Power Washing Tips
Preparing your House Before Pressure Washing
Preparing for house pressure washing is not time consuming if you plan ahead:
It is always a good idea to make a checklist in order to ensure that you covered all the bases.
1. Locate your exterior power outlet if you are using an electric pressure washer, and your outside water faucet.
2. Close all windows and seal any small holes in the windowsills.
3. Remove any shutters, this is a favorite place for spiders and wasps so you want to power wash really well underneath.
4. Make a note of the location of outdoor lighting fixtures and mailboxes, as you won't want to spray those.
5. As for personal gear goggles and wet weather outerwear are a good idea …you can bet on getting wet!
Keeping Excess Water from Behind Siding
There are a few simple house pressure washing tips to help minimize the amount of water that gets behind siding.
Wash the home with a low pressure washing unit. While this will not eliminate the problem, there will be less water for the weep holes to handle. Also, using a brush or rotary brush to remove any unwanted soil from the siding can be helpful in keeping excess water from behind siding. Low pressure washing means keeping the pressure below 300 psi. Low pressure Washing at low pressure is effective when used with an antimicrobial cleaner for removing microbial infestations such as mold, mildew and algae. You might want to use higher pressure to remove oxidation, egg, or bat and wasp excrement.
Avoiding High Pressure Wood Damage
The short answer is: You'd better believe it.
Any pressures above 1000 psi can do a number on wood. How. High power pressure washing can cause splintering and raise Cain with the grain. ‘Raising the grain', as woodologists call it, happens when you turn up the pressure too high. The high-pressure stream of water washes away the softer “heartwood” from between the harder growth veins, leaving very ungrovy grooves. Experienced power washer operators can use higher pressures without gouging the wood by standing further away from the surface being cleaned.
Get the Best Results when Pressure Washing Your Home
You can power wash most surfaces in your residential exterior such as wood, granite and brick, but it is better to avoid less resilient surfaces like hardboard.
Reputable manufacturers will include a list of recommended pressure washer chemicals with the equipment, so you can check which product is best for every surface of your home.Always Remember:
1. Never use bleach, it could damage your power washer.
2. Avoid spraying flowerbeds and shrubs
3. Avoid light fixtures, windows and mailboxes.
For best results, follow the manufacturers instructions or consult a Power Washing Professional, if you have any doubts about the suitability of a power washer to the materials in the exterior of your home.