How To Clean Vinyl Siding?
Published 2022-11-08
What is vinyl siding?
Before we know how to clean vinyl siding, we need to know what vinyl siding is. Vinyl siding consists primarily of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC requires two simple building blocks, salt and ethylene (a derivative of natural gas). After processing these two components result in vinyl resin which is the backbone of PVC. From there “Custom rigid, flexible and blended vinyl compounds are formulated by mixing vinyl resin with a variety of plasticizers, stabilizers and modifiers to achieve certain properties - scuff and mar resistance, UV resistance, weatherability, color considerations and texturing capability, to name a few." 1.
As you can see, PVC is developed with durability in mind which is what makes it a superior choice for siding. Plus it has "85% less impact on global warming than brick and morter"2.
Does vinyl siding have any drawbacks?
PVC provides extreme levels of durability, the biggest being UV resistance and weatherability. Typically siding is warrantied for at least 30 years. Beyond that it’s a matter of time before the suns radiation starts to fade or “oxidize” the siding. Buildings with exteriors that get sunlight most of the day experience more oxidation than those shaded by trees or in areas where the sun is not out all year. Furthermore, while PVC is resistant to most chemicals, some can damage it. Typically aromatic solvents are not acceptible to use on PVC. Thankfully though due to the bonds of carbon atoms in PVC, most chemicals will not react with vinyl siding. Lastly, as we spoke about in our Power washing blog article, vinyl siding cannot stand up to the pressures of a power washer if used incorrectly.
How do you clean vinyl siding?
First, we assess the siding and identify any issues, holes, organic growth, stains, and oxidation to name a few. Once we identify what we are working with we choose what cleaners we will use. A home with organic growth will require different chemicals than a home on a busy road experiencing “fallout” (pollution from exhausts and the surrounding areas). Once we identify which chemicals will work, we then identify which chemicals can be introduced together and which ones react violently to other chemicals. We continuously look at the PH, concentration, and other properties of chemicals such as polar or non-polar properties so we can predict what will happen.
We then apply the solution at a low PSI and rinse. Occasionally follow up applications are needed or high pressures for something like oxidation removal. Some things need to be scrubbed by hand such as rust stains, but for the most part it’s a hands-free cleaning. You may ask why do all this when you can power wash? We treat our customers homes like our own, and we want our homes looking as good as they possibly can. Furthermore, we don’t want to damage property that isn’t ours, unfortunately it’s very common and easy to do with a power washer. If your looking to get your home looking the best it can, call the pros at PowerPros L.L.C
Providing the Port Huron area with power washing and soft washing services.
- Drive Thru Cleaning
- Fleet Washing
- Graffiti Removal
- Heavy Equipment Cleaning
- Oil And Grease Removal
- Oxidation Removal
- Parking Lot Cleaning
- Roof Cleaning
- Rust Stain Removal
- Specialty Stone Cleaning
- Sign Cleaning