Did you know that home improvement retailer sales are on an upward trend?
In fact, its current estimated value is at $391.2 billion in the United States alone. Within the next three years, it’s expected for the sales to grow into $442.9 billion.
What this means for homeowners is that they have more choices when it comes to these products. If you want to start a life somewhere else, you can pack and buy your old house. If it’s old, pressure washing a house is a great way to make it look fresh once again.
But what are the things you need to know about power washing a house? Read more and learn the necessary information:
The Best Power Washer and Other Factors for House Siding Cleanliness
Do you want to clean your house within a single afternoon? If so, you need to get the right pressure washer with the correct attachments. You need the right detergent to ensure that you start your cleaning right.
What’s the Difference Between Gas and Electric Washer?
When it comes to your choice of a pressure washer, a heavy-duty gas-powered one is more ideal. The simple reason behind it is the fact that pressure washing the siding of your house involves major work. What this means is that you need to get a higher flow rate machine to finish the job faster.
An electric-powered washer can do the job well. But when it comes to the duration, it takes around three times longer. That means you might not finish the job within a single afternoon.
What is the Ideal PSI and GPM for Pressure Washers?
For power cleaners, you need a brand with at least 2.3 GPM. You don’t need to worry about the PSI since it’s mostly irrelevant. The main reason is the fact that your machine’s nozzle and the distance of the wand from the surface determines PSI.
Pressure washers that come with 2.3 GPM have at least 2,600 PSI. Keep that in mind if you want to buy a good washer. That makes it less likely for you to have problems while washing your home.
Should You Rent or Buy?
Most pressure washers aren’t that expensive considering the amount of use it will see. That’s why it’s more preferable if you buy one. Home Depot rentals can cost you around $100 per day but you only need to pay around $300 for a new one on Amazon.
What this means is that using it three times a year already pays for your investment. Using it more than that makes it more worth its value. But as always, check your situation and see if this solution applies to you.
What to Do Before Starting to Pressure Wash Your House
The last thing you want is to damage your home or injure yourself. That’s why it’s important to know these simple reminders when power cleaning your home.
1. Use Eye Protection
This is mandatory since your eyes are precious. It’s always troubling to see DIY’ers and homeowners doing a home renovation without eye protection. Look at all the professionals in the industry-they all wear protective gear.
It isn’t that complicated. Wear safety-rated sunglasses to ensure that your eyes don’t get injured no matter how minor the washing is going to be.
2. Avoid Using Ladders
Ladders and pressure cleaners contradict each other. The reason is the fact that the pushback coming from the wand might cause you to lose your balance and fall to the ground. It’s more common than you think since around 3 million people get treatment in emergency rooms due to fall injuries.
Most commercial pressure washers won’t use ladders due to these risks. As alternatives, these people will use scaffolding or elevated work platform vehicles. At its simplest form, these professionals us extension wands to wash hard-to-reach places.
3. Beware of Power Lines
If your home has power lines connected above the ground, keep that in mind. It also applies when you have power lines running along your property’s edges. Remembering where they’re located is important since they’re safety risks.
Don’t attach an extension wand and touch it to the power line. Otherwise, you’ll risk electrocution.
4. Clear Your Area
Another simple way to avoid safety risks is to clear your property of toys, bikes, and other things. This decreases your chances of tripping on them while cleaning your home. It’s also important to clear your house siding of bushes.
Clearing the bottom part of this siding helps make it easier for you to clean those dirt-prone areas.
Tips on How to Powerwash a House
The best way to ensure you have a safe and successful pressure wash is to hire a power washing service. It’s great since you can leave the dangerous places to these professionals. They have the right set of experience and tools to deal with your home cleaning than you can do on your own.
But if you’re determined to do it on your own, you need to follow these tips. It’s important to have a certain amount of knowledge to know the dangers while doing it. Avoid these risks by following these tips:
1. Keep Safety in Mind
If you operate your pressure washers in an incorrect manner, you might be in danger. A high-pressure water blast has the means of damaging property. It can even give you some serious injuries.
Newer pressure washers can take paint off your house. That means it’s important to wear protective gear aside from goggles or sunglasses. You need to wear gloves, boots, and long sleeves to protect yourself.
Always keep your attention to the nozzle’s direction when activating the sprayer. Ensure that no one else is there and plan how you move the stream. It’s always wise to stay careful around windows, overhangs, doors, and screen enclosures.
These things have the most vulnerability to damage from the pressure washer’s stream. Also, avoid using it when it’s windy since it can blow the stream right back at you. It’s important to keep your attention on the entire system since each component is under pressure and can break after prolonged use.
2. Don’t Overdo the Pressure
Not all jobs need the highest pressure setting. When cleaning your home, you should select the lowest setting. That way, you won’t end up causing some surface damage to your walls.
Always remember that different systems have various setting levels. Others regulate their pressure by using interchangeable nozzles. If you need to know how to change the pressure settings, consult your manual.
3. Know Your Machine’s Limits
There are some persistent stains that won’t come off. It doesn’t matter how high the pressure level is-some stains will remain. In fact, if you try too hard, you’ll end up causing damage to your surfaces.
For example, if your driveway isn’t sealed and has oil spots, forget pressure cleaning it. It won’t come off regardless of the equipment you’re using. Some other substance stains are impossible to remove, such as:
- Fertilizer
- Acorn
- Rust
It’s easier to remove mold and mildew from your home. But if you’re dealing with these stains, know that it will always leave some sort of residual marks. Don’t waste your time and resources with these hopeless endeavors.
4. Know Your Own Limits
Without proper training and experience, you have limited cleaning abilities. All you can do is to apply some basic pressure washing around your premises. That’s why it’s important to call for professional help when it gets too difficult for you
There are a lot of things that can go wrong when you do it by yourself. That means it’s important to avoid major cleaning tasks. If your house needs a major cleaning, you need to call in someone with the right set of tools and experience.
Don’t hesitate to call for help when you need to clean a multi-story home. There’s no shame in getting professionals to clean your roof. After all, the latter is dangerous to work on since it’s easier to get damaged.
5. Protect Your Other Assets
Pressure streams and chemical runoffs can damage your cars and plants. That means it’s important to cover them up while you’re pressure washing your home. Rinse them with water before, during, and after you clean your house exterior.
Using water helps to dilute the chemicals and avoid damaging your lawn. It’s an important process if you want to get the best lawn on the block. Do this at the start since dried leaves absorb chemicals faster than wet ones.
Start Pressure Washing a House Today!
It isn’t easy to pressure wash your home. It’s a major home improvement project that needs the assistance of professionals. This ensures that you’re safe and you won’t do any damage to your property.
But if you’re confident with your handyman skills, use this guide. It helps you know what to consider before buying your own pressure washer. This helps make pressure washing a house easier and safer.
Do you need to become involved with your community? Check out our guide here and learn the importance of community spirit today.
