Vinyl siding weird drying streaks? - Certified SoftWash Roof Cleaning

Zach Maynard · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

Vinyl siding weird drying streaks?

Danny Cronauer · SoftWash Systems Certified

Has happened a few times now, we are seeing these "drain lines" forming from under the vinyl siding. Anyone have any reason why it is doing this or how to prevent it?

Tim Teed · SoftWash Systems 5-Star Professional

It is water coming through the weep holes. You also might have some chalking and that water is cleaning away more of the chalking/oxidation

Ray Burke · Community Member

What Tim said....

The bottom side of the final has weep holes. You're either getting too much chemical on there or not rinsing enough. And depending on how dirty the vinyl was or how dry and dusty the climate is it's normal for this to happen. It just takes a lot of rinsing to rectify. Let final dry then go back and hit problem areas.

John Aloisio · SoftWash Systems 5-Star Professional

We have run into it a few times recently also. Especially down the shore after Hurricane Sandy forced a ton of debris into sliding seams and weeps. We just try not to hit it with to much garden hose pressure and fan it clean. It seams the more you try and clean it the worse it comes out.

Danny Cronauer · SoftWash Systems Certified

Thanks guys, I knew it was coming out of the weep holes, but didn't know why it was drying like this. I will have the guys use the fan more. But I didn't know why some sections did it more than others. What we have noticed is areas that get the most sun are more prevalent to this issue.

Also these are the first times these homes have been professionally cleaned.

Ray Burke · Community Member

Danny, One explanation for this is that a lot of times siding is pretty dirty when it gets on the house. Contractors drop in the dirt, laying on the ground, it gets filthy on the backside. Another common thing that we found that causes dirt to come out is mud-wasps or dirt daubers as we call them in the south. Those things can make nests behind the siding and will almost never rinse clean.

AC Lockyer · Administrator

I now use my water fed pole and brush with a terry cloth towel on the end slightly moist to wipe these away.

AC

Danny Cronauer · SoftWash Systems Certified

I was getting pissed at my guys for the call backs, but now I know its not them.

We have been using the water fed pole brush to touch up the spots also.

Thanks, for the info.

Hayden Simonis · Freshmen Member

I know that this is an older post, but if someone finds this tidbit useful I think it's worth it.

I had a few call backs about these weird spots streaking and the house not being clean after we were done. Had one guy in particular point out every single one of these out to me. Well, since I am new at this and really the only one in my company (with help from the girlfriend on jobs as a rinse person) I got to looking at it pretty close. I agree with you guys in that these streaks are coming from the weep holes in the siding. It basically looks like dirty water drying on the siding. When I am finished with a job and walking around the house looking at how clean it is with the customer, I tell them as I point to the drain holes (weep holes) on the vinyl "your siding has these drain holes in it to allow the siding to breathe from behind. With my cleaning, you may or may not get a few dirty spots under these drain holes in some spots. A good rain will take care of it but if things do not change after a good rain, give me a call and I will make it right."

This has helped prevent some calls from really picky customers like the guy that pointed all of them out.

Just my $.02

Chad Eneix · SoftWash Systems Authorized Professional

More often than not, in the Midwest at least, most of this dirt, stained water, and debris is from insect carcasses and insect debris. Insects love to live behind vinyl siding, The Box Elders and Asian Lady Beetles especially. Many times the stains will have an orange tinge, which is due to these two insects in particular, as their blood is orange and carcasses have an orange tint. The Asian Lady Beetle has a defense mechanism called "protective bleeding" where they secrete an orange or yellow, foul smelling fluid. As stated above, a quick, gentle fan spray over the area usually rinses it off without putting any more water behind the siding to leak out. My guys also patrol the whole house after looking for this specifically, but it can happen well after they leave. Rarely, the stains can become permanent in the case of this orange stuff, and I usually go back and use the towel on a pole trick. I'd say this happens on around 10% of my siding cleanings, depending on the level of experience of the guy doing the rinsing.

I usually recommend a product called Buggslayer to the customer, it's a white bottle with a picture of a dead Box Elder on the front. This is what I use on my house, having had an infestation when I moved in. Now I have zero problems. Just spray it all over the siding and wipe on sills and frames. I would add it as a service, but it's a pain to get a commercial pest control applicators license. Regular cleaning also helps, an ingredient in many soaps is toxic to bugs, I believe to their exoskeletons.

If you give the customer all of this info, it not only makes sense, but further solidifies you as an experienced pro in their mind.

AC Lockyer · Administrator

Hayden Simonis wrote:
I know that this is an older post, but if someone finds this tidbit useful I think it's worth it.

I had a few call backs about these weird spots streaking and the house not being clean after we were done. Had one guy in particular point out every single one of these out to me. Well, since I am new at this and really the only one in my company (with help from the girlfriend on jobs as a rinse person) I got to looking at it pretty close. I agree with you guys in that these streaks are coming from the weep holes in the siding. It basically looks like dirty water drying on the siding. When I am finished with a job and walking around the house looking at how clean it is with the customer, I tell them as I point to the drain holes (weep holes) on the vinyl "your siding has these drain holes in it to allow the siding to breathe from behind. With my cleaning, you may or may not get a few dirty spots under these drain holes in some spots. A good rain will take care of it but if things do not change after a good rain, give me a call and I will make it right."

This has helped prevent some calls from really picky customers like the guy that pointed all of them out.

Just my $.02

Many of these items are covered in our Certified Applicatorprogram.

AC

Troy Layman · Lead Tech

Chad Eneix wrote:
More often than not, in the Midwest at least, most of this dirt, stained water, and debris is from insect carcasses and insect debris. Insects love to live behind vinyl siding.

That's been my experience as well here in Virginia...of course dust and dirt, but a lot of dead bugs in various stages of decomposition.

I usually recommend a product called Buggslayer to the customer, it's a white bottle with a picture of a dead Box Elder on the front. This is what I use on my house, having had an infestation when I moved in. Now I have zero problems. Just spray it all over the siding and wipe on sills and frames. I would add it as a service, but it's a pain to get a commercial pest control applicators license. Regular cleaning also helps, an ingredient in many soaps is toxic to bugs, I believe to their exoskeletons.

If you give the customer all of this info, it not only makes sense, but further solidifies you as an experienced pro in their mind.

Thanks Chad! Great tip, I'll check this out...I wonder if it will work with wasps?

Chad Eneix · SoftWash Systems Authorized Professional

Seems to work on wasps OK at my house, also spiders. I think basically any insect that crawls or makes contact with the product dies. I coat the whole house, sills, screens, everything, then do the windows. The stuff says it lasts 3-6 months.