You finally upgraded your exterior, and your house over off Gage Boulevard is looking sharp. Putting in new Siding is not a small project, and you want that investment to pay off for 15 to 20 years or more. Kansas weather is very tough, though. Between the baking July sun, the spring severe thunderstorm season bringing baseball-grade hail, and those bitter January ice storms rolling down from the plains, your exterior takes a constant beating.
Here is what you actually need to do to keep things solid without spending every weekend on a ladder.
What Regular Siding Care Looks Like Around Here
Forget complicated routines. Most days, keeping your Siding healthy just means taking a walk around your property a few times a year. Grab your garden hose and give the walls a gentle rinse every spring and fall. Do not blast it with a high-pressure commercial power washer, especially if you have vinyl or painted fiber cement. You will just force water right up under the panels and cause rot behind the wall.
Keep an eye out for dust, stubborn Kansas red dirt kicked up by high winds, and early mildew growth on the shaded north side of your house. A soft brush, some mild dish soap, and water will take care of most grime. Also, trim back any tree branches or overgrown shrubs rubbing against your Siding. That friction will chew through factory paint and protective coatings faster than anything else.
Warning Signs That Demand Your Attention
Even the best installation job by our crew at Topeka Siding Company can face damage when severe weather hits Topeka, KS. You will want to catch small problems before they turn into major framing rot.
- Soft spots or warped planks after a heavy windstorm
- Cracked caulking around windows and trim boards
- Fading or bubbling paint that lets moisture sneak in behind the boards
- Higher utility bills, which often mean the insulation or house wrap behind your Siding has failed
Our local clay-heavy soil in neighborhoods like Highland Park shifts quite a bit when we cycle through wet springs and dry summers. If your foundation settles, it can put strange stress on your exterior walls, causing Siding panels to buckle or pull apart at the seams.
When to Call a Professional
Some things you can handle with a tube of high-grade exterior caulk and a Saturday afternoon. Other times, you need to step back and call in someone who does this every single day.
If you spot widespread hail damage, loose Siding panels hanging off after a microburst, or notice a musty smell indoors near an outside wall, do not try a do-it-yourself patch job. Water has likely gotten behind the barrier. We see it all the time after severe spring storms rip through Shawnee County. Topeka Siding Company provides Siding services for homes in Topeka, KS.