Home Improvement To Do: Clean and Repair Home Siding and Trim

April showers bring May flowers … along with a lot of home maintenance chores! With the weather too nice to be stuck inside, most of this month’s home maintenance to-do list focuses on getting the outside of your home ready so you can have worry-free Summer Fun!

Over time, the paint on the exterior of your house can peel or crack, leaving the siding underneath vulnerable to water damage. Small bare patches can be touched up, saving you the work and expense of painting the entire house.

To spot paint siding and trim:

1. Clean the siding and trim to remove mildew and grime and allow the new paint to adhere to the surface.
2. Scrape off any peeling paint, and use a rotary sander or sanding block to taper the edges of the remaining paint for a flat surface.
3. Caulk any cracks or gaps using a quality exterior caulk.
4. Prime and paint bare spots and caulked joints. Match the brush pattern of the previous paint job and feather the edges so the new paint won’t be visible.

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