Did you know that it’s just as important to wash the exterior of your home as it is to clean the interiors?
What do we mean by that? Well, we’re talking about pressure washing the exterior of your home. Pressure washing involves using water under high pressure to loosen dirt, grime and debris from the outside walls of a home.
However, before you wonder, “should I pressure wash my house” hear us out. While pressure wash is highly beneficial, trying to do this all by yourself could do more harm than good for your home’s exterior.
Why You Should Be Careful To Pressure Wash Your Home
Though pressure washers are commonly used and available, there are plenty of dangers when doing so. It may seem like a pretty straightforward task to do, but these dangers can lead to you having to perform extensive and very expensive repairs on your home.
So to save yourself the trouble, here are just a few that you should watch out for;
1. Water Seepage Into Your Walls
If your home happens to be made from a wooden frame – or if it has any type of woodwork on the outside, this kind of damage can occur.
This mainly occurs when high pressure is used on the walls of your home’s exterior. High pressure allows water to seep into crevices in the wood, which evaporates very slowly.
When this happens, it leads to:
- Mould formation
- Plaster to crumble
- Cupped flooring
- Wet attics
- Damaging insulation and wiring.
So, if you choose to pressure wash your home yourself, then make sure that you use the correct type of nozzle and pressure – and maintain the proper distance from your home’s walls.
2. Brick And Mortar Can Be Damaged Too!
If your home is made of brick, right now, we’re sure you’re thinking that water damage won’t be a problem for you. That’s where you’re wrong.
While using a pressure wash machine will clean your brick home efficiently, it could also lead to chipping away part of the mortar. When the mortar is loosened, it ends up weakening the mortar.
And boy, let us tell you that fixing a problem like this will cost you a fortune.
3. Gouged Out Wood
Painters use pressure washers to clean up the wood and remove old paint before starting on a new paint job. While hardwood can withstand pressure, softer wood is easily damaged. Apart from causing water seepage, this can also lead to cracks and holes being blasted through your walls.
Also, if used incorrectly, a lot of high pressure can damage window panes, screens, glass and much more!
So ensure you take stock of the condition and material used on the siding of your home – so you know the appropriate pressure to use.
4. Remnant Lead Paint
It’s crucial to contain and properly remove lead paint from your home’s exterior.
When high pressure is used to remove lead paint, it ends up causing lead paint chips to be blasted everywhere. This can then get strewn all over your yard and mix in with your garden’s soil.
This is dangerous because your neighbours can come in contact with it, or kids and pets can ingest this debris – which could be hazardous to their health.
5. Your Home’s Electricals
Stay clear away from any electric panels, wiring or fixtures that are on the exterior of your home. This could lead to severe property damage and very costly repairs.
Also, be sure to keep away from any light fixtures on or around your home’s exterior. High pressure can cause the fixtures to loosen or even the bulbs to break.
6. Pay Attention To Your Gardens
The force from a pressure washer – even on its lowest setting – can damage the delicate leaves and stems of your plants. Make sure you always keep away from these areas or use low pressure settings when washing parts of your home’s exterior that are close to your garden.
7. Your Home’s Gutters
It might seem like the only way to properly clean out your gutters would be through a pressure washer, but it’s actually advisable to remove debris by hand.
Once done, rinse with a hose or on a very low-pressure setting to get your gutters completely clean.
And before we forget, if you use a pressure washer on your home’s roofing, make sure you use a low-pressure setting. High pressure can loosen shingles or even cause you to lose balance as you clean!
Pressure Wash Advantages To Your Home
It’s not all bad! Pressure washing your home comes with a whole host of benefits when done correctly.
And here are just a few of them;
- Cleans your home of grime, stains, and bird droppings.
- Improves the overall aesthetic of your home’s exterior
- It helps spot problems in the foundation (like uncovering cracks), so you can attend to them quickly, saving yourself a lot of money in the long run.
- It helps get rid of mildew and mould from your home’s walls.
- Great for your decks, railings, driveways, fences and any metal or tough outdoor furniture.
If you choose to wash your home’s exterior yourself, ensure that you wear protective gloves, glasses and any other safety equipment that you need.
So Why Not DIY?
While we are always a fan of all things DIY – in this instance, we strongly recommend having your home’s exterior washed by a professional home cleaning service.
The reason is, aside from saving you a lot of time and energy, this kind of job requires the right type of knowledge and experience.
Professional services know the right way to handle different materials and can tackle unforeseen incidents more effectively.
When choosing a service, you should ensure that they perform both high and low-pressure cleaning services.
At NexDo, we try to make sure that we present all the tasks we perform for a home exterior washing and the service price as transparent as possible. With our experience and extensive knowledge, we’re sure to be able to handle any of your home cleaning needs!
