In our local area of western Kentucky, it is common practice that once every year or two, many homeowners pull out the pressure washer and spends the day spraying their home to clean it. But without the proper knowledge and equipment, you could be causing serious damage to your home.
What Could Go Wrong?
There are numerous things that can go wrong with DIY pressure washing. In this post, we hope to share some knowledge that many homeowners are unaware of, and help inform you on how to clean your home safely, or what to look for when hiring a professional to clean it for you. Your home is your safe haven and its also an investment, and they involve some TLC from time to time. It’s easy to tell that you care about taking care of your home or you wouldn’t be taking the time to read a post such as this one. So we want to ensure you know the main dangers of home owners cleaning their home’s themselves or hiring someone that doesn’t have the proper knowledge and equipment to clean your home safely and effectively.
To Much Pressure!
It is a common misconception that the higher the pressure a machine can put out, the better it will clean. This is untrue and is the biggest reason for damage being caused to homes. Your siding, roof, deck, and even your concrete are not designed to withstand the 3-4 thousand psi that a common pressure washer puts out. This can lead to discoloration of your vinyl siding, chipping your wooden deck or fence, an even permanently etching your concrete. The industry standard for cleaning your home correctly is through specific cleansers that are designed to remove the dirt, algae, mold, and any other contaminant that is on your homes exterior surfaces. Using these cleansers requires about the same pressure that comes out of your garden hose. Surfaces like concrete require higher pressure to remove the dirt and grime but no where near the pressures that come out of the average pressure washer. The issue is that most people pressure washing their home rely on this pressure to remove the contaminant from the surface because they are either just using water alone, or using some kind of soap that is actually doing nothing to kill the algae and mildew growing on their homes. The green and black stains on your exterior surfaces are actually living organisms that are not killed with soap and water. Using pressure may remove the sight of it, but it doesn’t kill it, which means it grows back 3 to 4 times as quickly as using chemical cleaning solutions that kill it at the source. You may not see the results immediately of using high pressure year after year, but it is severely shortening the life of your siding, roof, decks and patios.
Oxidation Nightmares
Oxidation happens when water is forced into the pores of the material that has oxidized, such as vinyl siding or wood, this can happen naturally just from rain and from direct sunlight, but is greatly increased when your house is cleaned using high pressure. If your home has discolored lines in it, or a chalky substance comes off when you rub your hands across the surface, it is most likely oxidized. It can often times be fixed by applying specific cleaning chemicals to it and scrubbing off the oxidation, but can be very costly and time consuming. The best way to ensure you avoid these situations is to use appropriate pressure and the right cleaning solutions when you have your home cleaned.
Lack Of Knowledge Using Professional Cleaning Solutions
Some home owners or local pressure washing services are aware that pressure is bad for cleaning their home, but lack the knowledge of the chemicals they are using to clean their exterior surfaces. This can cause huge problems. If the chemical is applied to a surface at incorrect amounts, it can permanently damage the material being cleaned. Also, If you are unaware of how to apply the chemical, it can cause lines in your siding that are irreversible. Also not having the expertise in property protection, you can ruin doors, kill plants, and discolor the surfaces being cleaned. Make sure you know the correct ways to use the cleansers being used before you apply them to your home.
Your Safety Is The Most Important Thing
There are many factors to consider concerning safety when pressure washing your own home. Some things that can go wrong is water getting into exterior electrical outlets and lights, causing fires or sparks, also the tips on your pressure washer can come off at high speeds, hitting someone or damaging property. Its also best to consider your health when using cleansers designed for professional use. It is best to always wear the proper PPE (personal protective equipment, Including but not limited to, safety glasses, rubber gloves, and a respirator designed to block vapors of the chemicals being used. If this is slightly overwhelming to you, it is best to hire a professional with the expertise to safely clean your home while protecting your property as well.
Things To Consider When Hiring Someone To Wash Your House
We have shared some of the dangers of DIY pressure washing and hope you have learned some things about how to safely clean your home. If you have decided that you want to make sure your home is cleaned safely and correctly and want to hire someone, consider some of the things from this post when considering who to have clean your home. It’s best to find a legitimate and insured company with the equipment and expertise to perform the service correctly. Hopefully this post has given you some insight you may have been unaware of, and has better equipped you to either clean your home safely, or some things to consider when hiring someone else. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us at 270-908-3842, we’d be happy to help in any way we can!
