So... you have Hardie siding on your house. Or maybe you're thinking "hey what's the fiber cement stuff and why is it better than cedar or vinyl". James Hardie fiber cement is the number one choice for siding in America. How did an Australian company take over America? Well Hardie has invested over $100MM in research to make sure you receive the best product on the market. For the past 30 years James Hardie has been producing fiber cement siding making them the one of the first companies to do so. Hardie siding is 5 times thicker than your conventional vinyl meaning that the wood grain details look more realistic. Another way that hardie is a better option to vinyl is that vinyl is plastic. What do plastic do when it is exposed to hot temperatures ☀️? It melts. Hardie is engineered to resist warping, sagging and melting. What about cedar siding? Well wood is prone to expanding and condensing when exposed to the crazy temps we get here in the Chicago area. That makes the cerad start to warp and even decay. Woodpeckers also LOVE wood siding. My guess is that you won't like them very much though.
Now that you have heard many of the positives of Hardie Siding it is time for phase two. It's already on your house now the question is how to maintain it. The below tips apply to both PrimePlus and ColorPlus products. The most important thing to remember is to not use brushes that are too abrasive. Even though Hardie is cement you can still chip the paint if you use a brush with too hard of bristles. It is our suggestion is to start with water to get rid of any dirt or chalk before getting started with any soaps or mildew cleaners. The most helpful tip we can give you is to RINSE YOUR SOFT CLOTH IF USING. You never realize how dirty your siding is...until...well until you've cleaned it.
If plain water isn't cutting it. the next step is liquid soap. Dawn is a good bet. Chances are you already have some in your kitchen. Then if that still doesn't make your siding sparkle like new you probably have mold or mildew on your siding. Yeah we get it mold and mildew is gross but your siding is always outside braving the evidence. Jomax, Mildew Check, and Mold Armor are awesome products that help you tackle the nitty gritty stuff on your siding.
You're also going to want a brush to get into all of those wood-esque grooves of your siding. Again nothing too abrasive. This Chip Brush from Home Depot is a great option at only $4. You don't want to use your expensive painting brushes for this type of job because after everything that brush is about to go through you are not going to want to ruin an entire can of paint with it. A Horsehair Brush is a great tool too. At double the length it is also double the price. It will make cleaning go quicker.
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