How Often Should You Pressure Wash Your Home?
Pressure washing is a quick option once your house starts looking drab and dated. Within just a couple of hours, your house can be renewed to its beautiful appearance from nothing more than high pressure water.
You can rent power washing equipment at most home improvement stores, or you can hire a Cambridge pressure washing service. It could be a little more costly upfront, but you don’t have to deal with returning rented equipment or run the risk of damaging your house due to lack of training or experience.
However, power washing can damage your home just as quickly as it can renew it. The pressurized water can break windows, damage siding and destroy roof shingles. Therefore, you need to be careful how often you power wash your house and who you hire to do it.
Is it Time to Pressure Wash Your Home?
The question of how often to pressure wash your home is one that depends on where your house is located and weather factors around that location.
Most pros will recommend having your house pressure washed every year or, no longer than every 2 years.
Any pressure washing company that tries to tell you that more frequent services are necessary is just trying to squeeze more money out of you. However, it’s your house, and if you love the way it looks shortly after a cleaning, you can power wash your house many times a year.
By simply touching the exterior of your house, you should be able to tell if it’s time for a cleaning. The presence of dirt, mud and grime can stain the outside of your house permanently if it isn’t removed periodically, so you could have to deviate from a set schedule if you start to see a lot of buildup between cleanings.
Pressure washing can be harmful, but not doing it enough can leave your house looking dirtier far more than it should. It’s necessary to note that building materials, especially vinyl siding, are resistant to stains, mold and mildew. These materials help to protect your house between power washings.
Why Pressure Washing is the Preferred Method
Pressure washing is safer than scrubbing the outside of your house because you won’t have to climb a ladder with a rag and a bucket while dragging a garden hose. Pressure washing can be done from the ground in most residential situations.
Mold and mildew are living organisms that can eat away at exterior surfaces and eventually find their way into your house. They are not easy to remove, yet it is very easy for these things to create colonies on your house, particularly on the north side where it doesn’t get as much sunlight or wind as other sides of your house.
Plus, power washing removes more dirt and grime than hand washing.
Factors that Affect Your Home’s Exterior
All of the below factors can impact the appearance of a home. All are factors that need to be considered before you hire a nearby pressure washer or think about doing the job on your own.
CLIMATE
Factors like humidity and weather events can create a perfect environment for mold and mildew. If your home is in an area that is rainy, you may also have powerful wind and a lot of rain splashing mud onto the side of your house.
ENVIRONMENT
Pollen, pollution and mold are sometimes more of a threat in some areas of Cambridge than in others. Living in a rural area or near an unpaved road will determine what type of environmental factors affect your house more.
HOME CONDITION
If you think it is time to have your house pressure washed, it could be a smart idea to have chipped siding repaired so the high pressure water doesn’t do any more damage. Pressure washing can also worsen a peeling paint problem.
EXTERIOR FINISH
The processes used for pressure washing are unique to your home’s exterior (brick, siding or paint) and the section of the home. For example, for roof cleaning, a pressure washing technician will use soft washing opposed to power washing to protect the roof shingles. Additionally, the expected results can vary widely.
When to Pressure Wash Your Home
Choosing the best time to have your house pressure washed is just as important as choosing how often the service should be completed. There are certain times throughout the year when power washing would be a real waste of time and money. Other times, however, a professional pressure washing can help you in more ways than just appearance.
WEATHER
Don’t waste any money on professional power washing in a rainy time of year. You’ll just end up with muddy splatter and mildew by the end of the season anyway. Winter, as an example, isn’t the best time of year. Pressure washing is most impactful at the end of a season, whether it’s spring, summer, fall or winter.
BEFORE/AFTER HOME PROJECTS
Don’t have your house pressure washed while you are having different work done on your house. Rock, brick or siding could not be sealed into place during a repair like it should typically be, which means you run the risk of ruining the area, disrupting the other project and even trapping water below building materials.
BEFORE SELLING
Pressure washing is a smart way to increase your home’s curb appeal. It’s the easiest solution for all your home’s outside surfaces, including sidewalks, porches, driveways, patio furniture and wood and composite decks.
SUNNY DAYS
Choose a sunny day, but not one that is very hot. This is the perfect condition for the exterior surfaces to dry quickly without baking cleaning chemicals onto your home’s siding or brick.
If you are in an home owner’s association, there could be rules about how often you have your house power washed or whether you can do it by yourself or if you have to hire a professional. You may only be under HOA guidelines regarding how your house appears, but it’s ultimately up to you to keep it looking maintained.
Pressure washing is one of the quickest and most effective ways to clean your entire home exterior. As long as it’s done the right way, it is safe for several surfaces and can eliminate months of built up dirt and stains.