Pressure washing which is also referred to as power washing is the best way to clean your house of mold and mildew. It is also a must to prep your home for painting and other projects. Basically pressure washing a house's exterior will clean dirt and build up from the atmosphere off your siding material. One thing to be careful about is when pressure washing a house is not the same as a drive way. Only low pressure (around 300 psi) should be used. A high pressure spray will damage the siding material. Your first question to a pressure washing contractor should be 'what pressure do you clean with'. If they use high pressure (more than 300 psi), drop them like a hot potato! If you will be doing the job yourself, be sure your pressure washing unit has a house wash tip with it. If you plan on getting a new coat of paint on your house, it is essential to get the house washed. This will create a clean foundation for the paint to adhere to.
Pressure washing a house is safe for almost all siding products like metal, vinyl, brick and hardy plank. Again this only applied to low pressure techniques. High pressure on brick and mortar will most likely damage it. Vinyl siding is also easily damaged if care is not taken. If your house has wood siding then low pressure cleaning will also keep it looking good. To clean the house a mixture of cleaning agents is mixed into the water that is sprayed onto the house. After sitting for a few minutes it is then rinsed off. For moldy siding a mix of bleach is an excellent cleaner. For wood special detergents are needed that will not damage wood fibers. If you are just needing a general cleaning then an all purpose house wash mix will be used to remove the grime that has built up on your house over time. Most of these cleaners can be found at local home improvement or pressure washing stores.
To get started you will need to find a local rental place and obtain the proper size unit. I suggest a quality brand such as a Karcher power washer. Since you will be using low pressure to clean your house a unit of around 3000-3500 psi will be more than enough. The only reason to have this much pressure is to reach the high eves of a second story house. How do you get low pressure out of 3000 psi ? You need to use a special tip on the wand, sometimes called a house wash tip. It has a large hole which creates a lower pressure stream but with more volume. This will bring the psi down to around 300 psi. To mix in the cleaning material the unit should have a 'down streaming' function. This is a small hose you put into a bucket of cleaning solution. When you start up the unit a vacuum is created that will draw up the solution and mix it with the water as it comes out the hose. This usually creates a mixture of around 5-1 or 7-1. You will need to read the cleaning solutions directions to be sure you are using the correct amount of solution.
The best way to actually clean your house is to start at a corner. Slowly work your way across to the other end of the house. As you go spray the stream of water down at the bottom of the house and work your way up to the eves of the roof. Always work from the bottom up, this will reduce the chance for streaks to appear. Be sure to saturate every inch of the side you are working on. If you do not then you will have spots where the bleach and cleaner did not touch. Once you get to the end of the house you will need to pull the 'down streaming' hose out of the cleaning solution bucket and go back over the side of the house again, this time with only clean water coming out the hose. Thoroughly rinse the siding. You should now be done with that side of the house. Put the 'down streaming' house back into the solution bucket and begin the next side of the house.
Start with the nozzle about 3 feet from the wall and work your way closer until you feel the spray is strong enough but not too strong. Never get closer than 12 inches from the siding or you may damage it; do not point it at windows and avoid aiming it upward, where it might drive water under the siding. Remember, this is extremely high pressure, so never point the nozzle at anyone and be sure to wear safety glasses. Also keep the wand, the water, and yourself away from any electrical wires or devices.
Protect any plants, light fixtures, or other breakable objects around the house with plastic bags, duct tape, and drop cloths. Move obstacles and outdoor furniture away from the house. A pressure washing unit is no toy. Be sure to wear safety glasses and do not underestimate the power of water. Never point the wand at anyone at any time. Power washing is the best way to clean your home hands down. If you decide to buy your own unit check out a Husky pressure washer or other name brand. Cleaning your house with a pressure washer is not very hard and will result in a nice shiny house you will be proud of.
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