Home Owner House Washing Tips

How often should you have your house power washed? Well it really depends on the region you live in. Natural contaminants such as mold, algae and mildew can collect on vinyl, wood and aluminum siding as well as on stucco and brick. These circumstances can be more of a dilemma for a home that is sheltered by trees; the dimness permits humidity to be more present helping the contaminants to grow. Other contaminants that can accumulate on your home’s exterior are bird droppings, bug fecal and spider webs. Some homes are more vulnerable to these impurities than others. Again it really depends on your area, but receiving a house washing service trailed by a bug treatment around the perimeter of your home can really help eradicate the bug pollutants and spider webs. Those living in close proximity of a major highway or an airport will have exhaust emission pollutants collect on their homes in the appearance of gray to black grime. The positive aspect is all of these contaminants and pollutants can be removed by a professional exterior cleaning company to bring back your homes appearance. A good rule of thumb is to have your homes exterior cleaned every couple of years.

Deck Cleaning News

Having your wood deck properly maintained every couple of years is a great way to protect its beauty and value. Some home owners neglect their wood deck so long that it becomes an eye sore. A deck that is cleaned and sealed correctly, with the right cleaners, sealers and methods, will remain in good condition for several years. To have your deck looking good all the time, maintenance is required every couple of years. Maintenance methods will differ with every deck cleaning company but usually it will include a light washing and a re-seal of all the horizontal surfaces like the deck floor, steps and top hand rails. Every second maintenance coat, or every forth year, the entire deck needs to be washed and re-coated including the rim boards and spindles. Being on a deck cleaning maintenance schedule like this with a quality deck cleaning company will mean a beautiful looking deck that you and your family can enjoy for many seasons.

Deck Cleaning Review

Deck cleaning and sealing maintenance are very accepted services among home owners who recognize how important it can be to the life expectancy of their deck. With cleaning and sealing, the largest factor in doing the job correctly is choosing the proper cleaners and sealers.

Preparing the wood suitably is just as important as the superiority of sealer that will be used. The most frequent reason a sealer falls short of expectations is because the wood was not prepared appropriately. It will not matter if the sealer being used is extremely expensive if the wood is not prepped appropriately the sealer will fail ahead of time.

Another reality to note is that wood is in fact very soft and can be brutally damaged and marked up from a high pressure washer. It is probably best to practice washing on a scrap piece of wood similar to that your deck was built with. If you don’t have a scrap piece of wood, try it on an inconspicuous location on your deck that is more or less out of sight.

If you are not practiced with operating a power washing unit or you don't have experience in deck cleaning, you may not want to embark upon a deck restoration project yourself. The favorable resolution is to hire a professional deck cleaning company to do the job for you.

Pressure Washing Tips

Many home owners around the country prefer to take on their own exterior cleaning projects. Some may have had a bad experience with an unethical contractor in the past or they may just enjoy the satisfaction of being a do-it-yourselfer. Whatever the case; attempting a project like cleaning your homes exterior can be a frightening task. Most accidents resulting in personal injury or property damage are caused from a lack of knowledge. You can help this situation by doing your homework and researching cleaning methods and techniques. For instance, the Vinyl Siding Institute has guidelines and suggestions for cleaning siding as do most of the major shingle manufacturers for cleaning shingle roofs. Knowing these guidelines and other pressure washing tips can make your exterior cleaning task a little easier and safer. It can also help to reduce the risk of damaging your siding, roof, deck, or other surfaces around your property.

Power Washing Your Home

Your home is probably your largest investment and you know it is well worth the time and effort to take care of it. Power washing can increase your homes curb appeal which reflects on your image. Cleaning the exterior of your home and property can also increase its value, but it can be a daunting task. Finding a professional contractor that offers power washing services can be well worth the effort and cost. A reputable contractor will have the proper knowledge, equipment, and cleaners necessary to do the job properly and in a timely fashion. The end result for you is a well maintained home, free of dirt, mold, and mildew which will cause rot and decay. Having these services done eliminates the risk of future repairs, renovations, and replacements of the building materials that make up your home. Whether you’re a do-it-yourselfer or looking to hire a contractor, taking care of your homes exterior helps to protect your largest investment.

Roof Algae Analysis

Can you really clean a shingle roof? The major shingle manufacturers say the answer is yes. Asphalt shingles suffering from a type of airborne algae called Gloeocapsa Magma can be cleaned to restore the roof’s appearance. This alga appears as black stains or streaks on your roof.

Roof algae normally first appears on the north facing slopes of the roof where the prevailing amount of shade and moisture are present. The algae lands on the roof and feeds on nutrients in the shingles, as it rains the algae is spread down the roof causing the black streaks.
This condition will deteriorate the roof prematurely by not letting the shingles reflect heat like they need to.

The good news is this alga can be killed and removed by using methods recommended by the shingle manufacturers without causing damage to the shingles. Having your algae covered roof cleaned, while the shingles are still in good shape, is a great way to save yourself the cost of a total roof replacement and insure you'll get the full life out of your roof.

Low Pressure Techniques

What does it mean when a contractor says he uses low pressure washing methods? Low pressure washing is using very low pounds per square inch (psi) of water pressure to clean with. Contractors using low pressure rely on their cleaners to do the work and the gallons per minute (gpm) to do the washing and rinsing. This method of low pressure, quality cleaners, and high gallons per minute is very effective in cleaning most anything on your property. This method also eliminates risk of damaging your property like forcing water behind your home’s siding or shredding the wood fibers on your deck.

Contractors not using the low pressure method will be using high water pressure to blast the surface clean instead of depending on quality cleaners to do the work. High pressure can no doubt damage vinyl siding, decks, roofs, and even certain types of cement and brick. Make sure you, or the contractor you hire, use the low pressure washing method.

Pressure Cleaning Your Property

Your home and property are probably easily your largest investment. Keeping them clean and free of natural and man-made contaminants will insure they keep their value. Contaminants such as dirt, mold, mildew, and algae can and will lead to rot, decay, and premature failure of the building materials that make up your home. Having your property and home professional cleaned can literally put money in your pocket by cutting down on costly renovations, repairs, and replacements. Cleaning your home’s siding, roof, deck, and concrete can also be a great way to improve its curb appeal and add value. By not taking care of your property you are certainly costing yourself money in the long run but doing the work yourself can definitely be a daunting task. You may consider hiring a professional cleaning contractor to do the work for you. Its worth paying for a good service to know your home and property are being cleaned properly.