As summer came so did the lovely sunny days. You can not only see the sun but literally feel those wonderful, warm and cozy rays burning your skin. You all know too well what happens when you’re too lazy or simply forget to put sunscreen on while spending a day at the beach. Well if sunrays may ruin your skin in just a manner of hours then imagine the impact they have on your house’s vinyl materials like siding and gutters which are exposed all day long. As you have probably imagined the impact is enormous causing discoloration, weathering, and cracking that’s just as harmful to your home as to your body. It can hasten the effects of aging and reduce your home’s attractiveness, so in order to prevent that from happening you need to protect your vinyl.

Even though you can’t hide from the inevitable sun exposure and weather elements, there are treatments that will help your siding to last much longer. Some of these will be automatically applied by the manufacturer and others might be added after installation. Depending on what your schedule and your budget are, you can decide which of these to invest in.

A number of siding manufacturers now include fade resistance and UV protection directly in their product. Most contain titanium dioxide which is also used in sunscreen to protect ourselves from UV rays. The titanium dioxide in replacement siding works the same way, reflecting harmful UV radiation away from the siding’s surface so it’s unable to penetrate.

If you already own vinyl you might want to use liquid protectant products. There are many products but some stand out with the amount of positive feedback they receive. First one is 303 Aerospace Protectant—a product that’s commonly used on cars. It’s silicone-based, and it seals vinyl to protect it from UV damage. A second one is Vinyl Fresh, a waterborne latex-based clear coat. The company says Vinyl Fresh increases insulation to save energy, requires less power washing for maintenance, prevents new siding from fading, and rejuvenates faded siding.

Another option is to use wax wash. That prevents mold and mildew buildup, and makes homes shine as well. These wax washes usually have a polyurethane base, and they’re applied while the cleaner is power washing your home. It’s never a good idea to power wash a home yourself, so if you’re interested in this option, your best bet is to hire a professional home cleaner that uses wax in their process.

There is a specific problem with concentrated solar reflection from nearby energy-efficient glass windows, roofing, pavement, etc. that can cause heat distortion to your vinyl siding. This is a remotely hard problem to resolve but can be dealt with by blocking the path of this reflected sunlight with trees, shrubs, or fences.

We hope you found the best way to preserve your siding and if you need any help, feel free to call us. We are always ready to provide you with any aid you need.