How Often Should You Pressure Wash Your Home?
Pressure washing is a quick option after your house starts to look drab and dated. Within hours, your house can be restored to its beautiful appearance by nothing more than high pressure water.
You can rent power washing equipment at most home improvement stores, or you can call a Wichita pressure washing service. It might be a little more expensive upfront, but you don’t need to deal with returning 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 is powerful enough to break windows, damage siding and destroy roof shingles. Therefore, you really need to be careful about 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 around that location.
Most professionals 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 cleanings are needed 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 power wash your house multiple times each year.
By just touching the wood or siding 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 removed periodically, so you could have to change from a set schedule if you notice a lot of buildup between cleanings.
Pressure washing sometimes can be detrimental, but not doing it often enough can leave your house looking lackluster far more than it should. It’s necessary to note that home building materials, especially vinyl siding, are very resistant to stains, mold and mildew. These types of materials help to 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 a ladder with a brush and a bucket while dragging ahose. Pressure washing can be accomplished from the ground in almost all residential situations.
Mold and mildew are organisms that eat away at home exterior surfaces and eventually make their way into your house. They are not very easy to get rid of, yet it is really easy for these organisms to form colonies on your exterior, especially on the north side where it doesn’t get as much direct sunlight or wind as the 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 negatively impact the appearance. They are all factors that need to be considered before you decide to call a local pressure washer or try to do the job on your own.
CLIMATE
Factors like humidity and extreme weather create a perfect environment for mold and mildew. If you live in a rainy area, 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 more of a problem in some areas of Wichita than in others. Living in a more 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 could be a smart idea to have chipped siding replaced so the high water pressure won’t do any more damage. Pressure washing can also expedite a peeling paint problem.
EXTERIOR FINISH
The methods 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 service will use soft washing opposed to power washing to protect the roof shingles. Also, the expected results can vary widely based on technique.
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 should be completed. There are different times during the year when power washing would be an ultimate waste of time and money. Different times, however, a professional pressure washing service could help you in more ways than just appearance.
WEATHER
Don’t waste money on power washing during a rainy time of year. You’ll just end up with muddy splatter and mildew by the end of the season regardless. Winter, as an example, isn’t the best time of year. Pressure washing is the most beneficial 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 could not be fastened into place during a renovation or repair like it will typically be, which means you run the risk of damaging the area, disrupting the ongoing work and trapping water below building materials.
BEFORE SELLING
Pressure washing is a helpful 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 don’t choose one that is blazing hot. This is the perfect condition for the surfaces to dry quickly without baking cleaning solutions onto your home’s siding or brick.
If you live in a neighborhood with an home owner’s association, there could be guidelines about how often you have your house power 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 usually up to you to have it looking maintained.
Pressure washing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to clean your entire home exterior. As long as it’s done correctly, it is safe for a multitude of home surfaces and can get rid of months of dirt and stains.