Annual Maintenance for Exterior Trim
MiraTEC trim is a premium, long lasting, exterior wood composite that has been engineered to provide years of satisfaction and performance when properly maintained. Annual maintenance, also outlined in the MiraTEC 50-Year Limited Warranty, will prolong the life of your trim and keep it looking its best. Follow the 4-Point Inspection process each year and take the appropriate action(s) to prevent small issues from growing into big problems.
How to Give Your Exterior Trim an Annual 4-Point Inspection:
1) Check the condition of the caulk and sealant
Loose and cracked caulk or sealant must be removed and replaced with a good quality, polyurethane sealant.
Do not use hard-setting caulk.
2) Check for the presence of mildew
Mildew is a living organism (fungus) that grows on the surface of finishes giving the paint a darkened, dirty appearance. If the trim has mildew growth, clean it off.
Do not paint over mildew without cleaning the MiraTEC trim with a mildew cleaning solution. Mildew cleaning solutions, available at local paint, lumber and hardware stores, will help retard and control this growth. The control of mildew on the surface of MiraTEC trim is a homeowner responsibility.
3) Check the condition of painted trim
MiraTEC trim is manufactured from wood and is primed. MiraTEC trim must be painted with an exterior coating designed for use on wood trim. Periodic washing of field painted MiraTEC trim with water and mild detergent will remove accumulated dirt. Pressure-washing should be performed only with expertise and caution should still be applied. High pressure may erode surface coating and sealants. If you choose to pressure wash, reinspect for any damage.
The condition of the paint must be inspected and maintained as noted in the table below.
| CONDITION OF PAINT | ACTION REQUIRED |
|
Good condition/unbroken |
Clean and remove dirt |
|
Thin, but unbroken finish |
Clean and apply two coats of topcoat |
|
Badly eroded, substrate showing |
Clean, prime, apply two coats of topcoat |
|
Crack, flaking, substrate exposed |
Remove loose paint film, clean, prime, and apply two coats of topcoat |
Finish Selection:
Primer – Use an exterior oil- or waterbased primer formulated for use on wood composite products which will seal the surface and is compatible with the topcoat finish to be applied.
Topcoats – Use low or non-chalking exterior acrylic latex paint, low chalking acrylic or acrylic heavy bodied latex stain, or gloss or semi-gloss oil base paint. All exposed MiraTEC trim surfaces, including the bottom edges, must have two coats.
DO NOT USE –
-
Shake and shingle paints
-
Flat oil or flat alkyd paints
-
Vinyl acetate (PVA) vinyl acrylic or vinyl acetate-acrylic copolymer paints
-
Oil base transparent or opaque stains
Due to variables involved in field application of finishes, JELD-WEN cannot be responsible for the performance of field-applied coatings.
4) Check water drainage/diversion
Allowing water from roofs and sprinklers to run down the surface of MiraTEC trim can cause discoloration and accelerated erosion of the paint.
Locate landscape sprinklers so that water will not hit MiraTEC trim.
Completing an annual trim inspection will help to keep your home looking its best. For more details, please review the complete MiraTEC warranty details and full product application instructions.
50-Year Limited Warranty
MiraTEC trim is covered by an industry-leading 50-year limited warranty that includes hail damage, delamination, decomposition of the substrate due to fungal growth, termite damage causing failure of the Product, splitting or cracking of the substrate face, buckling, excessive warping or swelling of the Product, caused by a defect in material or workmanship during the warranty period. The 50-year limited warranty applies to the original owner and is transferrable to subsequent owners.
Download a copy of the warranty for complete details (Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view PDF files)
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