While the rain might keep pollen at bay, you’ll soon find another problem popping up: mildew. Here are some tips for keeping mildew off of your home’s 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, you’ll soon find another problem popping up: mildew. Here are some tips for keeping mildew off of your home’s vinyl siding.
Learn About It
Before you can get started, you’ve got to learn all that you can about mildew. That way, you can recognize mildew, mold, and other water damage related issues that can ruin your home’s vinyl siding. Mildew likes to hide where it can get plenty of shade and absorb moisture. That means you should focus your inspections on the parts of your home’s exterior where the mildew is most likely to hide, out of sight and out of mind.
Complete Inspections
While you can perform inspections yourself, you might only be able to spot minor damages and issues that you can fix without assistance. Take a close look at where your trees and bushes meet the siding and also be sure to verify that your gutters and downspouts are in good condition.
Take Care of Your Gutters
All of the rain we’ve seen lately can take just as much of a toll on your gutters as it can on your roof, siding, and downspouts. Any potential cracks or leaks in your gutters will lead to more water infiltration that can accelerate the growth of mold and mildew. Along with performing the usual maintenance on your gutters, make sure they aren’t becoming clogs by falling leaves or mud.
Improve Insulation
Another way to prevent mold and mildew damaging your vinyl siding is to improve the insulation you have in your home. Doing this will also enhance your home’s energy efficiency, which is always important as the seasons begin to change and you will need to adjust the settings of your home’s HVAC unit or deploy a humidifier, if necessary.
Remove Mildew Infestations
As soon as you find the mildew on your siding, you need to get rid of it as soon as possible – don’t wait! However, taking an old rag or a new sponge and swiping at the mold and mildew spots will not be enough to eliminate them. You’ll need a mixture of bleach and water – 1 part of bleach (25%) to 3 parts water (75%). Then you’ll need to spread this everywhere you find the mildew, give it about half an hour to start working, and then come back to wipe it off with a new, soft cloth and use your garden hose to rinse off the residue.
Contact Topper Construction Today!
If you’re interested in having a roof system, siding, or water drainage system installed in your new home, or would like a free estimate, contact Topper Construction. With Topper Construction, you’ll see the benefit of nearly three decades of experience. Contact Topper Construction at 301-874-0220 or email us at info@topperconstruction.com if you are interested in learning more. We can help you with projects in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Northern Virginia.
