MAY 27, 2020 • Volume 15 • Issue 22
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Power cleaning A simple guide to washing a home’s siding By Laura Firszt More Content Now
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leaning siding is a quick and affordable way to brighten up your house exterior. Just make sure that you choose an appropriate cleaning method that won’t harm your siding, yet will get rid of dirt and stains. Follow these tips to clean siding successfully and keep it looking good longer.
To pressure wash or not to pressure wash? There is a great debate over whether you can safely clean siding with a pressure washer. So what’s the answer? Yes, it is very possible to pressure wash siding without doing damage IF you keep these three points in mind: 1. Use correct pressure. A pressure washer is great for hard surfaces like asphalt but dangerous to softer items such as window screens. Wood and vinyl siding fall somewhere in the middle, meaning that power washing can be great - when done at low pressure (1,300-1,500 PSI), with a wide tip on the pressure wand and very carefully. 2. Avoid potential water damage. If the pressure washer is handled incorrectly, a strong stream of water may be directed under the siding, which is very bad news. 3. Don’t put yourself at risk. Consider the height of your home. It is dangerous for you, as an amateur, to attempt to maneuver a pressure washer while perched on a ladder. A telescoping wand with a support belt can help you pressure wash higher, but is on the pricey side. RECOMMENDATION: If siding is lightly soiled, DIY cleaning
with a garden hose works well. For tough stains or if you have a multistory house, hire a pro to pressure wash. Cleaning specific types of soil • Surface dirt and dust. Apply a cleaning solution of dish liquid and warm water with a handheld garden sprayer. Scrub gently using a soft brush. A pole-mounted brush will help you to clean the siding higher up. Rinse off with your garden hose. • Mold, mildew and algae. Clean as above, scrubbing in a side-to-side motion. If this isn’t sufficient, wash with a mild bleach or oxygen bleach solution. (Test this cleaning solution first on an inconspicuous part. Do not apply bleach to aluminum siding, because it can change the color.) • Oxidation. Vinyl siding is prone to fading and oxidation, which results in a chalky appearance. Clean the siding; then apply a vinyl restoration product according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Badly faded vinyl may be painted with exterior acrylic. • Soot. First, sweep any loose soot off your siding with a dry broom. Next, wipe the area using a dry cleaning soot sponge. Follow with an application of commercial soot remover or degreaser. Rinse as the final step. • Graffiti. The sooner you remove graffiti from your siding, the easier cleanup will be. Apply a solvent with a clean rag, and take care to avoid smudging the graffiti paint or marker. (Next time you paint your house, consider a high-gloss finish, which is more resistant to vandalism.) Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.
Simple maintenance tips
1.
Clean siding every 1-2 years, more frequently in humid climates that foster mildew and algae. The best season is spring, to remove winter’s grime.
2.
Promptly repair any siding that is loose, cracked, dented or otherwise damaged.
3.
Stain and seal or paint your home’s exterior regularly (unless you have vinyl siding, which does not require finishing).
4.
Prune nearby trees and shrubs to avoid sap stains and mildew
growth.
5.
Barbecue at least 10 feet from the house. Your grill’s heat is especially hazardous to wood, aluminum and vinyl siding.
6.
Position lawn sprinklers so that their spray does not hit your exterior walls.
7.
Clear your gutters regularly and adjust the downspouts to drain rain and snowmelt away from siding.
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DEAR MONTY
Are online value estimates harmful?
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disclose this subtle, yet significant, difference as it could cause a seller to sell for less or a buyer to overpay.
Monty’s answer: Evaluating homes is a popular topic. While the companies offering online evaluations are working to improve their products, the information sometimes can be misleading. Here are some examples:
• Algorithms. Many brilliant people believe that artificial intelligence will learn to perform appraisals. As a logical friend once said, “real estate valuation is part technology (algorithms), and part art form (human input).” Only time will tell, but it will be a long time in the future to be able to replace a well-trained human that physically inspects the home. Some home buyers and sellers give credence to online valuations. I believe it is a perilous decision to do so, and in some cases, harmful.
eader question: There is substantial information available ... regarding home values. I’m not sure what to believe, or not believe, as the sources of the information can be vague, conflicting or just wrong. My question is, can you expand on why you believe online estimates are harmful?
• Price per square foot (PSF). When PSF is calculated based on the offering price of the home’s “total interior livable area,” included is any • Real estate RICHARD MONTGOMERY below-grade finished agents are using space. The cost of the them. I hear from below-grade finish agents complain(basement) is considerably less ing about other agents using than the at/above-grade cost to online estimates. I also hear refercomplete. ence to online value estimates in The below-grade area has zero questions that consumers pose expense for a foundation, floor about their situation. There are joists, roof, exterior siding and several logical reasons for agents more than the at/above-grade to do this. construction requires. It is misIt is a way for the agent to lay leading to state that a home has off liability if the home does not 3,500 square feet of livable area sell or sells to quickly. for $120 PSF when 1,000 square It is easier and saves time comfeet of that space is sub-grade. pared to having to do the work The calculation of PSF should be themselves. on 2500 square feet at/or aboveAnd finally, some agents grade. Modifying the calculation grasp online valuation because will drive the PSF cost higher. they are inexperienced. I believe Why does this matter, one may it is harmful for agents to enask? dorse programs that do not fully A home seller or buyer undisclose the PSF cost difference. aware of the cost savings to finish Richard Montgomery is the author of below-grade space is comparing “House Money — An Insider’s Secrets homes that are not comparable. to Saving Thousands When You Buy or When some of the comparables Sell a Home.” He is a real estate industry have unfinished below-grade veteran who advocates industry reform space, those PSF costs will be and offers readers unbiased real estate higher than the comparable that advice. Find him at DearMonty.com. includes the lower level space in the cost PSF. It is harmful not to
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