What is the correct technique to pressure wash your home?

This time of year, most home owners are preparing their homes for summer entertainment. It’s a great time to gather family and friends and enjoy your home both inside and out. Many of our customers choose the early summer as a great time to pressure wash their exterior. Monarch Painting and Power washing specializes in all aspects of pressure washing. Jorge and our crew are very knowledgeable about the best techniques to protect your home and keep it looking great!

However, there are several important guidelines to follow when pressure washing your house. If you as a homeowner are planning to pressure wash your own home, there are some important pieces of advice that you should have.

Possibly the most important factor about pressure washing your house is the pressure with which your surfaces are cleaned. Exterior home siding should NEVER be washed with high force. It is not necessary to use high pressure in order to get your home looking amazing, and it’s just downright dangerous!

Spraying with too much force can be a very costly mistake, permanently damaging the exterior of your home. When it comes to other areas such as decks, vinyl siding or windows, the pressure that is used should not exceed 1500 psi. Some materials require even lower psi such as softwood or cedar shake shingles. If the correct wash solution is applied for the appropriate amount of time, a high pressure wash is not necessary. Using too much force on a home exterior could disturb the oxidation, which could permanently damage your home exterior and require costly remediation or repainting the siding.

What is “oxidation”?

It is a fact that most homes have some amount of oxidation. Oxidation is a white powdery coating on exterior surfaces that is caused by a chemical reaction from the material that your home is made out of and the sun light. Over the years, depending on sun exposure and which way your home is situated, you may notice a discoloration in the siding. At first glance it may seem that your home exterior is lighter in color due to sun exposure. However, by running your fingers on the surface of your home and observing your hand, you will see that there is a light white or gray chalk like dust that is removed by touching.

This oxidation is completely normal and cannot be removed by power washing or pressure washing. If you try to use a high PSI to remove the oxidation from your siding or home exterior, it will be a very expensive disaster! When you get your home power washed, it is not possible to remove this oxidation. Some people may try to blast it off with high PSI. This should NOT be tried. By applying high pressure water all over this chalk-like substance, you will create the look of scribble lines all over the washed area, which can have the appearance of graffiti. This damage is permanent, and cannot be removed by a pressure washer. The only way to remedy this error would be to paint the affected area, which could run between $2,000 and $8,000.

When do I need a lot of

pressure?

For services such as an asphalt driveway or a concrete walkway, a higher psi is appropriate. 2500 to 3500 PSI is what you need to get these surfaces squeaky clean! At Monarch Painting and Power Washing, we are knowledgeable about how to safely soft-wash your home. We know the appropriate pressures and products to us depending on what type of surface and build up you have. We are prepared with the appropriate ladders, tools and safety equipment necessary to get this job done right! We will treat your home like it was our own!

For more information and tips about your next painting or proper power washing, keep an eye out for our upcoming blog posts…

• Do you power wash windows?

• What are the best solutions to use for power washing?

• What types of products are the best to remove driveway discoloration and staining?

• How can you power wash pavers?

• Can you power wash vehicles, boats and more?

• Should you power wash before you paint th

e exterior of a home?

• Are there benefits to power washing every year?

• How can you power wash an historic property? What are the best products to use and some considerations for my project?