How to Prevent Mildew on Vinyl Siding

There are many things you can do to prevent mildew from growing on your vinyl siding. Mildew, if left unchecked, can cause your home’s exterior to look dirty and dingy and can damage your home’s exterior. More importantly, the formation of mildew on your home can put the health of you and your family at risk. The following tips will help you to prevent mildew from forming on your home’s exterior.

Tip 1 - Understand Mildew

To prevent the development of mold or mildew on the exterior of your vinyl, it is important that you understand why and where it is likely to grow. Mildew forms best in shady, moist areas. Even though vinyl is extremely hardy and durable as an exterior siding for your home, mildew will form on it in areas that are in the shade or where the vinyl is exposed to moisture on an ongoing basis.

Tip 2 - Schedule Regular Inspections

To prevent mildew from attaching itself to your home, you should perform regular inspections of your exterior siding. When you are inspecting your siding, pay particular close attention to surfaces that are in the shade or where rain gutters or tree branches may drip moisture on the siding. Mold is fairly easy to detect. It will have a powdery look that is either gray or white with tiny black dots.

Tip 3 - Maintain Rain Gutters

When inspecting your home, pay particular attention to the rain gutters. Look for splits or cracks and leaking. Also, make sure they are cleaned of debris, such as leaves, paper, and mud. Make repairs as quickly as possible to your gutters to prevent overflowing water spilling onto your siding and developing into mold.

Tip 4 - Remove Dirt from Your Siding

Spray wash your siding several times each year to remove any dirt or grime that may have collected. It is important that when power hosing your siding you spray in a downward direction to prevent water from collecting under siding panels.

Tip 5 - Check Your Ventilation Ducts

Often, moisture from your clothes dryer exhaust hose will produce steam that can cause mildew to form. Check your duct venting to determine that there is no moisture accumulating on your siding above the place where your dryer vent exhausts. This moisture can cause mildew to form.

Tip 6 - Home Insulation

To prevent mildew formation on your exterior siding, it is very critical to have good insulation in your home. If it is insufficient you will increase the likelihood of mildew growing.

Tip 7 - Remove Mildew Quickly

If you do discover mildew, it is important that you remove it as quickly as possible to prevent it from spreading. Mildew can not be removed simply by wiping it off with a sponge or cloth, as it will only smear the mildew. Instead, use a mixture of 25% bleach and 75% water, apply this solution to the mildew, and leave for about 30 minutes. Then remove the mold with a clean cloth, and spray with a garden hose. Use a soft scrub brush if necessary.