Pressure washing is a way for people to clean their driveways and paths, exterior walls, and even their cars.
There’s no denying that pressure washers are handy tools to have, especially as their main selling point is how they can blast away built-up dirt and grime from many surfaces…
However, that’s also a downside of using a pressure washer. The force of the water projected on a surface can pierce holes, rip materials, speed up oxidation, and strip away paint (or other protective layers), causing permanent damage to your house!
With that in mind, is it actually safe to use a pressure washer when cleaning your home’s exterior, such as walls and sidings?
The answer is, it depends. Here’s what you need to know on the subject…
The Hidden Truth About Pressure Washing
Some people believe that anyone can use any pressure washer to clean the outside of their houses. The truth is, using the wrong combination of pressure washers, cleaning solutions, and techniques can be potentially catastrophic.
The following examples illustrate why proper research and care must get taken before using a pressure washer on a home’s exterior:
Too Much Pressure Is A Bad Thing
Firstly, pressure washers operate at up to 3,300 PSI (depending on the type used). As you can imagine, such pressure is extreme and can do some real damage to any surface that it meets.
There are applications where such force is a must and won’t cause any damage. However, high PSIs for home exteriors like walls and sidings are never a good idea.
High Pressure Strips Away Protective Layers and Speeds Up the Oxidation Process
What causes vinyl siding oxidation?
The sun is what causes vinyl siding oxidation.
If you see any chalky or white on your finger, then your siding is likely well along in the oxidation process. The other tell tale sign is a slightly white haze that the vinyl starts to show. This is because the sun has lightened the vinyl and taken a toll on it.
You can’t easily block the sun but your siding has a built in layer of protection. If properly cared for, vinyl siding can last MANY years.
But if you use high PSI pressure washing, it strips the layer and speeds up the oxidation process. And if you’re house is heavily oxidized, a high-pressure wash can make it look worse.
Flying Debris Can Damage Neighboring Properties
When pressurized water makes contact with a surface, it can easily dislodge anything loose or broken and send it flying in the air several feet away.
If a piece of loose masonry flew into the air after contact from a high PSI pressure washer, it could potentially hit a neighboring property and cause damage by marking wood, plastic, or even smashing glass.
Expensive Damage Can Occur To Your Home’s Exterior
When you use a pressure washer without adjusting the PSI for the application, you could cause real damage. For example, a high PSI pressure washer used on exterior walls could damage mortar between bricks, sidings, and even strip away layers of soft wood.
High Pressure Can Potentially Strip Underlying Lead Paint
It’s no secret that pressure washers can be useful tools for stripping away paint from surfaces.
If you don’t know the history of your home well enough, you could unintentionally strip away lead paint from underlying paint layers if the force from your pressure washer is too strong.
Soft Washing: A Safe Yet Effective Alternative
By now, you’re probably thinking that pressure washing a home’s exterior isn’t a good idea. Thankfully, it’s possible to do so safely and effectively by using a technique known as “soft washing.”
At Premier Power Wash, it’s our only technique for cleaning the exterior of any house. Here’s why it makes perfect sense:
Safe For Use On Exterior Walls And Sidings
The reason soft washing gets used for exterior walls and sidings is that it’s a safe method of achieving results. You aren’t going to have bricks, mortar, wood, glass, or sidings damaged during the cleaning process.
Doesn’t Strip Paint Or Protective Coatings
Soft washing is kind to paint and other protective coatings, and you won’t have to worry about paying for things to get painted or re-coated for protection against the elements. The only thing that soft washing removes is dirt and grime.
Won’t Damage Wood Or Glass
Does the exterior of your home feature a lot of wood? If so, the good news is that soft washing won’t damage those natural materials.
What’s more, soft washing techniques like the ones used by Premier Power Wash won’t cause any damage to glass in windows and doors.
Ideal For Historical Properties
Do you worry about the potential damage that pressure washing can cause to your historic home? If so, you can rest assured because soft washing is ideal for period properties where greater care and consideration are required when using commercial cleaning solutions.
Extends the Life of Your House
An experienced pressure washing technician can remove staining and organics that can eventually damage your siding permanently. And by using the correct PSI with soft washing, you’re not damaging or stressing your siding. High pressure on the other hand, stresses the siding of your house, which sometimes is unnoticeable to the naked eye. But in time, repeated high pressure will shorten the life of your siding. This is why we only use soft washing techniques.
What Makes Our Soft Washing Technique So Good?
When it comes to exterior house washing, the soft wash technique employed by Premier Power Wash is your ideal solution. But why should you consider it compared with other cleaning alternatives? Take a look at the following reasons:
Special Technique Perfected Over 10 Years
At Premier Power Wash, we’re incredibly proud of our soft washing solution and have many satisfied customers. One of the reasons it’s such a successful service is because it’s something we’ve perfected over ten years.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Solutions
Another reason to love our soft washing service is that we use eco-friendly, biodegradable cleaning solutions. We don’t use any harsh chemicals that can cause oxidization or harm the environment. Plus, they’re excellent at extracting grime and creating lasting results.
No Missed Spots
Having the right tools and solutions is one thing, but they are useless in the wrong hands – which is why our fully-trained professionals ensure no stain goes uncleaned. We’re so sure you’ll love our service that we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
No Worries About Unwanted Damage
Lastly, when you use Premier Power Wash, we help you achieve a sparkling clean exterior for your home without causing any damage.
You have total peace of mind knowing our cleaning techniques and solutions are sympathetic to the materials and construction of your home.
Next Steps
If you’d like a free, no-obligation quote for soft washing at your property, contact us today at (319) 450-7075.
