It’s vital that a homeowner know the difference between
pressure washing services and power washing, to ensure that you keep your
home’s exterior in good condition throughout the years. Both pressure washing
and power washing have advantages, but failing to understand their differences
and when you might choose one over the other can result in damage to a home’s
exterior walls, roof, concrete, and wood decks.
Pressure washing refers
to any washing that uses water applied at a high pressure. Residential power
washing includes water heated to a high temperature, making it an excellent
choice for cleaning oily and greasy residues.
Exterior house washing, roof cleaning, gutter cleaning, and concrete driveway power washing are all vital services for any homeowner. Regular, efficient pressure washing services is an investment in your home’s appearance and condition! If you’ve put off needed residential power washing for your home and property, note some vital details about why this service is so necessary and how it can benefit your property, as well as some tips for ensuring your home’s exterior is always in good repair.
Why Your Home Needs
Pressure Washing Services
Never put off needed pressure washing services for your
home! If you’ve gone too long without hiring a power washing company near you,
note some reasons why this service is so vital and how it actually protects
your home from damage:
Roof cleaning washes away dirt, mud, storm debris, acid rain residues, and thick soot. These bothersome materials dry out roofing shingles and tiles and cause them to become brittle and crumbly, or they work their way under shingles and increase the risk of having them come loose in a storm.
Professional roof pressure cleaning also reveals areas of needed roof repairs, including sections of water damage, missing shingles, dried shingles, and damaged flashing.
Exterior house washing removes dried dust, mud, dirt, sand, silt, and other debris that cling to the nooks and crannies of brick and aluminum siding. This debris etches away at these materials and can cause cracks and eventual water leaks.
Power washing services removes bothersome mold and mildew that are unsightly and unhealthy! You’ll actually enjoy better outside air quality when you invest in regular pressure washing services for your home’s exterior walls and roof.
Algae grows under roofing shingles and tiles, eating away at their asphalt materials and causing those tiles to become loose and more likely to fall away or blow away in a storm. Pressure washing services removes algae and kills all growing roots and spores of mold, moss, mildew, and algae.
Exterior house washing cleans away cobwebs, insect nests, termite tunnels, and other areas used by insects and pests to get into your home. Not only will you be less bothered by bees, hornets, spiders, and other pests while outside your property but they’ll also be less likely to get into your home and cause damage or become a nuisance to your family and pets.
Moss and other materials growing along a pool deck are not only unsightly but they also create a slippery surface that is downright dangerous! Chlorine and other pool chemicals also settle onto a pool deck and nearby fencing and other surfaces, resulting in eventual damage. Professional pressure washing removes these residues, keeping your pool area safe and free of potential damage.
Sand, silt, mud, dirt, and dried dust work their way into the pits and pores of concrete and patio pavers and stones, etching away at these materials and leading to long-term damage. Rinsing these surfaces with a garden hose is insufficient for removing ground-in dirt and other debris, but sidewalk and driveway pressure washing ensures a thorough cleaning.
Mold and mildew growing along the surface of wood decks and fences will eat away at that wood, while mud and other debris can soften it and cause cracks and splintering. Pressure washing services removes that damaging debris and protects wood decks and fences from damage while restoring their color and appearance.
Professional gutter cleaning services remove thick mud and other residues from gutters, keeping them free of clogs and ensuring rainwater rinses away rather than pooling around roof eaves and a home’s foundation.
Gutter brightening services cleans away unsightly mud streaks from the outside of gutters.
Exterior house washing and other pressure washing services improve your property’s curb appeal in an instant, restoring the color of outside surfaces and removing layers of dirt, sandy residues, dried dust, and other debris.
Professional Power
Washing Contractor Advantages
Many home improvement stores today rent out pressure washing
equipment and this might make it seem like power washing your home’s exterior
surfaces is a simple job you can handle on your own. However, there are many
advantages to choosing a professional power washing contractor versus trying to
“DIY” needed exterior house washing, roof cleaning and other exterior pressure
washing tasks:
A professional power washing contractor has
state-of-the-art equipment that you typically cannot rent at a home improvement
store! They will also have a variety of nozzles that work with pressure washing
wands, making quick work of cleaning large surfaces on your property or washing
away thick, dried mud and dirt.
Power washing might seem simple enough but the
wrong tools and techniques might damage your home’s exterior walls, windows,
window and patio door screens, aged brick, and wood surfaces. It’s also easy to
dislodge patio pavers and exterior brick along walkways when you misuse a power
washer.
A professional power washing contractor will
know the detergents to use and techniques that create less wasted water,
minimizing their impact on the environment while protecting your lawn and
landscaping from damage.
Pressure washing a home is often more dangerous
than you might realize; running electrical cords around pools of water can
expose you to the risk of shock, while water splatter can be hazardous to your
skin and eyes. Trying to clean upper stories of your home or the home’s roof
while on a ladder is also dangerous and puts you at risk of falling and
suffering serious injury.
A professional power washing contractor will
know how to get a home cleaned thoroughly. They won’t overlook nooks and
crannies around a home’s exterior or the valleys along the surface of a roof.
Professional pressure washing services also ensures that all pits and pores of
concrete and patio pavers are cleaned without anything being overlooked!
Working with pressure washing equipment might
also be more of a hassle than you realize. Electric pressure washers often
require long extension cords or access to an outside power outlet, while
heavy-duty gas-powered power washing equipment requires the addition of fuel.
These machines are also heavier than many homeowners realize and don’t often
fit in the trunk of a car, so that you might also need to rent a pickup truck
or pay for delivery and pickup of the equipment. In the end, it might be more
cost-effective to simply hire professional pressure washing services.
How to Keep Your
Property’s Exterior in Tiptop Shape
While regular pressure washing services are the best way of
keeping your property’s exterior in good condition, there are many things you
can do throughout the year to ensure that your home and outside surfaces look
their best. For example, you might invest in gutter or leaf guards; these are
screens that fit over the tops of gutters, to keep out leaves, twigs, and other
debris. Clean gutters are less likely to clog and allow water to splash over
their sides.
If you have a pool on your property, consider a glass or
solid panel fence. Solid panels keep out dust, dirt, and gritty residues that
settle around the pool deck and create a mess and hazard for foot traffic! If
you have a wood fence around your property or a wood deck, ensure that you have
the wood seal coated every year or as often as recommended, to reduce the risk
of mold, mildew, and other residues forming along the surface.
Trim tree branches that hang over your home’s roof. Tree
branches drop leaves, twigs, sap, and other harmful residues onto roof tiles
and shingles, and provide a roosting place for birds that leave their droppings
behind! It’s also good to cut away vines and other vegetation clinging to wood
fences, as these hold moisture against the wood and can increase the risk of
mold and mildew growth.
To keep exterior concrete and asphalt in good condition,
avoid damaging automotive fluid leaks. If your car leaks oil, put some
cardboard under that spot so that you keep the oil off the concrete or asphalt.
It’s also helpful to hose down your property’s sidewalks and driveways after
applying fertilizer and other chemicals to your lawn, and in the springtime
when you’re done using salt and other snow clearing chemicals. These residues
are harmful to concrete and asphalt and should be removed as soon as possible.
Your contractor providing pressure washing services can also
offer some tips on how to maintain your property in particular. He or she might
notice something clogging your gutters or certain stains on concrete that
indicate the need for better maintenance, to ensure your property’s exterior
surfaces stay in good condition.
