Mistakes to Avoid When Pressure Washing Your House

Is your home’s exterior looking dirty and a little rundown? House sidings naturally accumulate dirt and debris over the years and may look a little tired over time. This is why most home improvement professionals recommend pressure washing your house at least once in every 1-2 years.

Pressure washing your house comes with numerous benefits, the main ones being the removal of dirt, grime, mold, mildew, and stains. This not only leaves your house sparkling clean but also slows down paint deterioration. Aside from the annual schedule, pressure washing is also required just before repainting your home’s exterior, when you need to put your house on sale or after a dust storm.

With that being said, it’s important to note that using a pressure washer to wash your home’s exterior is not as easy as it may seem. Without proper training and knowledge, you could end up making mistakes that will require expensive repairs. Here is a quick look at common mistakes you should avoid when pressure washing your house.

1. Using Too Much Pressure
Most DIY enthusiasts and homeowners make this common mistake. If you’ve rented a pressure washer or borrowed it from your neighbor, you might notice that it has limitations when it comes to controlling the pressure. You might end up using too much pressure that can leave marks on your siding.

Swiping the pressure washer wand that has too much pressure back and forth will cause paint stripping, etching in concrete, furring wood and cracking glass. To avoid this, hold your wand about three feet off the siding surface, especially if your pressure washing machine doesn’t have pressure control.

2. Cleaning Out of Order
This mistake might not cause permanent damage, but it will surely frustrate you during the process. The best way to avoid frustration and headaches is to follow the right cleaning order. And this includes starting the cleaning from the top down. If you start from your driveway and walks, followed by the siding and roof, you will have a lot of residual rinsing on your siding and driveway later on. To get the best results and avoid going back and forth rinsing residue, start from the roof, followed by the siding, the flat surfaces (driveways, walkways, etc.), then finish up with the windows.

3. Using the Wrong Solution
Using the wrong cleaning solution can actually make such issues such as mold growth worse. You need to use the right water-to-cleaner ratio when mixing your washing solution. If you have mold growth, adding too much water to the solution will reduce its cleaning ability and even spread the mold spores instead of killing them. In addition, some cleaning solutions might be harmful to your plants, causing scorched leaves.

4. Using Only Water
Many homeowners make a mistake of not adding an appropriate cleaning agent in the water, and instead, use plain water to clean their house. Plain cold water doesn’t have the ability to break through the dirt barriers on most surfaces. When things don’t work, you might end up needing to use excess pressure and this, in turn, damages the surface. If mildew and mold are involved, you will also be spreading them around.

Bottom Line
Pressure washing your siding is a fairly easy and inexpensive home maintenance task that you can do at least once per year. While it might seem simple, mistakes can be quite costly and lead to more frustration down the line.
Hiring a professional pressure washing company such as Peek Brothers Painting can produce professional results, eliminate frustration and avoid some of the mistakes mentioned above.