Use and Care Guide

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PRESSURE WASHER WARNING:
Extra care should be taken when cleaning your siding and trim using a
pressure washer. To minimize the chance of damaging your siding and trim
use a wide fan tip, keep a minimum of 6 feet from the wall and keep the
pressure below 1500 psi.
It is a good practice to keep vegetation such
as shrubs, bushes and small trees trimmed
back away from home and siding.
It is a good practice to keep gutters,
blocked pipes, and overflows clean of any
debris, leaves, twigs and dirt.
Avoid direct contact with deicing salts.
General Maintenance
Maintaining the exterior of your home helps prevent water intrusion and
is an important part of sustaining the beauty and value of your home.
The extent and nature of maintenance will depend on the design of
your house, its geographic location, the amount of weather and sun
exposure, and the landscaping near your house. As a guide, it is
recommended that normal care and maintenance tasks include:
• Installing gutters and downspouts on your home if they are not
already present when you purchased the home.
• Cleaning out your gutters, blocked pipes, and overflows as required.
• Keeping vegetation such as shrubs, bushes, and small trees trimmed
back and away from the home and siding.
• Adjusting sprinkler systems so they do not excessively spray on walls
or continuously soak the ground near your house.
• Avoiding direct contact with deicing salts. The salts may prematurely
damage the finished look of the siding. James Hardie recommends the
use of sand or gravel to manage snowy or icy surfaces near siding.
• Ensuring required external ground clearances (typically 6 in.) and
drainage slopes are maintained. Do not in fill landscaping up to
the siding.
For more information, see Tech Bulletin #20 Cleaning and Maintenance at www.jameshardie.com