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How to make your old vinyl siding look new again
Renewing Vinyl Siding
by Dollar Stretcher Readers
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Renewing Vinyl Siding
I have had vinyl siding on my house over 20 years. To clean it, I use bleach and water. After letting it set for five minutes, I then rinse the siding. I do this once a year. I noticed that when it dries, a chalky film that is the same color as the siding is left on my hands and fingers if I rub them against the siding. What can I do? My siding color is beige like a wood grain. The front of the house does get a lot of sun.
BW
Have It Power-Washed
It sounds like the siding is "chalking" to me. That is what aluminum siding does, but I wasn't aware that vinyl did it too. If I were you, I would spend the money on a professional power-wash for the house. You can do it yourself also, by renting a machine at your local rent shop. When I was considering buying vinyl siding, the salesman recommended having it power-washed every three years. He said that most people think when they have vinyl siding that they never have to do anything to it, but that's not true. It can get mold/mildew, etc. Power-washing every three years prevents a multitude of problems. I had a vinyl fence installed and plan on having that power-washed too.
John
Be Careful with Bleach
Unless you have areas of mold on your siding, do not use bleach. It is very caustic and breaks down the vinyl. We use a small amount of car wash soap and a pressure washer to clean our siding and windows. I think it is really the pressure washer that makes the most difference.
MRoosa
Consider White Vinegar Instead of Bleach
Clean with white vinegar and water in equal amounts. It's not caustic as bleach, and vinegar is totally environmentally friendly!
Jacqueline
Residing House May Be the Only Answer
I used to work at a wholesale building supply store, and we sold a lot of vinyl siding. The chalkiness on the siding is a problem that will never go away. See if they still have a warranty on the siding (probably not if it's over 20 years old). Like roofing, the product wears out and goes bad. It's time to consider residing the house.
Karen K
Take the Next Step:
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- For more on remodeling, repairing or renovating the exterior of your home, please click here.
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