Chapter 7

Roofing and Siding

In This Chapter

Looking after your roof

Discovering the destructive side of icicles

Stopping leaks before they begin

Getting into gutters

Caring for siding

Y our home and its contents depend on the integrity of your roof and exte-rior walls in the same way that you depend on protective clothing to keep you dry in foul weather. Getting temporarily stuck in bad weather can make you uncomfortable and may even ruin your hairdo, but left unchecked, a roof leak — even a tiny one — can end up costing a fortune in damage to a home’s interior and its precious contents. Damage to flooring, plaster, wallboard, furniture, important papers, and more is no small matter.

Your Roof: The Fifth Wall of Your Home

Most folks are pretty conscientious about maintaining the exterior walls of their homes. On just about any day during good weather, you can drive through a neighborhood and find the sides of at least one home under siege by painters. But rarely do you see anyone on the roof of a home unless the roof is being replaced. For some reason, people just don’t pay as much attention to their roofs, which we think is a mistake.

The whole idea of maintenance is to ensure longevity, reduce costs, and improve value. We think this concept applies to the roof in the same way it applies to walls. In fact, we like to think of the roof as the fifth wall of a home that requires maintenance with the same regularity as the walls that support it require. With proper care and maintenance, a roof can outlast its warranty without leaking a drop or suffering ugly damage.

Staying safe on the roof

A pitched roof is an alien plane. We don’t mean a spaceship from another planet, rather an unfamiliar surface to walk on. And for novices, an angled surface is often even more dangerous than the dastardly spaceships that tried to destroy the Earth in the movie War of the Worlds.

If you aren’t agile or athletic, or if you have a fear of heights, think about hiring someone else to maintain your roof. If you do go up there, be sure to wear rubber-soled shoes. They grip better than leather. Never walk on a wet roof, and don’t be afraid to wear a safety harness, too; it prevents broken bones and may even save your life.

Cleanliness is next to godliness

Streaks or discoloration can cause a perfectly good roof to look worn and tattered. And ugly isn’t a good thing — remember curb appeal? So, for appearance’s sake, use the following universal roof cleaning formula when your roof gets dirty. This concoction also gets rid of mildew or moss on your roof, which can cause extensive damage if left unattended.

You need these supplies:

1 cup liquid chlorine bleach

1 cup powdered laundry detergent

1 gallon hot water

Bucket or large mixing bowl

Garden hose

Pump garden sprayer

Safety glasses or goggles

Stiff-bristle broom

Stir stick (the kind for paint is okay)

Tall ladder (the height you need depends on the height of your roof)

Do this project on a cool, humid, overcast day to ensure that the cleaner doesn’t dry too fast on the roof. Wait until the weather’s right and then follow these steps:

1. Mix the hot water, bleach, and detergent until the soap granules dissolve and then pour the mixture into the garden sprayer.

2. On the roof, spray the cleaner on a strip about 3 feet high x 10 feet wide and let it sit for about 15 minutes.

Begin cleaning the lower portion of the roof, moving up as you clean each lower section. That way, you always stand on dry ground and reduce the chance of slipping.

3. If the cleaner begins to dry out, spray on a bit more.

4. Use a broom to scrub the area as needed to get it clean.

5. Rinse the cleaned area with fresh water.

Repeat the process until the roof is clean.

A wood shake or shingle roof covered with pine needles, leaves, moss, and other debris may retain water, causing the shingles to rot prematurely. An annual sweeping with a stiff-bristle broom cuts down on fungus damage by enhancing watershed. Cleaning to promote proper watershed is important with other types of roofs as well. Built-up debris can create a dam, which can cause a leak. However, never, ever walk on a wood shingle or shake roof! Hose off debris with a garden hose from a ladder or, if needed, a roof ladder.

A few uplifting words about ladders

You can choose from as many different ladders as there are tasks that require them. They range from the small two- and three-rung stepstool type to the common 6- and 8-foot folding models to the granddaddy of them all, the exten- sion ladder. An extension ladder telescopes in length — you know, like the ones firefighters use.

If your home-maintenance budget can afford only one ladder, get a 6-foot stepladder, which gives you the length you need when tackling most home-maintenance and repair projects. You can change light bulbs at ceiling-mounted fixtures and paint ceilings and walls. However, if your ceilings are 10 feet or higher, you need an 8-foot ladder. If your project involves a multistory roof, you need an extension ladder.

Don’t try to save money by purchasing a cheap ladder unless you intend to give it to someone you don’t like. A cheap ladder falls apart in no time — usually with someone on it. When buying a ladder, look for secure connections, metal- supported wood steps, and superior hinges. As the ladder ages, keep an eye out for loose connections, splits, cracks, and missing rivets.

Follow these tips to avoid downward trips off your ladder:

A sinking ladder can tilt and throw you to the ground. When working on dirt or turf, you may need to stabilize the ladder by placing the feet on boards or a sheet of plywood to prevent them from sinking into the earth. For added stability, place the bottom of the ladder away from the wall one-quarter of the ladder’s length.

When you’re working on the roof, make sure the ladder extends a minimum of 2 feet above the edge of the roof. The extension provides support so that you can steady yourself as you traverse from ladder to roof and vice versa.

Never climb onto a roof from the gable end where the roof crosses the ladder rungs at an angle. Instead, mount the roof from a horizontal side. Make sure the plane of the roof is parallel to the ladder rungs at the point where you leave the ladder to mount the roof.

To maintain proper balance, keep your hips between the side rails when climbing the ladder or reaching out. Keep one hand on the ladder and the other free for work.

The naked truth about flashing

Roof flashing creates a watertight connection where the roof is adjoined to a wall, as when a first-story roof connects to a second-story wall. Roof flashing also creates watertight connections between the roofing and items that penetrate it, including plumbing pipes, furnace flues, skylights, and chimneys.

All roofs have roof flashing. Although some flashings are made of lead, most are made of galvanized sheet metal or aluminum. And that means rust or corrosion. And rust or corrosion means leaks.

To prevent flashing from leaking, you need to keep it from rusting. Applying a good coat of paint every few years generally does the trick. After you apply the first coat of paint to your flashing, maintaining it is easy. You want to focus on removing any rust that appears and keeping the paint in good condition.

Follow these steps to remove rust from your flashing:

1. Wash the surface with tri-sodium phosphate, or TSP, mixed to the manufacturer’s specifications.

The TSP etches (chemically roughens) the painted surface.

2. Use sandpaper or a wire brush to remove all rust.

3. Clean away the dust and use a paintbrush to apply the rust converter.

The rust converter acts as a primer while converting leftover rust to an inert material.

4. Apply latex paint as a finish coat.

We like to paint our roof flashings, vent pipes, and flue caps the same color as the roofing material, making them less noticeable and more aesthetically appealing.

One type of flashing, called vent flashing, incorporates a rubber grommet that seals the connection between the centermost portion of the flashing and a plumbing vent pipe. Keep this rubber grommet in good condition with a shot of rubber preservative every year or two.

Wood shake and shingle roof preservation

No matter how clean you keep it, and no matter what condition the flashings are in, a wood shake or shingled roof usually starts looking a little worn out after a few years. The intense ultraviolet rays of good old Mr. Sun cause the majority of the damage, drying shingles out and causing them to split and literally burning holes in others. The shingles can lose virtually all their moisture (water and natural resins) in as little as five years, which can result in cupping, curling, splitting, and an almost certain early demise. However, with proper care and maintenance, you can double or even triple the life of a wood shake or shingle roof.

Want to inspect a roof and don’t want to climb up there to do it? Get a good pair of binoculars. Then you can stand back and take a close look! Split shingles, shingles with holes, cupped and curling shingles, and other damaged shingles will be as easy to spot as if you were standing right there next to them.

Super-cleaning to open the pores

The roof preservation process begins with a much more thorough cleaning than the general roof-cleaning technique we described earlier in this chapter — roof preservation requires a super-cleaning that exposes all the pores of the wood. Then, later in the process, the preservative can easily penetrate deep and completely into each and every pore. This super-cleaning also cuts through the grime and makes your wood shake or shingled roof look almost as good as new.

We recommend a pressure washer for super-cleaning a roof. This small device converts water supplied from a garden hose to a high-pressure mix of forced air and water. This mixture comes through the hose with enough force to cut through soft wood. Talk about eliminating elbow grease! You can get a power washer from a tool rental place — and some paint stores — for $50 to $75 a day.

When using a pressure washer, hold the spray tip approximately 8 to 12 inches from the roof’s surface while working backward from the lowest part of the roof up to the highest part.

Don’t stand on a wood shake or shingle roof. The projects in this section should only be done from a roof ladder.

Paying special attention when mold exists

When mold is present, follow pressure washing with an application of mold-killing bleach (1 quart bleach to 1 gallon hot water) to eliminate any remaining spores that reside deep within the pores of the wood.

Place the mixture in a garden sprayer and thoroughly wet the entire roof. Keep it wet for at least 15 minutes and then rinse with fresh water. It’s important to perform this process after pressure washing — after thorough cleaning has opened the pores of the wood.

Replacing damaged shingles

After super-cleaning the wood roof, wait until it dries, and then follow these steps to replace any damaged shingles (see Figure 7-1):

1. With the blade of a hacksaw, cut the nails anchoring a damaged shingle and carefully slip it out.

Attempting to pry nails loose or pull a shingle out may damage surrounding shingles and make it more difficult to install the new one. Sometimes, you may have to split the shingle into numerous pieces to get it out.

2. Use the shingle you just removed as a pattern to custom-cut a replacement.

3. Slip the new shingle up and under the building paper until the butt end (the fat end) is within 1 inch of the adjacent ends.

4. Toenail (nail at an angle) two barbed roofing nails as high up as possible without damaging the butt end of the overlapping shingle.

5. Finish the repair by placing a woodblock against the butt end of the new shingle and striking the block firmly with a hammer. Drive the shingle until it aligns with the surrounding shingles.

This process conceals the new nails, providing a more watertight installation.

Applying the preservative

The preservative restores the natural oils to the wood fibers, safeguards the roof from fungus and rot, and protects the roof from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. You see both oil-based and water-based preservatives. We prefer the oil-based type because it penetrates deeper, combats weather stress better, and lasts longer.

Non-pigmented preservatives can have pigments added to improve ultraviolet protection. The pigment actually masks the sun’s ultraviolet rays, preventing them from damaging the wood. The pigment also blends together, into one color, the older shingles and the new ones that you used to make patches.

Although you can apply preservative with a garden-type pump sprayer, you can do it more professionally and in less time by using an airless paint sprayer. You can rent one for about the same cost as a pressure washer. The process is simple: Just spray the oil onto the roof. When the surface becomes shiny, stop spraying in that area and move on.

Figure 7-1: Replacing a wood shingle.

Apply preservative when no breeze is blowing, ensuring that the majority of the product ends up on the roof and not on the neighbors’ new car. Work backward from the low end to the high side, being careful not to walk on an already treated area, which may be slippery.

Most preservative applications last three to five years, depending on the climate. Keeping the roof clean and free of debris helps extend the lasting quality of the preservative and therefore the life of the roof.

Replacing a composition shingle

Replacing a damaged composition shingle is a little different from changing one made of wood. A composition shingle is more flexible and therefore somewhat more forgiving. Because composition shingles become more flexible when warm, this task is best saved for a sunny day. (But if the shingles are too hot, walking on them can destroy them, so you may not want to bother in the middle of the afternoon on a 90-degree day.) Here’s what you do (see Figure 7-2):

1. Fold back the shingle(s) above the one to be removed.

2. Use a flat pry bar to remove the nails that hold the damaged shingle in place.

First, pry under the damaged shingle at the nail location to raise it above the surface; then pry on top of it to pull out the nail.

3. Slip a new shingle in position to replace the one that was removed.

4. Nail the new shingle in place by using a flat pry bar as a hammer extension.

Using a flat pry bar as a hammer extension is a neat trick. This technique allows a nail to be driven in from beneath an overlapping shingle. First, you press the nail into the shingle by hand, which requires reasonably strong fingers and a bit of force. After the nail is in place, you position the bottom of the flat bar so that the straight end rests atop the nail head. As the hammer strikes the flat bar, the offset below drives the nail home.

Figure 7-2: Replacing a composition shingle.

All That Dam Ice

Did you know that if you have icicles, you might have an ice dam, as well? And if you have an ice dam, you may soon be fighting a roof leak.

When snow falls on a roof, it seals the roof, which becomes almost airtight. As the house warms to a nice, toasty temperature, heated air escapes into the attic. As the attic gets warmer, it melts the snow atop the roof, and water rushes downward toward the overhangs. The moment the liquefied snow hits a cold overhang, it begins to freeze. The water that freezes after it rolls over the edge becomes icicles.

Water that freezes before it rolls over the edge builds up to create a barrier known as an ice dam, which becomes larger and larger as runoff continues to freeze. Finally, the ice on the overhang widens to the point where it reaches the edge of the attic. At this point, the water remains liquid and the ice dam causes it to back up over the attic, where it can leak into your home.

Having ice on your roof brings other negative consequences. Ice buildup can damage rain gutters, necessitating costly repairs. By preventing ice buildup, you may be able to save your house from being flooded during a freeze and add a little life to your gutters, as well.

To prevent an ice dam, you need to keep the attic cold. If the attic is cold, the snow on the roof won’t melt, and ice dams won’t form. Here’s how to make that happen:

Don’t close off eave and roof vents during the winter. Doing so traps the warm air that melts snow on the roof.

Fill all penetrations between the living space and the attic area with foam sealant. You can buy it in a spray can. Look for penetrations in the ceiling in the following places (many may be hidden beneath attic insulation): plumbing vents, ventilation ducts, heat registers, electric wiring, and ceiling light fixtures.

Don’t caulk around furnace flues. A flue that contains hot gases shouldn’t come in contact with combustibles, such as wood or foam sealant. Contact your local heating or sheet metal contractor and have a metal draft stop installed. He or she can seal it to the pipe and the house frame without creating a fire hazard.

Check your attic insulation. Be sure that your attic insulation is loose (as opposed to compacted) and that you have a sufficient amount up there. Check with your local utility company — most offer free energy audits. Your local building department is another inexpensive inspection alternative.

Consider installing an eave-heating device, such as heating tape or heating wire (see Figure 7-3). These devices prevent water from freezing on your eaves. Eave heaters operate on extremely low voltage, making them inexpensive to operate.

Install special metal flashings at problem eaves. Ice doesn’t stick to metal as readily as it does to most types of roofing. The nice thing about metal flashings is that your local heating or sheet metal contractor can make them to order. You may be able to save money by looking for a product at your local home center known as “Ice and Water Shield.”

Figure 7-3: An eave-heating device helps avoid ice dams.

Find That Leak!

The first step in repairing a leak is finding its point of origin. This task can be extremely difficult on a flat roof, so we recommend that you hire an industry professional to find and repair a leak in a flat roof. However, on a pitched roof, do-it-yourselfers can find the leak themselves. You still need to hire a contractor to repair the leak, but being able to tell the contractor where the leak is saves time and shows the contractor that he or she is dealing with an informed homeowner.

Although water testing a pitched roof isn’t a difficult process, it’s often time-consuming and tedious. Be prepared to exercise a bit of patience. The process requires two people, one on the roof and one in the attic (or living space below if no attic exists). Follow these steps (see Figure 7-4):

1. Use a garden hose to run a modest amount of water over the roof at a point below the area where you suspect a leak.

Don’t run the hose full blast. Don’t use a spray nozzle, and don’t force the water between the shingles. Doing so may force water into your home, creating the illusion that you’ve found a leak when, in fact, you did nothing more than create a temporary one.

Work from the lowest point of the roof (near the eaves or gutters) in an area about 4 to 6 feet wide. Work your way up the roof a couple of feet at a time. Standing on dry roofing above the water helps prevent slips.

2. Station your partner in the attic and tell him or her to holler at the first sign of water.

The moment your helper sees water, he or she should let you know. A wailing screech usually does the trick. An inexpensive pair of kids’ walkie-talkies allows you to communicate clearly without yelling.

Figure 7-4: Water testing a pitched roof.

It’s Okay If Your Mind’s in the Gutter

Gene Kelly probably wouldn’t be remembered as well for his part in Singin’ in the Rain if the movie set had been equipped with rain gutters. As a matter of fact, the producers probably would’ve changed the title of the film to something like Stayin’ Dry While Singin’ near the Rain. When it comes to your home, singing in the rain isn’t what you’ll be doing if you haven’t maintained your gutters and downspouts properly.

Cleaning gutters and downspouts

Gutters and downspouts filled with debris can back up, causing roof leaks, rot at the overhang, and structural damage. Once a year, get up on a ladder and give those gutters and downspouts a good cleaning. Gutters that haven’t been cleaned for a while may be filled with a mud-like substance, which you can scoop out with a small garden trowel or putty knife. You may even want to invest in a gutter scoop (a trowel-like plastic scoop made for cleaning gutters).

After you remove the majority of the debris, flush the rest away by using a garden hose with a spray nozzle.

Patching leaks

When galvanized sheet metal gutters aren’t properly maintained (regularly cleaned and painted), they tend to rust. As we mention earlier in this chapter, unpainted metal rusts, and rust results in leaks. Use the same technique on gutters that you use to maintain roof flashings. (See the section, “The naked truth about flashing,” earlier in this chapter.)

If the gutter is sagging, replace the mounting brackets before fixing leaks. You don’t want the gutter shape to change after you’ve fixed the leak. Doing so may cause a patch to open.

When a rusty area turns into a leak, try this quick repair:

1. Use a wire brush or the wire wheel on a drill to remove as much rust from the area as possible.

2. Apply a coat of rust converter over the repair area.

The converter renders remnants of rust inert. With rust, you can’t be too careful. Allow the converter to dry completely.

3. Apply a 1/8-inch-thick coat of roof cement around the leak.

Before the cement dries, add a strip of aluminum foil to the repair area (kind of like taping a Band-Aid to your arm). Use a putty knife to gently flatten the foil and squeeze out the excess cement.

The total thickness of the repair shouldn’t exceed 1/16 inch. You can create a dam if you use too much roof cement.

For repairs that are larger than a pinhole, substitute a piece of sheet metal for the aluminum foil. Heating contractors typically have a trash can full of scraps that are perfect for this type of repair. Chances are that you can get the scrap you need for a handshake and a “Thank you.” For badly damaged areas, sheet metal plates can be pop-riveted into place and sealed with liquid aluminum. However, you may want to leave this maintenance task to a sheet metal contractor.

4. With the foil in place, use a putty knife to add another thin layer of roof cement to cover the patch.

If the repair area is large, consider replacing the damaged sections. The style you have is probably still available. You’d be amazed at how little gutter shapes have changed over the years.

Occasionally, a gutter seam or joint opens, producing a leak. Catching this problem early on reduces the chance of rust and, possibly, a major repair. You can caulk seams in aluminum and galvanized sheet metal gutters with liquid aluminum, and you can repair plastic gutters with polyurethane caulk. Be sure to clean the area thoroughly before applying the caulk.

Siding: A Raincoat for Your House

Water can attack and damage wood siding. Stucco walls crack when the house shifts as winter rains expand soil. Metal siding dents easily. Vinyl siding pits as it oxidizes. Even brick chips and cracks with winter freezes and summer ground settlement.

No surface is perfect; no material perfectly withstands the rigors of nature and the force of the elements. But you can take action to add life and beauty to your home’s exterior.

Treating wood siding

Treat wood siding with an application of oil, stain, or paint to prevent rot. These materials act as a barrier, preventing water from coming into direct contact with the wood. Which finish you choose is mostly an aesthetic choice:

Oil, a clear finish, is absorbed into the wood, filling all pores and voids, thereby displacing water that otherwise would be absorbed.

Oil stain is the same as oil except that a pigment is mixed into the oil.

Paint penetrates and protects in the same way that oil does. Additionally, paint coats the surface of the wood with a thin, durable, waterproof hide.

Oil is easier to apply than paint, and if the oil is clear (or almost clear), mistakes are nearly impossible to detect. If the oil contains stain, the added pigment makes application slightly more difficult, as mistakes show up more readily. But the added pigment helps filter out more of the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays. Unfortunately, oil has a tendency to evaporate and doesn’t last as long as paint. However, unlike paint, oil and oil stain don’t split, chip, or blister.

Everything’s a trade-off. With oil, you never have to sand, scrape, or chisel the surface to prepare it for another application. But be ready to apply a new coat every several years. With an oil stain, expect three to five years of lasting quality. A good grade of paint, applied to a properly cleaned surface, lasts seven to ten years or more.

Paint experts agree that 80 percent of a good oil, stain, or paint job is in the preparation. But the exterior of your home is no small area. And when it comes to preparation (removing old layers of loose paint, a tattered layer of stain, a discolored layer of wood, or just plain dirt), you can expect to do some major work. Fortunately, tools are available at home centers, paint stores, and rental outlets that help make cleanup and removal almost a fun job. Sand blasters, soda washers, and pressure washers involve some degree of work on your part, but they’re a breeze to use compared to hand scrapers, hand chippers, or blowtorches. We recommend a pressure washer.

Painted surfaces

Prepare for repainting by ensuring that all old loose paint has been removed. A new coat of paint won’t stick any better than the old paint below it.

Whether you hand scrape or pressure wash, be sure to sand spots where a painted surface meets a bare spot. Feathering these transition points makes them less visible and guarantees a nicer-looking finished product.

Prime all bare spots with a high-grade oil-based primer. Then caulk all joints with a high-grade 50-year, paintable silicone or polyurethane product to prevent water from getting behind the siding. Caulk any joint that allows this to happen.

Tinting a standard white primer a shade or two lighter than the finish coat improves coverage. For example, a light brown finish coat covers a beige primer more effectively than it covers a white primer.

Oiled surfaces

With an oiled surface, clean the wood with a pressure washer, apply a coat of wood bleach, let it stand (per the manufacturer’s instructions), and pressure wash again. At this point, you can apply a fresh coat of oil or oil stain. Your oiled siding will look so good that you won’t believe you did it yourself.

Maintaining stucco

Stucco is really cool stuff. It doesn’t rot, and compared to other types of siding, it’s relatively easy to maintain. Stucco is very porous and holds on to paint better than most other kinds of siding. Also, it’s one of the easiest surfaces to prepare and paint. If you have stucco, count your blessings.

Unfortunately, its brittle, damage-resistant surface can be a drawback. When the house shifts, stucco can crack.

Repairing cracks

For cracks up to 1/4-inch wide, caulking solves the problem. Follow these simple steps:

1. Clean all loose debris from the crack.

A can opener and a vacuum cleaner work wonders here.

2. Use a paintable 50-year silicone caulk — and your finger — to make an invisible repair.

Don’t use a putty knife. Doing so prevents you from matching the existing texture. With your finger, you can force the caulk in the crack to align with the irregular surface of the stucco.

Repair wider cracks and gouges with a latex patching compound. Follow the manufacturer’s mixing instructions carefully because the amount of water you use changes the properties of the patching compound, which may lessen its ability to hold. Then, follow these steps:

1. Clean all loose debris from the crack or gouge.

2. Use a latex patching product and a putty knife or trowel to fill the area.

3. Apply a second coat to match the surface texture.

Thin the patching compound to pancake batter consistency. Dip the end of a paintbrush into the mixture. Holding your hand between the wall and the paintbrush, slap the handle of the brush against your hand. The patching compound splatters onto the surface, matching the texture of the stucco. If the texture is flat, wait for the splattering to become slightly firm and then wipe it to the desired flatness with a putty knife or trowel.

Painting stucco

Really porous stucco absorbs gallons of paint, causing you to use a great deal more paint than you really need to. If you’re painting stucco for the first time, save paint by using a water hose to wet the surface of the stucco before applying paint. The water fills the pores in the stucco, preventing excess amounts of paint from absorbing deep into the stucco. Wait for surface water to evaporate first, and then begin painting.

Cleaning vinyl siding

Vinyl siding is a great-looking product. It doesn’t warp, split, or buckle, and, according to several manufacturers, you never need to paint it.

This fact wouldn’t be important except that, like all types of exterior siding, vinyl does have its shortcomings. The surface of vinyl siding etches in time. As the surface deteriorates, the pitting causes the material to become dull and prone to stain.

Several brands of exterior paint are now available that are designed for use on vinyl siding. Check with your local paint shop or hardware store for the lowdown.

To prevent the need to repaint your siding, clean it regularly. Twice a year is good — once in the spring and then again in the fall. Use a pressure washer with laundry detergent to get the surface sparkling clean. Most pressure washers have a plastic dip tube that you can use to blend in agents like detergents. Keeping the surface of the vinyl clean won’t prevent it from oxidizing, but it will prevent corrosive chemicals in the air from attacking the surface, slowing the process of deterioration.

Maintaining aluminum siding

Aluminum is a beautiful siding that man has created in an attempt to outdo nature. They said it wouldn’t rust like steel, that it would never have to be painted, and that it would simply last forever. Well, the truth is that it probably will last forever. But by then, it won’t look new at all.

Think of aluminum siding in the same way that you think about a car body. It’s a smooth metal surface covered with paint that needs to be cleaned, polished, and waxed regularly. Think about it: Aluminum siding is metal that’s formed, polished, and given a factory paint job just like a car body. So what automobile paint job do you know of that lasts forever?

If you want to see a good case of chalked (oxidized) paint, look closely at a 20- year-old home sided with aluminum that’s never been cleaned or painted. So how do you prevent chalking? You don’t prevent it (in fact, chalking is the paint’s way of self-cleaning), but you can make light work of getting it to disappear. All you have to do is attend to your siding. Pressure wash once or twice a year, making sure to fill the plastic dip tube on the pressure washer with laundry detergent. Your aluminum siding will remain bright and shiny for years, and the task won’t seem overwhelming.

When the time comes to paint your aluminum siding, keep these tips in mind:

Never scrape aluminum siding. Aluminum has a smooth surface; sand it with 400- to 600-grit sandpaper.

A zinc oxide primer (metal primer) is best for bare aluminum.

Because an aluminum surface is smooth, spray-paint it for best results.

Always patch an aluminum surface with a filler made especially for metal — like Bondo, used for cars.