What New Homeowners Needs to Know About Pressure Washing

​One of the biggest responsibilities of homeowners is ensuring that their home is well-maintained. This means having an effective maintenance routine that would remove all the dust, grime, dirt, and bacteria present in your home. But when it comes to cleaning up brick, wood, and concrete, these exterior materials need another kind of cleaning — pressure washing. 

Many people think that pressure washing is simple as it only involves water and some detergents. However, there's actually more to consider when it comes to residential pressure washing; that's why it's best to leave it to the experts. 

Pressure washing requires the right machine and equipment, alongside specific detergents meant for certain surfaces. Besides that, you should be aware of certain pressure levels and techniques to ensure that your patio stones, exterior glass, and other fragile surfaces and materials don't get damaged. 

Although you'll be hiring professional pressure washers to clean your home, it pays to know more about pressure washing. Besides, it's always great to learn a thing or two if you need to manage the job yourself. 

Different Power Washing Equipment to Use at Home

When choosing the "best" pressure washer for your home, there really is no "best" one. But instead, the ideal power wash machine will offer you enough strength to rid the grime and dirt on your property while being lightweight, which is most manageable for you. 

Below are some of the professional-approved equipment that works great for homes:

• Gas-power machines offer significant power, making them an excellent choice for eliminating thick grime and dirt from pitted surfaces like concrete. But the downside about this is that you need to keep fuel and oil on hand, and it may be dangerous to store these at home.
  
  
  
• If you don't want equipment that produces fumes and emissions, electric power wash equipment is a great lightweight and portable alternative. Although incredibly convenient, it doesn't offer the same pressure as gas-powered machines, which is not a good choice for heavy-duty cleaning. 
  

What Can I Power Wash?

Your home's exterior surfaces are safe for cleaning with a pressure washer. These include surfaces, such as brick, vinyl siding, concrete, asphalt, aluminum, and more. 

However, some surfaces are best left for professionals to clean with a power washer, such as:

• Windows and Door Screens: These materials can easily bend and shred if cleaned with the wrong pressure, damaging your aluminum frames;
  
  
  
• Exterior Glass: Besides breaking glass, the wrong pressure can also smear abrasive grit, sand, silt, and other coarse debris that could damage your glass elements;
  
  
  
• Patios, Flagstones, and Lightweight Pieces: In some cases, the wrong pressure can displace your patio pavers, damage your flagstones and other lightweight pieces, especially if they're made of thin and brittle stone. 
  

What Should I Avoid When it Comes to Pressure Washing?

• Don't start with the highest pressure, instead start with the lowest and hold the want about 18 inches away from the surface;
  
  
  
• Don't hold the wand stationary in one spot, but instead, move the wand side to side to distribute pressure evenly;
  
  
  
• Don't pressure wash your windows yourself and leave it to the professionals;
  
  
  
• Don't forget to rinse your detergent or solvent thoroughly because they can damage your home's exterior surfaces;
  
  
  
• Don't pressure clean with pets and children around because it can cause unwanted accidents and injuries.
  

The Bottom Line: It's Always Best to Hire Professionals to Do All Your Pressure Washing Tasks

Although pressure washing seems pretty straightforward to most people, know that you'll be requiring certain equipment, products, and techniques to ensure that you do a great job in cleaning your home's exteriors. With that said, it's best to hire residential power washing services to help bring your home back into its shiny, shimmery state.

How Can We Help You?

Kingwood All-Star Window and Power Washing is the leading pressure washing company in town. We offer residential and commercial pressure washing, soft wash, roof cleaning, window washing, and more. 

Looking for residential power washing services? Reach out to us today!

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