How Often Should You Pressure Wash Your Home?
Pressure washing is a fast fix after your house starts looking drab and outdated. Within hours, your house can be returned to its beautiful appearance from nothing more than high pressure water.
You can rent power washing equipment at most home improvement stores, or you can hire a Portland pressure washing service. It could be expensive upfront, but you won’t need 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 as quickly as it can renew it. The pressurized water can break windows, damage siding and ruin shingles. Therefore, you have to be careful how often you power 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 a lot on where your house is located and environmental factors based on that location.
Most professionals will encourage having your house pressure washed every year or, at least every 2 years.
Any pressure washing company that tries to tell you that more frequent cleanings are necessary is probably trying to squeeze a little more money out of you. However, it’s your home, and if you love the way it looks after a cleaning, you can power wash your house multiple times a year.
By simply touching the wood or siding of your house, you should 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 could have to change from a set schedule if you notice too much buildup between cleanings.
Pressure washing often can be detrimental, but not doing it often enough will leave your house looking dirtier far more than it should. It’s necessary to note that modern building materials, especially vinyl siding, are 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 outside of your house because you don’t need to climb a ladder with a rag and a bucket while pulling ahose. Pressure washing can be performed from the ground in most residential situations.
Mold and mildew are living organisms that eat away at exterior surfaces and eventually make their way into your house. They are not easy to get rid of, yet it is extremely easy for these things to grow into colonies on your home, particularly on the north side where it doesn’t get as much sunlight or wind as other sides of your house.
And, power washing removes more dirt and grime than hand scrubbing.
Factors that Affect Your Home’s Exterior
All of the following items can impact the appearance. All are factors that have to be considered before you decide to hire a professional pressure washer or attempt the job on your own.
CLIMATE
Factors like humidity and weather events create a perfect environment for mold and mildew to grow. If your home is in an area that is rainy, you might also have powerful wind and a lot of rain splashing mud on the exterior of your house.
ENVIRONMENT
Pollen, pollution and mold can be more of a problem in some areas than in others. Having a home in a more rural area or near an unpaved road will determine what types of environmental factors impact your house more.
HOME CONDITION
If you do decide to have your house pressure washed, it could be a good idea to have damaged siding repaired so the high pressure water won’t do any more damage. Pressure washing can also worsen a peeling paint issue.
EXTERIOR FINISH
The processes used for pressure washing are specific to your home’s exterior (brick, siding or wood) and the area of the home. For example, for roof cleaning, a pressure washing technician will use soft washing instead of power washing to protect the shingles. Additionally, the expected results can vary widely.
When to Pressure Wash Your Home
Determining the right time to have your house pressure washed is as important as determining how often the service needs to be completed. There are 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 appearance.
WEATHER
Do not waste any money on professional power washing during a rainy season. You’ll end up with muddy stains and mildew by the end of the season regardless. Winter, as an example, isn’t the best time of year. Pressure washing is 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 the same time you are having different projects done on your house. Rock, brick or siding could not be fastened into place during a repair like it should normally be, so you run the risk of harming the area, disrupting the ongoing work and even trapping water underneath building materials.
BEFORE SELLING
Pressure washing is a great way to increase your curb appeal. It’s the easiest 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 don’t choose one that is very hot. This is the optimal condition for the exterior surfaces to dry quickly without baking cleaning chemicals onto your home’s exterior.
If you live in a neighborhood with an home owner’s association, there could be guidelines about how regularly you have your house power washed or if you can do it by yourself or if you are required to hire a local service. You might only be under HOA rules regarding how your house looks, but it’s really up to you to have it looking maintained.
Pressure washing is one of the simplest and most effective ways to clean your entire home. As long as it’s done the right way, it is safe for most surfaces and can eliminate years of dirt and stains.