How Often Should You Pressure Wash Your Home?
Pressure washing is a quick fix after your house starts looking drab and dated. Within hours, your house can be renewed to its beautiful appearance by nothing more than high pressure water.
You can rent power washing equipment from most home improvement stores, or you can call a Ft. Lauderdale pressure washing service. It can be costly upfront, but you don’t need to deal with bringing back equipment or run the risk of damaging your house because of lack of training or experience.
However, power washing can damage your home as quickly 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 power wash your house and who you let do it.
Is it Time to Pressure Wash Your Home?
The question of how often to pressure wash your home is one that depends a lot on where your house is located and environmental factors based on that location.
Most professionals will recommend having your house pressure washed each year or, no longer than every 2 years.
Any pressure washing pro that tells you more frequent services are necessary is just trying to squeeze a little more money out of you. However, it’s your house, and if you love how it looks after a cleaning, you can power wash your house multiple times a year.
By touching the exterior of your house, you will be able to tell if it’s time for a cleaning. The presence of dust, mud and grime can stain the outside of your house permanently if it isn’t washed off from time to time, so you could have to deviate from a set schedule if you notice excess buildup between cleanings.
Pressure washing sometimes can be harmful, but not doing it often enough can leave your house looking lackluster far more than it should. It’s important to note that building materials, particularly vinyl siding, are resistant to stains, mold and mildew. These materials protect your house between power washings.
Why Pressure Washing is the Preferred Method
Pressure washing is a lot safer than scrubbing the exterior of your house because you do not need to climb up and down a ladder with a brush and a bucket while dragging a garden hose. Pressure washing can be completed from the ground in almost all residential situations.
Mold and mildew are organic organisms that can eat away at exterior surfaces and make their way into your house. They are not easy to get rid of, yet it is very easy for them to create colonies on your home, particularly on the north side of a home where it usually doesn’t get as much direct sunlight or wind as other sides of your house.
And, power washing eliminates more dirt and grime than manual hand washing.
Factors that Affect Your Home’s Exterior
All of the below items can impact the appearance of a home. All are factors that have to be considered before you call a professional pressure washer or attempt the job yourself.
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 wind and rain splashing mud onto the exterior of your house.
ENVIRONMENT
Pollen, pollution and mold are more of a problem in some areas than in others. Having a home in a more rural area or near an unpaved road will determine what types of environmental factors impact your house more.
HOME CONDITION
If you do decide to have your house pressure washed, it could be a good idea to have damaged siding repaired so the high water pressure won’t do any more damage. Pressure washing can also expedite a peeling paint problem.
EXTERIOR FINISH
The equipment used for pressure washing are unique to your home’s exterior (brick, siding or wood) and the section of the home. For example, for roof cleaning, a pressure washing technician will use soft washing instead of power washing to protect the roof shingles. Additionally, the results can vary widely.
When to Pressure Wash Your Home
Choosing the right time to have your house pressure washed is just as important as deciding how often the service should be completed. There are times during the year when power washing would be a real waste of time and money. Other times, however, a professional pressure washing could benefit you in more ways than appearance.
WEATHER
Do not waste any money on professional power washing in a rainy season. You’ll end up with muddy stains and mildew by the end of the season anyway. Winter, as an example, isn’t the best time. Pressure washing is most beneficial near 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 tightened into place during a repair like it should normally be, which means you run the risk of damaging the area, prolonging the other project and even trapping water under building materials.
BEFORE SELLING
Pressure washing is a great way to increase your home’s curb appeal. It’s the easiest answer 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 best condition for the surfaces to dry quickly without baking cleaning chemicals onto your home’s siding or brick.
If you are in an HOA, there could be guidelines about how often you have your house power washed or whether you can do it on your own or if you are required to hire a professional. You may only be under HOA guidelines concerning how your house looks, but it’s ultimately up to you to have 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 right, it is safe for a multitude of surfaces and can remove years of built up dirt and stains.