Rinse your way to a gleaming dream home
Your home is your haven, and you want it to look as beautiful as possible. To keep your exterior looking its best, you’ll want to pressure wash it annually. Despite the name, pressure washing is not as daunting as it seems. In fact, it’s a quick and efficient way to clean dirt and grime off your home.
But don’t pick up that high-powered hose just yet. Learning how often you should pressure wash your house and what tools to use for the best results is important. Read on for tips to pressure wash your house safely and effectively.
Pressure washing can be dangerous and damage your property if not done correctly. We highly recommend hiring a pro to ensure the job is completed safely and correctly.
Pressure washing is when you use a strong stream of water to blast away dirt, soot, mold, and other unsightly grime. One main benefit of pressure washing is that you can usually reach most areas without a ladder.
There’s only one main difference between pressure and power washing: the latter uses hot water, and the former doesn’t. Because of the extra heat involved in power washing, this method is more harsh and can cause damage to softer surfaces like wood and aluminum siding.
Power washing before and afters are not that different from pressure washing results, so pick the kind of washer that works with the material you’re cleaning.
Deciding how often you should pressure wash your house largely depends on where you live.
Mold and mildew thrive in warm, humid climates. But you’re not off the hook if you live in a cold area—wind and rain can deposit a lot of dirt on your home. The more mold, mildew, and dirt your home collects, the more often you’ll need to pressure wash. And the same goes for a coastal locale, where your siding may be more susceptible to accumulating sand and dirt from sea water spray. You’ll need to plan on more frequent cleanings whenever your home is more exposed to the elements.
Sap can collect on your home if you live in a rural area with lots of trees. Similarly, a nearby dirt road can wreak havoc on your siding. City-dwellers aren’t in the clear, either—let’s not forget about the soot and pollution of populated areas.
Regardless of where you live, it’s smart to give your house a thorough pressure wash at least once a year, though you may need to do it as often as every few months. A good rule of thumb is to run your finger along your siding to see how much dirt is there. If it’s a thick layer, it’s time to pressure wash.
Pressure washing is a great way to add curb appeal to your home; it also keeps mold and mildew at bay. Also, dirt and grime can break down your home’s paint and cause wood to rot, so getting ahead of the problem can stop expensive issues before they start. Another plus?
Pressure washing lets you clean those hard-to-reach places without vigorous scrubbing—and these reasons also happen to be why you should pressure wash your roof, too.
If you’re not up to pressure washing your house yourself, hire a power washing company near you to take the job off your hands.
When pressure washing a home, it’s important to be mindful of how much water you’re using. A high-pressure, low-volume nozzle can help reduce water waste.
The cost to pressure wash a house ranges from $100 for small areas to $650 or more for an entire home. On average, it costs $0.10 to $0.50 per square foot to pressure wash a house. If you go the DIY route, you’ll save on labor costs, which run about $25 to $100 per hour.
If you do the job yourself, you’ll have to rent or buy pressure washing equipment. You can expect to pay $35 to $175 per day to rent a pressure washer or $100 to $1,000 to buy one.
While labor costs are considerably less when you DIY pressure wash your house, you’ll only save money if you have the right equipment. Hiring a professional to pressure wash your home means you don’t have to rent or purchase a pressure washer—and store it in the off-season. Pros also have the skill and experience to quickly and effectively wash your home without damaging more delicate materials like brick or stucco.
Research is always the first step before hiring anyone to clean your house. During your initial contact, ask these questions to determine if it’s worth your while to have them come look at your house or if it’s better to go with someone else:
Are you licensed and insured?
What’s your service area, and do you charge a traveling fee to come out and provide an estimate?
Can you provide past referrals on similar projects?
What is your cleaning process?
Do you, and if so, how will you wash my windows?
Can you pressure wash the gutters too?
If the initial screening sounds like a go, book an appointment to have the contractor do an onsite estimate. Once they arrive on-site, here are a few additional questions to ask:
How much does it cost to pressure wash my house?
How long will the cleaning take?
Is there any guarantee with your service?
Can you adjust to my schedule for the cleaning? Do you work on the weekends?
If you like the results, you can also ask if they offer any return client discounts for future washes.
In general, the best time to pressure wash your house is when there are periods of optimal weather. If it’s consistently raining and snowing, odds are your house will just get dirty again right after you wash it. Instead, plan to do a project like this in late spring, between April and the beginning of June, or at the beginning of fall. Along with fewer clouds in the sky, these moments are also typically warm enough to keep you from freezing while working with water.
Believe it or not, it’s actually safer to pressure wash vinyl siding than it is metal or wood. Vinyl is surprisingly damage-resistant and can handle up to 3,500 pounds of pressure per square inch (or PSI). You’ll still want to take the necessary precautions—like using the right tips and covering delicate exterior home elements—to avoid damage entirely.
You can pressure wash wood, but there are a lot more risks involved than with other materials. Unpainted wood is susceptible to chipping or cracking under extreme amounts of pressure, and painted wood is likely to peel during the washing process. You’ll need to use a much lower amount of pressure to ensure problems like these don’t occur—avoid going higher than a max of 1,500 PSI.
