Power washing the exterior of your home, patio and deck annually are one of the most important exterior maintenance projects that will have a lasting effect on your home. Power washing your exterior will clean the surface, remove any dirt, algae, mold, or mildew that may be deteriorating your surface. Power washing does require the correct equipment and can cause harm if not done correctly if your power washing is not completed properly, it can cause your wood or siding to split and create lines in the wood that can never be removed. That is why it is important to leave it to the professionals!
Before painting the exterior of your home power washing is an important and necessary step that can not be missed. As with any painting process prep is the key to a long lasting, professional finish. If any painting company or painter tells you that it is not necessary, RUN as fast as you can they are not a trained professional and your home will suffer the consequences. All contaminates must be removed prior to painting otherwise your paint will not adhere to the surface as intended. If you have aluminum or vinyl siding on your home, it must be power washed with the proper chemicals to prepare the surface and remove any chalkiness and ensure adhesion. If your home has wood siding and wood under hangs, chances are there is some mold growth in which we will need a mildewcide added to the power washing to ensure the mold growth is eliminated prior to painting. The proper pressure and tip on the power washer are also very important to ensure there is no damage to the surface that is being washed.
Before staining or sealing your patio or deck it is extremely important to completely power wash the surface before any coating is applied. Failure to properly prep and wash the surface will ensure your coating will not last and will not have a smooth even looking finish. When power washing your deck, it is necessary to know the proper pressure and tip to use as well as cleaner, so the wood does not become damaged. With a patio (cement or paver) knowing this is a porous surface it is important to make sure the pressure washer is getting into all divots and pores of the surface.
While power washing your exterior may seem like an easy DIY weekend project it is important to have the knowledge of the proper products and pressure to use. You can easily ruin your wood or surface with just a bit too much pressure or worse injure yourself or someone else with a pressure washer. Knowledge of your surface, pressure, and chemicals that are needed is best left to the professionals at Top Shelf to ensure an injury free, clean, quick result.