How Often Should You Pressure Wash Your Home?
Pressure washing is a fast fix after your home starts looking drab and outdated. Within just a couple of hours, your home can be renewed to its beautiful appearance by nothing more than high pressure water.
You can rent pressure washing equipment from many home improvement stores, or you can enlist the help of a Plano pressure washing service. It will be expensive upfront, but you don’t need to deal with bringing back equipment or run the risk of damaging your home because of lack of training or experience.
However, pressure washing can damage your home just as fast as it can renew it. The pressurized water can break windows, damage siding and ruin roof shingles. Therefore, you really have to be careful how often you pressure wash your home 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 heavily on where your home is located and environmental factors around that location.
Most professionals encourage having your home pressure washed each year or, at least every 2 years.
Any pressure washing company that tries to tell you more frequent cleanings are needed is just trying to squeeze more money out of you. However, it’s your home, and if you love how it looks after a cleaning, you can pressure wash your home several times a year.
By just touching the exterior of your home, you will be able to tell if it needs a cleaning. The presence of dirt, mud and grime can stain your home permanently if it isn’t washed off from time to time, so you might have to deviate from a set schedule if you notice excess buildup between cleanings.
Pressure washing sometimes can be harmful, but not doing it enough will leave your home looking lackluster far more than it should. It’s necessary to note that building materials, particularly vinyl siding, are very resistant to stains, mold and mildew. These types of materials protect your home between pressure washings.
Why Pressure Washing is the Preferred Method
Pressure washing is a lot safer than scrubbing the exterior of your home because you do not need to climb a ladder with a rag and a bucket while pulling ahose. Pressure washing can be performed from the ground in almost all residential situations.
Mold and mildew are living organisms that can eat away at exterior surfaces and eventually find their way into your home. They are not very easy to get rid of, yet it is really easy for these organisms to grow into colonies on your exterior, especially on the north side where it usually doesn’t get as much sunlight or wind as the other sides of your home.
And, pressure washing removes more dirt and grime than manual hand washing.
Factors that Affect Your Home’s Exterior
All of the following items can negatively impact the appearance of a home. All are factors that have to be considered before you call a professional pressure washer or try to do the job on your own.
CLIMATE
Factors like humidity and weather events can create a perfect environment for mold and mildew to grow. If your home is in a rainy area, you may also have powerful wind and a lot of rain splashing mud onto the exterior of your home.
ENVIRONMENT
Pollen, pollution and mold can be bigger threat in some areas than in others. Having a home in a rural area or near an unpaved road will factor into what types of environmental factors affect your home more.
HOME CONDITION
If you think it is time to have your home pressure washed, it might be a good idea to have chipped siding replaced so the high pressure water doesn’t do more damage. Pressure washing can also worsen a peeling paint problem.
EXTERIOR FINISH
The equipment used for pressure washing are specific to your home’s exterior (brick, siding or wood) and the section of the home. For example, for roof cleaning, a pressure washing company will use soft washing opposed to pressure washing to protect the roof shingles. Also, the expected results can vary widely based on technique.
When to Pressure Wash Your Home
Determining the correct time to have your home pressure washed is almost as important as deciding how often the service has to be performed. There are times throughout the year when pressure washing would be a total waste of time and money. Other times, however, a professional pressure washing can benefit you in more ways than just appearance.
WEATHER
Don’t waste money on pressure washing during a rainy season. You’ll just end up with mud splatter and mildew at the end of the season regardless. Winter, for example, isn’t the best time. Pressure washing is the most impactful near the end of a season, whether it’s spring, summer, fall or winter.
BEFORE/AFTER HOME PROJECTS
Don’t have your home pressure washed the same time you are having different projects done on your home. Rock, brick or siding might not be tightened into place during a repair like it should typically be, which means you run the risk of damaging the area, prolonging the other project and trapping water underneath building materials.
BEFORE SELLING
Pressure washing is a helpful way to increase your home’s curb appeal. It’s the easiest solution for all your home’s exterior surfaces, including sidewalks, porches, driveways, patio furniture and wood and composite decks.
SUNNY DAYS
Pick a bright, sunny day, but don’t choose one that is extremely hot. This is the optimal condition for the exterior surfaces to dry fast without baking cleaning products onto your home’s siding or brick.
If you are in an home owner’s association, there might be rules about how often you have your home pressure washed or if you can do it by yourself or if you have to hire a professional. You may only be under HOA guidelines concerning how your home looks, but it’s ultimately up to you to keep it looking a certain way.
Pressure washing is one of the quickest and most effective ways to clean your entire home. As long as it’s done correctly, it is safe for a multitude of surfaces and can eliminate years of dirt and stains.