How Often Should You Pressure Wash Your Home?
Pressure washing is a fast option after your house starts to look drab and outdated. Within just a couple of hours, your house can be renewed to its beautiful appearance with nothing more than high pressure water.
You can rent power washing equipment at most home improvement stores, or you can hire a Mesa pressure washing service. It might be a little more costly upfront, but you don’t have to deal with returning equipment or the risk of damaging your house because of lack of training or experience.
However, power washing can damage your home just as fast as it can renew it. The pressurized water is powerful enough to break windows, damage siding and ruin shingles. Therefore, you really have 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 heavily on where your house is and weather factors around that location.
Most pros recommend having your house pressure washed each year or, at least every 2 years.
Any pressure washing service that tells you that more frequent cleanings are necessary is just trying to squeeze a little more money out of you. However, it’s your house, and if you love the way it looks shortly after a cleaning, you can power wash your house several times each year.
By simply touching the wood or siding of your house, you will be able to tell if it needs a cleaning. The presence of dirt, mud and grime can stain the outside of your house permanently if it isn’t removed periodically, so you might have to change from a set schedule if you notice too much buildup between cleanings.
Pressure washing sometimes can be harmful, but not doing it enough can leave your house looking lackluster more than it should. It’s necessary to note that modern building materials, particularly vinyl siding, are very resistant to stains, mold and mildew. These types of materials protect your house between power washings.
Why Pressure Washing is the Preferred Method
Pressure washing is much safer than scrubbing the outside of your house because you won’t have to climb up and down a ladder with a rag and a bucket while dragging a garden hose. Pressure washing can be accomplished from the ground in almost all residential situations.
Mold and mildew are living organisms that eat away at home exterior surfaces and make their way into your house. They are not very easy to get rid of, yet it is really easy for these organisms to create colonies on your house, especially on the north side where it usually doesn’t get as much direct sunlight or wind as other sides of your house.
Plus, power washing eliminates more dirt and grime than manual hand washing.
Factors that Affect Your Home’s Exterior
All of the following items can negatively impact the appearance of a home. They are all factors that have to be considered before you decide to call a nearby pressure washer or try to do the job yourself.
CLIMATE
Factors like humidity and weather events create a perfect environment for mold and mildew. If your home is in an area that is rainy, you might also have wind and rain splashing mud onto the exterior of your house.
ENVIRONMENT
Pollen, pollution and mold can be more of a threat in some areas than in others. Living in a rural area or near an unpaved road will determine what types of environmental factors affect your house more.
HOME CONDITION
If you do decide to have your house pressure washed, it might be a smart idea to have chipped siding replaced so the high water pressure doesn’t do any more damage. Pressure washing can also worsen a peeling paint issue.
EXTERIOR FINISH
The processes used for pressure washing are unique to your home’s exterior (brick, siding or paint) and the section of the home. For example, for roof cleaning, a pressure washing company will use soft washing instead of power washing to protect the shingles. And, the results can vary widely.
When to Pressure Wash Your Home
Choosing the optimal time to have your house pressure washed is just as important as determining how often the service has to be performed. There are different times throughout the year when power washing would be a total waste of time and money. Different times, however, a professional pressure washing service can benefit you in more ways than just appearance.
WEATHER
Do not waste money on power washing in a rainy season. You’ll just end up with mud stains and mildew at the end of the season anyway. Winter, as an example, isn’t the best time of year. Pressure washing is most useful at the end of a season, whether it’s spring, summer, fall or winter.
BEFORE/AFTER HOME PROJECTS
Don’t plan to have your house pressure washed while you are having other projects done on your house. Rock, brick or siding might not be tightened into place during a renovation or repair like it will typically be, so you run the risk of ruining the area, prolonging the other project and even trapping water underneath building materials.
BEFORE SELLING
Pressure washing is a helpful way to increase your curb appeal. It’s the simple answer for all your home’s outside surfaces, including sidewalks, porches, driveways, patio furniture and wood and composite decks.
SUNNY DAYS
Choose a bright, sunny day, but not one that is blazing hot. This is the perfect condition for the exterior surfaces to dry fast without baking cleaning solutions onto your home’s surfaces.
If you live in a neighborhood with an home owner’s association, there might 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 might only be under HOA rules regarding how your house looks, but it’s really up to you to keep it looking good.
Pressure washing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to clean your entire home exterior. As long as it’s done right, it is safe for several home surfaces and can remove months of built up dirt and stains.