Power Washing for Best Results

​Many people, especially amateurs trying to do things themselves, do not really consider the importance of power washing their surfaces before painting and this is mostly because most of the tutorials they follow online do not specify the essence of power washing. The truth is, it is a very essential aspect of preparing your exterior surfaces before painting. One major reason why it is very important to clean your home’s exterior before painting. It is that a clean exterior means that your paint project will last longer. Basically, painting dirty exteriors shorten the lifespan of your paint job and should not be considered. 

​Why Power washing?
Truth be told, power washing isn’t always the best way to get dirt off your exterior. But it definitely is the easiest way and with power washing, you can reach areas that hand washing cannot reach. This is why it is much advisable to use power or pressure washing. With this type of washing, you can force really tough stains off the sides of your exterior and really reduce the amount of dirt on it generally. So, for most, hand washing is the most effective, but it is incredibly burdensome and tiring and should only be considered in the absence of power washing.
​

​Essential Tools for Power Washing
Most power washers come in gas or electric powered models but since you have to treat your exterior gently, you may not need a high-power gas washer; thus, an electric washer would suffice. If you are washing a two-story house, a high-volume gas power washer with a special nozzle attached would be efficient for cleaning the upper areas of the house without having to climb ladders or any such platforms. When choosing a cleaning solution, choose something that is made for power washers and one made for cleaning home exteriors. Do not use bleach or solutions made from bleach as they may damage your power washer or kill your plants if improperly applied.

Washing the Exterior
When washing the exterior, remember that the whole point of using the power washer is to wash it not to strip it of old paint. Most power washers have the strength and capacity to take off paint, but it is advisable to take on stripping with a scraper and sandpaper and, if need be, with a heat gun. So, it would be wise to avoid removing the paint with the power washer.
​
Three Steps to Washing the Exterior of Your Home
First, you have to knock off the big gunk with plain water. This is and should be done before adding the cleaning solution. Here, the goal is to remove all visibly big gunk like insect nests, leaves and molds that have formed on your siding. Next step would be to clean the siding surface with a solution. This step should be completed when the siding is not in direct sunlight. To do this, fill up the power washer’s tank with the cleaning solution and spray the siding with the solution mixed water, working from top to bottom. The last step is a fresh water spray without any solution.

​Power Washing Results
The benefits with power washing are numerous. Just the adhesion aspect of your primers and finish coats alone are reason to always take this preparatory step. Your exterior paint finishes will last a lot longer. Furthermore, while doing the surfaces to be painted you can always freshen up the surrounding areas. This help give your fresh new paint job the “pop” it deserves.

---