Your siding may face numerous issues. One of the prominent issues is efflorescence. For those who are unaware, efflorescence is a chemical problem commonly seen in fiber cement siding that can cause discoloration and be labor intensive to remove. But what exactly can a homeowner do about efflorescence?
How Efflorescence Forms
Efflorescence occurs due to the presence of salt and moisture on your siding. Unfortunately, fiber cement siding can be extremely porous, allowing it to retain copious amounts of the two before the moisture slowly dissolves the salts. Once the siding is heated by the sun, moisture evaporates from your siding, leaving behind white salt deposits on the material.
How to Remove Efflorescence
While the efflorescence doesn’t cause any structural damage to the siding material, it can negatively impact your home’s overall aesthetic appeal. Unfortunately, if left unattended for too long, efflorescence can be difficult to remove. To remove efflorescence, professionals recommend pressure washing the siding or using an acid wash on the surface to dissolve the mineral deposits. Be sure to take care when handling acidic products, and, if you aren’t certain about doing it on your own, consider hiring a professional instead to get the job done.
How to Avoid Efflorescence
Want to avoid efflorescence in the future? If you’re planning to replace your siding anyway, consider replacing it with LP® SmartSide® siding, which is an engineered wood siding product that contains no natural salts or minerals, which mean it avoids the siding discoloration caused by efflorescence.
Planning to install better siding on your home? Then, contact Renovation Team. When it comes to roofing and siding replacement projects, we are the number one professionals in the area. Give us a call at (636) 939-1061, or fill out our contact form to request a FREE quote. We serve homeowners in St. Louis, St. Charles, Creve Coeur and other nearby areas.