Will Pressure Washing OR Power Washing Damage My Siding?
This is a question that we are often asked over and over again during the busy seasons. When you are rejoicing that spring is finally here, you may notice that the exterior of your home has mold and mildew on the siding, especially in areas that are highly shaded. Homeowners often ask the question, “Will the pressure cleaning of my house damage the siding?” This is absolutely a service that is NOT for do it yourselfers—this must be done by professionals and we will tell you why.
Contact KEVCO Building Services to schedule an appointment for pressure washing throughout the DC Metro area!
Why Pressure Washing Should Be Left to the Professionals
For most people, their home is the single largest investment they will make in their lifetime. If you think of it in those terms, one would understand that when providing any service to your home, you should only hire a professional. They have the experience and the expertise—experience is the BEST teacher!
So the question still remains about pressure washing your home, and the answer is this. Your home will NOT have damage IF you hire a professional. Below we will discuss the reasons.
Reasons Why You Should Hire a Professional Pressure Washer
Professional contractors have the highest quality equipment; the most important to the piece of pressure cleaning equipment is the pressure cleaning machine itself. It has to have variable pressure settings. If you don’t know what you are doing and use a pressure that is too high (referred to as PSI), you could possibly damage the siding.
Here are the top four reasons to hire a professional pressure cleaner in the DC area:
- You could harm your home. A majority of the time when pressure cleaning the siding, you are shooting or aiming up and, because siding has vents, water can get up in there and you can potentially accelerate wood rot between the siding and your home.
- Low pressure needs to be used with detergents that are bio-degradable. Many times, if there is a tremendous amount of dirt and mold, using just plain water will not take care of cleaning the siding. The detergent needs to be an algaecide and fungicide so the mold will not return as quickly. A contractor that is not well versed in the proper chemical composition may use the wrong detergent for you siding and damage can occur.
- A professional knows how to protect your landscape. Many times a forgotten item, if the proper precautions are not taken to landscaping, damage can occur. Several steps to keep in mind to prevent the damage such as pre-wetting of the landscape—plants, grass, and anything else that’s in the path of the pressure washers. Tarping the landscaping with the proper tarps works well too—sometimes used in combination with the pre-wetting of the landscaping.
- Pressure cleaning professionals are licensed. Does the contractor you are using have the proper permits and licenses to operate in your area? I hope so because if they don’t and something occurs, Harry Homeowner could have a “situation” on their hands!
How to Pick a Professional Pressure Cleaner
So the best piece of advice that we can give is this: When you are in need of pressure cleaning services, do your homework! Ask your friends who they have used, check references and whichever contractor you hire, make sure they have the proper permits and licenses to perform services in your area, have professional equipment, and make sure they prepare your landscaping by pre-wetting and tarping the areas that need it! You won’t believe the difference that a little bit of pressure will do to remove the mold and mildew from your siding and like magic, it will look virtually brand new!
Looking for peerless, expertly trained professionals to provide for your residential or commercial pressure washing service needs? Contact KEVCO online today, either for single-service or for routine cleaning!
Blue Corona