Pressure washing around your home is a great way to keep your property looking fresh. But the “pressure” part of pressure washing should be taken seriously. Water coming out at around 3,000 psi can take off years old dirt, but can also damage parts of your home.
When it comes to the siding of your home make sure to double-check which material it is. A lot of homes are built with vinyl siding, which is a popular choice for many house-builders around the country due to it being a more cost-effective material compared to brick or wood. But, with the power of pressure washing, this can cause damage to the siding of your home. This is where a professional company or contractor can come out and assist you and get rid of the guessing game and potential damage which would cost a homeowner more money in the end.
When it comes to other materials that can be used as siding on homes, homeowners have a better chance of using a pressure washer themselves instead of hiring a professional. Wood and Brick are much harder materials than vinyl siding, meaning that the pressure washer will not cause damage. When it comes to being a DIYer homeowners have the choice to rent out a pressure washer for around $35-$175 a day meaning that you could revamp your house with a little bit of money and some elbow grease. When you have these tougher materials as the siding of your home, the risk of damage is minimal especially when compared to vinyl siding. But remember that the risk is still there.
One risk a homeowner could come into when pressure washing wood siding is the chance of ruining the paint. Most brick homes of course do not have paint on them, but of course, in the case that you do have painted brick on your home, you should be cautious. The power of the pressure washer has the potential to begin to chip off the paint and reveal the base layer of the siding itself. Once that paint is gone then you will be paying more than just what you paid for a pressure washer rental to repair the damage.
Finally, there is another risk with all sidings that homeowners could run into, and that is the risk of having water penetrate through the siding and go into the walls of your home. As mentioned above, vinyl siding can crack, beyond that, the wood siding could be rotted, and brick caulking could be outdated. This combined with the pressure washer could lead to further unseen damage which could come up in the future.
So with those risks in mind, please consider hiring a professional if you have any doubts. A homeowner cannot put a price on peace of mind. But if you do decide to pressure wash your property yourself please be sure to check what materials are around your home and take the proper precautions so you do not make a costly mistake. And after all, Pressure Washing businesses are professional, they will come with the best practices and the best product to assist you in cleaning your home. They run a business after all, a homeowner can do all the research they can, but you can trust a professional to do the best job possible.
Thank you to Keller Pressure Washing and TC Clean Power Washing for assistance with the article as well as permission to use theirs before and after photos! If you require any pressure washing services here in Northeast Ohio do not hesitate to contact either of them.