Q. I read your Globe article ( “Ask the Remodeler: What side are you on?” ) and hope you can give me some guidance.

We had James Hardie siding installed in 2012. The person hired to seal the seams and do finish painting was a painter, and admitted after he sealed the seams he had not used the product before. Now, with weathering and fading over time, you can see where he smeared the filler. How can that be cleaned up? We know not to power wash. We have read that maybe a solution of vinegar and water or mild soap may work.

Carole

A. Sorry to say that there probably isn’t an easy solution to cleaning an already dried product off the fiber cement siding. You are right to definitely not use a power washer, but also stay away from harsh chemicals.

I did check with our supplier, and he

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