Just like anything else, your home's exterior becomes less visually appealing with the accumulation of dirt and grime. The build up is slow so you might not notice that your house is looking less vibrant and not really showing its best side anymore. A common comment after cleaning the outside of home is "Wow! That's a huge difference."
In order to give your home a good cleaning, you need to acquire a power washer. A washer can be purchased from home improvement stores for a few hundred dollars up to around $1,000. The higher prices units have a pressure rating of approximately 3,000 psi, which is really more than most homeowners will require. A rating of 1,200 psi to 2,000 psi will be sufficient and these washers sell for much less than their larger counterparts. In the alternative, a unit can be rented for around $60 per day.
A pressure washer can be used on any typical siding although there are guidelines to keep in mind for any surface type:
Do not aim the washer at people. The pressurized water is very dangerous and can puncture skin and cause eye damage. Power washers are not just fancy water guns!
Do not spray power washers at windows or electrical boxes.
Make sure your windows are closed so that overspray does not get inside the house.
Start at the top of the house and work your way down.
Begin spraying at about three feet from the wall and slowly bring the power washer nozzle closer until the washer is working effectively.
Additionally, there are guidelines specific to the your siding type.
For wood siding, move the power washer wand parallel with the siding and do not hold the water stream in one place. This prevents the water from gouging out portions of the wood and marring the surface. If you were to hold the pressure washer on one spot, it would slowly dig a hole in the siding.
For stucco homes, be aware the surface can be washed away and to hold the washer nozzle back far enough that you are not removing the surface of the stucco.
For vinyl siding, be sure not aim the water stream up at the wall as this will force water under the siding. Spray level or at a downward angle to avoid this.
Using these tips you can clean your home and give it that "like new" look again. Just be aware that you will get very wet in the process so a raincoat might not be a bad idea. This might be the most fun you have ever had cleaning your house!
Many websites provide additional information on the topic of exterior siding. One such site worth visiting is http://www.ACIPrefinish.com
Eric Parish independently author's articles for WebDrafter.com, Inc. ( http://www.webdrafter.com ) for search engine marketing. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those solely of the author, and not of any other person, company, or organization. No guarantee or warranty, express or implied, is made regarding the accuracy, fitness, or use of the content herein.
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