Maintenance Cycles: what does that mean for you?

Maintenance is defined as: care or upkeep, as of machinery or property. No matter what products you choose to put on your home—there will inevitably be some maintenance. No matter how much money you spend on your home—there will inevitably be some maintenance.

So, you get the point, maintenance is inevitable, but what does maintenance look like in your life, with your home upkeep?

I’m a new homeowner, so I’m just starting to experience the many life cycles of the many systems that make my home “run.” It would be impossible to get everything on the same life cycle, because no two things have the the exact same lifespan. For example: the fridge won’t need to be serviced on the exact same day that the heat pump will need a new filter on the exact same day that all my lightbulbs go out—(you get the point)—there’s just no way. So, if we can’t perfect the maintenance cycles, then we sure can try to simplify them and get them in sync where we can!

A home’s exterior includes but is not limited to: the siding itself, probably some trim (and other details), and then the color on the siding. So, how we can simplify our lives when it comes to these maintenance cycles? Let me tell you, and it’s a two-part answer.

1. Warranties (which relates to the lifespan here): If you have a warranty for you siding and a separate warranty for your paint, that complicates things. If color starts to fade or fail, the siding manufacturer might point the “fault” at the paint manufacturer and vice versa. So, finding a way to get one warranty for multiple products is key.

2. Maintenance: If you have fiber cement siding and wood trim (for example), the maintenance is going to look different, the cleaning/upkeep cycles will be different and their lifespans will most certainly be different. Same product = same maintenance. So, keeping your exterior products uniform is key.

One great solution is James Hardie Color Plus fiber cement siding and trim. The color is baked on the products, so you don’t have to worry about painting. James Hardie has a 30 year warranty for it’s siding and 15 year warranty for it’s Color Plus. The nice thing here is if for some odd reason there were faulty pieces, you know that James Hardie can cover it. When it comes to maintenance, James Hardie’s fiber cement requires very simple upkeep—just rinse it with a garden hose every 6 months or so.

If you are going to take the time and money to re-side your home, it makes sense to go with a trusted product for all of the products. Don’t choose siding that will last 30 years, paint that will last 5 years and trim that will last 7 years — what a headache that would be!!!

Simplify your life by getting your biggest investment (your home!) on the same maintenance cycles.

Don’t forget that Perdue Builders & Supply offers a lifetime warranty for our workmanship, so between a Hardie product and Perdue as your contractor, you will be making a safe investment! Call us today for a free quote at (425) 398-8609 or just fill out this form.

-Blog post written by Alissa Peronto