
For professional siding cleaning in Washington, DC, Maryland, or Northern Virginia, please call KEVCO at (301) 258-9750 and request a free quote.
Types of Dirt & Debris Commonly Found on Siding
Because it is an exterior product, vinyl siding can accumulate a host of dirt, grime, and stains on account of things like pollen, bird and insect droppings, spider webs, and rust. In shady, moist areas, mold and mildew can grow, and vinyl is also vulnerable to discoloring effects from insecticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. In addition, vinyl siding’s finish may be marred by a number of commonly used household maintenance products, including caulking, driveway sealant, tar, motor oil, and paint.
There are a wide variety of products to help remove typical stains. Read on, and we can explain the best way to clean the siding and keep it clean.
Risks of Cleaning the Siding without a Professional
There are many household cleaners and solutions that a homeowner can use, but cleaning your siding involves many risks:
- Without professional equipment, injuries could occur.
- If using the wrong solution, damage to siding could occur and you also risk damaging landscape and other plantings around.
- Safety is an issue. If you are a homeowner and not aware of all of the risks involved, then you need to hire a professional.
Why Hire a Professional Siding Cleaning Company
You may ask, “Do I really need to hire a professional to clean my siding?” I can get up on a ladder and scrub the siding myself—BIG Mistake! Hearing just a few of the risks of attempting siding cleaning if you don’t know what you are doing is more than enough reason to hire a professional.
There are several pieces of equipment that professionals have that the homeowner will not have, including:
- A professional pressure cleaning machine (commercial grade)
- Special equipment nozzles to project the water from the machine
- Bio-degradable chemicals if needed (commercial grade)
- Ladder safety and training for large sectional ladders
After an evaluation of your vinyl siding is done, the contractor will be able to determine if the siding has mold or mildew on it and exactly how to remove it. If you see tiny black dots on your siding, that’s mold spores. If you see green on your siding, that’s algae. This can occur for many reasons but mainly if your home is in the shade, chances are the mold and mildew will attach itself to siding more quickly than if the sunny side of your home.
Your contractor can determine whether or not they will even need ladders to reach the debris on the siding. Many times, with the proper equipment such as a pressure cleaning machine with variable nozzles, a contractor can tackle stains with both feet on the ground. In some instances, a ladder will be needed but there always needs to be an additional person on the ground to “spot” the person on the ladder to reduce accidents. If stains are stubborn, biodegradable chemicals can be used in addition to higher pressure water. Lastly, your contractor should always spray down landscaping with water to reduce the chance of damage to plats.
Schedule Siding Cleaning in DC, Maryland & Northern Virginia
So our bottom line advice—talk to friends and find out a qualified contractor that they have used. There are far too many risks involved when attempting to do this home project yourself. Take the worry out of your preventative maintenance list and hire a professional to rid your vinyl siding of mold and mildew.
To schedule professional siding cleaning, please contact KEVCO Building Services today.
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