How Often Should You Pressure Wash Your Home?
Pressure washing is a quick solution when your house starts to look drab and outdated. Within hours, your house can be restored to its beautiful appearance with nothing more than high pressure water.
You can rent pressure washing equipment from home improvement stores, or you can enlist the help of an Independence pressure washing service. It could be costly upfront, but you won’t have to deal with returning rented equipment or run the risk of damaging your house because of lack of training or experience.
However, pressure washing can damage your home just as fast as it can clean it. The pressurized water can break windows, damage siding and destroy roof shingles. Therefore, you really have to be careful how often you pressure 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 and weather factors around that location.
Most pros will recommend having your house pressure washed each year or, no longer than every 2 years.
Any pressure washing technician that tells you that more frequent cleanings are necessary is probably trying to squeeze more money out of you. However, it’s your house, and if you love the way it looks after a cleaning, you can pressure wash your house many times each year.
By just 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 washed off periodically, so you might have to deviate from a planned schedule if you start to see excess buildup between cleanings.
Power washing can be harmful, but not doing it enough can leave your house looking dirtier far more than it should. It’s important to note that home building materials, particularly vinyl siding, are very resistant to stains, mold and mildew. These materials protect your house between pressure washings.
Why Pressure Washing is the Preferred Method
Pressure washing is a lot safer than scrubbing the exterior of your house because you don’t have to climb up and down a ladder with a brush and a bucket while pulling a garden hose. Power washing can be performed from the ground in almost all residential situations.
Mold and mildew are organic organisms that eat away at exterior surfaces and make their way into your house. They are not very easy to remove, yet it is very easy for these things to grow into colonies on your exterior, particularly on the north side where it doesn’t get as much direct sunlight or wind as the other sides of your house.
Plus, pressure washing removes more dirt and grime than hand washing.
Factors that Affect Your Home’s Exterior
All of the below factors can negatively impact the appearance of a home. All are factors that have to be considered before you decide to hire a nearby pressure washer or attempt the job on your own.
CLIMATE
Factors like humidity and extreme weather create a perfect environment for mold and mildew. If your home is in a rainy area, you may also have wind and rain splashing mud on the exterior of your house.
ENVIRONMENT
Pollen, pollution and mold are sometimes more of a threat in some areas of Independence than in others. Having a home in a rural area or next to an unpaved road will determine what types of environmental factors affect your house more.
HOME CONDITION
If you think it is time to have your house pressure washed, it might be a good idea to have chipped siding replaced so the high water pressure doesn’t do more damage. Power washing can also worsen a peeling paint issue.
EXTERIOR FINISH
The equipment used for pressure washing are specific to your home’s exterior (brick, siding or paint) and the area of the home. For example, for roof cleaning, a pressure washing service will use soft washing instead of pressure washing to protect the roof shingles. Also, the expected results can vary widely.
When to Pressure Wash Your Home
Determining the right time to have your house pressure washed is just as important as deciding how often the service needs to be performed. There are times throughout the year when pressure washing would be an ultimate waste of time and money. Other times, however, a professional pressure washing service can help you in more ways than just appearance.
WEATHER
Don’t waste your money on pressure washing in a rainy time of year. You’ll just end up with mud splatter and mildew at the end of the season regardless. Winter, as an example, isn’t the best time. Pressure washing is the 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 other work done on your house. Rock, brick or siding might not be tightened into place during a renovation or repair like it will normally be, so you run the risk of harming the area, disrupting the other project and trapping water underneath building materials.
BEFORE SELLING
Pressure washing is a cost-effective way to increase your curb appeal. It’s the simple 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 not one that is extremely hot. This is the optimal condition for the surfaces to dry fast without baking cleaning solutions onto your home’s siding or brick.
If you are in an HOA, there might be rules about how often you have your house 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 regarding how your house appears, but it’s really up to you to keep it looking maintained.
Power washing is one of the fastest and most effective methods to clean your entire home exterior. As long as it’s done correctly, it is safe for most surfaces and can get rid of months of built up dirt and stains.