While working for James Hardie, one of the most common questions I received was "how often do I have to perform maintenance?" The siding products themselves (Hardie Plank, Hardie Shingle, and Hardie Panel) each come with their own 30-year, non-prorated warranty - but does that mean you won't have to do any maintenance at all in those 30 years?
Unfortunately, the answer is no! When installed correctly these products can last a lot longer than 30 years, but there is some expected maintenance along the way. The good news is, it's all fairly straightforward!
Dirt and Dust
If you live in Edmonton, one thing that is going to come up no matter which siding you have is dirt and dust. The solution here is simple - rinse with a standard garden hose.
Work a small area at a time, and start top to bottom to avoid streaking. If you're going to use a brush for a more thorough scrubbing, use a soft brush or cloth - no metal bristles as they can hurt the ColorPlus finish.
If your garden hose and a soft cloth don't seem to be cutting it, you can start trying some diluted dish soap solutions. Still use the garden hose (avoid pressure washers as they can strip the ColorPlus finish) and follow the same instructions: work a small area at a time, and work from top to bottom. Make sure you completely wash off the soap from the siding once the target area is cleaned or you'll see soap residue on the siding.
If the dish soap solution still isn't cutting it, call a siding professional! You can call the contractor that did the work, or you can reach out to me and I would be happy to help you evaluate your options.
Caulking
Another area that will eventually need some maintenance work is the caulking. Not everyone knows this, but the colour-matched caulking products commonly used with James Hardie siding are not made by James Hardie. The most commonly used caulking for James Hardie siding in Edmonton is Quad Max by LePage. Quad Max has its own 15-year warranty and when installed correctly performs well through our harsh Edmonton winters and long summer days.
Check your caulking joints every few years for signs of wear. The most obvious signs of wear and tear are cracks in the caulking bead and the caulking separating from the siding or the trim. If neither of those things is happening, you're probably okay!
Because Quad Max caulking has a 15 year warranty, typically you shouldn't have to worry about re-caulking your James Hardie siding until you are also starting to think about a new coat of paint. Doing both projects at once will save you money, since your painting contractor will only have to go up your walls once to do both jobs!
That's about it for typical maintenance with Hardie siding in Edmonton! You can check out James Hardie's own cleaning and maintenance guide if you'd like to read more. !