How Often Should You Pressure Wash Your Home?
Pressure washing is a fast solution if your house starts to look drab and outdated. Within hours, your house can be restored to its beautiful appearance by nothing more than high pressure water.
You can rent pressure washing equipment from most home improvement stores, or you can call a Bethesda pressure washing service. It can be expensive upfront, but you don’t have to deal with returning rented equipment or the risk of damaging your house due to lack of training or experience.
However, pressure washing can damage your home just as quickly as it can beautify it. The pressurized water can break windows, damage siding and destroy shingles. Therefore, you really need 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 based on that location.
Most professionals will encourage having your house pressure washed each year or, at least every 2 years.
Any pressure washing technician that tells 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 shortly after a cleaning, you can pressure wash your house many times each year.
By touching the wood or siding of your house, you should 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 periodically, so you might have to deviate from a set schedule if you start to see excess buildup between cleanings.
Pressure washing can be harmful, but not doing it enough can leave your house looking dirtier far more than it should. It’s necessary to note that building materials, particularly vinyl siding, are resistant to stains, mold and mildew. These materials help to protect your house between pressure washings.
Why Pressure Washing is the Preferred Method
Pressure washing is safer than scrubbing the exterior of your house because you won’t have to climb up and down a ladder with a brush and a bucket while dragging a garden hose. Pressure washing can be done from the ground in almost all residential situations.
Mold and mildew are organic organisms that eat away at home exterior surfaces and eventually make their way into your house. They are not easy to remove, yet it is very easy for these organisms to create colonies on your exterior, particularly on the north side where it doesn’t get as much sunlight or wind as other sides of your house.
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 impact the appearance of a home. They are all factors that must be considered before you decide to hire a nearby pressure washer or think about doing the job on your own.
CLIMATE
Factors like humidity and weather events create a perfect environment for mold and mildew to grow. If you live in an area that is rainy, you may also have powerful wind and rain splashing mud onto the exterior of your house.
ENVIRONMENT
Pollen, pollution and mold are sometimes more of a problem in some areas than in others. Having a home in a rural area or next to an unpaved road will determine what type of environmental factors impact your house more.
HOME CONDITION
If you think it is time to have your house pressure washed, it might be a smart idea to have chipped siding replaced so the high pressure water won’t do more damage. Pressure washing can also expedite a peeling paint issue.
EXTERIOR FINISH
The techniques used for pressure washing are specific to your home’s exterior (brick, siding or paint) and the section of the home. For example, for roof cleaning, a pressure washing technician will use soft washing instead of pressure washing to protect the shingles. Additionally, the expected results can vary widely.
When to Pressure Wash Your Home
Determining the best time to have your house pressure washed is almost as important as determining how often the service has to be performed. There are certain times throughout the year when pressure washing would be a total waste of time and money. Other times, however, a professional pressure washing service might help you in more ways than just appearance.
WEATHER
Do not 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, for example, isn’t the best time of year. Pressure washing is most impactful 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 the same time you are having other work done on your house. Rock, brick or siding might not be sealed into place during a repair like it will typically be, so you run the risk of damaging the area, disrupting the other project and 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 don’t choose one that is blazing hot. This is the optimal condition for the surfaces to dry quickly without baking cleaning solutions onto your home’s siding or brick.
If you are in an HOA, there might be requirements about how often you have your house pressure washed or whether you can do it yourself or if you are required to hire a professional. You may only be under HOA rules concerning how your house appears, but it’s really up to you to have it looking maintained.
Pressure washing is one of the fastest and most effective ways to clean your entire home. As long as it’s done the right way, it is safe for several home surfaces and can get rid of years of dirt and stains.