How to Clean Vinyl or Fiber Cement Siding – Costs – Maintaining New Siding

Updated on July 19th, 2021

Wouldn’t it be great if you’re new vinyl or fiber cement siding could stay new forever? Well, with proper maintenance and regular cleaning, it sure can look that way.

The Problem

Getting dirty, that’s the problem. Okay, that’s a bit simplistic. The elements that lead to dirty siding, be it vinyl or fiber cement, are numerous. It also depends on what’s on your property or type of work you may do on your property near your home. The common notable problems are:

  • dirt and yard debris blowing or splashing onto the siding
  • pollen floating in the wind and sticking to your siding
  • bird or critter droppings
  • spider webs
  • mildew
  • and all sorts of chemicals that may result from work done near or around your house

Addressing the Problem – The Basics

Let’s assume you care enough to maintain your siding on an annual basis. Depending on where you live, twice a year would be ideal. Either way, the steps are about the same. It’s as simple as:

1. Inspect the siding – walk around the home, get a feel for what areas need special attention, make note of that. If it’s been awhile since you’re last cleaning, don’t skip this step.

2. Devise a plan of action – Here’s where Fixing the Problem(s) noted below comes in. A basic cleaning is just that and if that’s all that your siding needs, then you can skip this step.

However, if there are troubled spots, then take time to decide how you’ll tackle things. Also take a few moments to determine what on your property could use covering up, such as nearby flower beds or gardens and any brick or stone siding you might have in addition to your vinyl / fiber cement siding.

3. Get ‘er done – Execute the plan. The basic cleaning involves removing what you can with a brush, then sudsing everything up, followed by a thorough rinsing and a final wiping. Sometimes though, more is needed.

Fixing the Problem – Beyond the Basics

The materials for any cleaning are fairly simple. This includes:

  • a brush of some sort (they make siding brushes)
  • cleaning solution
  • water (of course)
  • ladder(s)
  • cloths (plural) – one for cleaning with the solution, and one, or ten for wiping it dry
  • plastic drop cloths and tape to seal off anything you don’t want to get wet and sprayed with cleaning solution
  • optionally a pressure washer to apply water and cleaning solution. Note though that misusing a pressure washer by applying too much pressure could void warranties for your siding.

via Yawata Company

The cleaning solution is obviously the key to bringing out the color of your siding and restoring it to a like-new condition. The simplest solution is a mixture of 70% water and 30% vinegar. This works for both vinyl and fiber cement.

Average Cost To Install New Siding Typical Range: $5,240 - $8,130
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How to Install Vinyl Siding – DIY Guide

Updated on July 19th, 2021

Arguably, the best way to install lap vinyl siding is to get a professional siding contractor to do the job for you. That’s also twice as expensive as the alternative approach of doing it yourself. Since vinyl siding is only moderately challenging to install, at least on simple one-story homes, let’s walk through the process.

What this guide entails:

1. Tools and Materials for hanging siding
2. Insulation
3. Removing Old Siding
4. Quality Window and Door Trim
5. Preliminary Steps for Hanging Siding
6. Guide for Hanging Siding Pieces
7. Wrapping Up

Tools and Materials For Hanging Siding

The must have tools include:

  • Hammer – for fastening all pieces
  • Tin Snips – for cutting all pieces
  • Level – for aligning pieces horizontally and vertically
  • Tape Measure
  • Chalk line – ensures material is on a level line
  • Ladder(s)

via VinylSiding.org

Additional tool considerations:

  • Speed square – marking pieces with straight edge or as miter square for marking angled cuts, also as a protractor for measuring roof pitch
  • Circular Saw – alternative tool to tin snips, need to use a proper blade
  • Saw Horse – if using a circular saw
  • Stud Finder – to locate the optimal place for nails that hang siding
  • (Do not use) A Nail Gun – Siding is hung, not tightly fastened to walls
  • Pencil and paper – for notes along the way
  • Another human – Not really a tool, but this isn’t a project you can do alone, get a friend to help

Materials:

  • Nails
  • Housewrap – also known as underlayment, provides moisture barrier, and sheathing over exterior walls
  • Siding system – which usually includes:
  • 12 foot siding panels (of your choice)
  • J-channel – often 12 ft. in length, trim pieces used for inside corners and around window, doors, etc.
  • Utility channel – also known as utility trim or undersill (often used under windows)
  • Corner moldings – also known as outside corner posts
  • Starter strips – where to start all walls that will receive siding
  • Drip Caps – additional pieces placed along top surfaces of doorways and windows.
Average Cost To Install New Siding Typical Range: $5,240 - $8,130
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