Important Reasons and Benefits of Power Washing Your Home

You probably clean the inside of your home on a daily basis - but what about the outside? The outside of your house gets daily exposure to dust, ultraviolet rays, rain, mold, dirt, leaves, and more. At least once a year, you should devote a few days to cleaning the outside, and not just for aesthetic reasons!

Most homeowners choose to power wash their homes to keep them clean and vibrant. Sure, you can choose other methods, too, but power washing is viewed as one of the best methods to get everything in order. If you're wondering why, here are some of the reasons why power washing is your best bet.

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The Benefits of Power Washing

Protect Your Home from Damage

Excessive dirt can cause your home to deteriorate over time. Tons of homes develop a buildup of algae, moss, and mildew along the walls, roofs, and gutter. If you let this grow, the moss can easily retain moisture and be a host to contaminants that can slowly eat away at your property. It's not uncommon for shingles to rot from water damage, leaving you with a persistent leak during the rainy season. Leaf-filled gutters can also collapse under the weight of wet leaves, which can lead to expensive damage.

Regular power washing helps scrape off all those contaminants and leave your property fresh and structurally sound. Depending on your climate, you might need to time your power washing right before the rainy season. For example, the services of a power washer in Burlington are best hired once or twice a year.

Identify Problem Areas

Did you notice how your power bills are slowly increasing over the months? Gaps or leaks in the roof may be the reason for this problem. Gaps in the roof can ruin the insulation, causing temperature fluctuations in your property. Unfortunately, you might not notice this problem quickly because of the dirt and debris cloaking your shingles.

Hiring the routine services of a power washer in your area can help prevent problems like these. For example, an experienced power washer in Mercer can quickly spot cracks, dents, gaps, or crumbling spots in your roof and inform you ASAP. This way, you can replace the damaged shingles and prevent the problem from becoming worse.

Paint on a Clean Surface

Ideally, the exterior of your house should be painted every 5 to 10 years, depending on the siding material. This will help maintain its value and keep your property looking fresh. Unfortunately, you can't just slap paint directly on the wall. You need to clean it first and make sure every inch of the surface has been scrubbed of dirt. Painting on your exterior wall without cleaning it creates an uneven surface. It also makes the paint peel off easily, which means you'll have to paint again within the year.

A good power wash preps the surface and guarantees the quality of the paint job. In some cases, all that your house needs is a good power wash without the added paint. With a good clean, paint tends to brighten up, giving your property a brand new look.

Protect Your Home's Value

Strictly speaking, a dirty home will not change the appraisal value of your property. However, it will make it harder for potential buyers to look at your property favorably. How can they see themselves living in the property if it's not clean and fresh looking? Of course, you might not plan to sell your property anytime soon. However, allowing the dirt and grime to stay on will have a long-term effect on the house. It can cause contaminants to eat away at your property, leaving you with a damaged wall or a rotting gutter. This damage can easily lower the value of your property.

Increase Your Property's Value

If you plan to sell your property at some point, a good power wash would help increase its selling value. Specifically, you can add as much as $15,000 to the selling price according to the National Association of Realtors. Since most people perform a power wash before painting, the value of the two combined can be used to increase the selling price of your property. There's no question that the clean exterior of a property adds to its appeal and encourages prospective buyers to offer more for the property.

Save Money in the Long Run

On average, the cost of replacing your roof can be anywhere from $12,000 to 15,000. In contrast, hiring a power washer in Middlesex will cost you less than $500 at a visit. Even if you have your property power washed twice a year, you'll find that it's still far cheaper compared to replacing your roof because of preventable damage.

The long-term savings can extend to other parts of your property, as well. Concrete driveways last longer if they are routinely cleaned free of moss, mildew, and grass. The same is true for fences, walls, pool sides, patios, verandas, and other parts of the property. Maintained properly and with frequent cleaning, practically all parts of your home will last longer and save you the cost of replacement.

Access Hard-to-Reach Surfaces

Power washers release a long jet of water that helps you reach even the toughest parts of your property. Drainage pipes, gutters, and even corner portions of roofs are incredibly easy to clean with the help of power washers. You can adjust the stream so you can hit precise surfaces no matter how high up they are located. Since water easily flows through even the smallest cracks, you can be sure that even the smallest collections of dust can be washed away with professional pressure washing.

Maintain Healthy Surroundings

Most people don't realize just how bad mold and mildew can be to your respiratory system. You might find yourself sneezing often, having breathing problems, or having an allergic reaction. Spores coming from mold can quickly trigger these reactions, leaving you vulnerable in your own home. Even if the growth is outside the house, you'll be surprised at how quickly it can seep through the window and into your home. Mold and algae growing in between the roof shingles can also move down and make their way into your HVAC system, contaminating your entire home scarily fast. A good power wash can scrape off any contaminants or growths on your property.

Many homeowners also have the interior floor of their garage power washed for a thorough clean to keep the interior smelling fresh and spore-free.

Minimize Accidents and Injuries

As of 2020, around 156,000 injury-related deaths occurred in one's own home. This number went up by 18.9%, which is disappointing considering how many of those are preventable. Falls make up a large percentage of home accidents which typically occur in bathrooms or kitchens. Driveways are also common places for a person to slip and fall. This happens even with a concrete surface if dirt, grime, and mold are allowed to overtake the area. When wet, the surface can be very slippery and cause people to fall, especially during the rainy or snowy season.

This is why a power washer in Hunterdon is encouraged before the wet season starts. A good clean keeps the concrete surface rough and easy to grip while walking. With a bit more care on your part, you can minimize the chances of slipping on the surface. For homes with little kids or seniors, this is very important! If strangers frequently walk on your driveway, such as postal workers or couriers, a slip-free walkway also keeps you safe from possible injury lawsuits.

Save on Time and Work

Obviously, you can clean your property even without the use of a power wash. You can grab a brush and start scrubbing on the surface, but how long will this take you? Depending on the size of the property and the extent of the grime, the whole project can take days, if not weeks.

You can rent a power washer and do the job yourself or have a power washer in Somerset professionally do the job for you. A professional power wash saves you time and effort, but in either case, the process can now take just a single day to accomplish, giving you more time for leisure.

Incredibly Easy to Do

Power washing also doesn't take much work to master. If you plan to clean a small part of your property, renting a power washer is the cheaper option. You don't need special skills or training to operate the equipment.

Of course, for more complicated jobs, it's best to hire professionals to perform the power wash. This is best if you plan to have the roof soft washed; professionals have the right tools and techniques to access your roof and get it cleaned within the day. Professionals also have a whole arsenal of soaps and cleaning materials to address any problem. Excellent power washing services can apply detergent to quickly remove mold, polish the surface, and apply a coating to prevent further growth. For brick driveways, professional power washing companies can also re-sand the crevices to keep the bricks intact after washing.

Clean with Environmentally Safe Materials

If you're concerned about the environment, power washing is an excellent choice to keep you faithful to your cause. Power washing companies often have a selection of cleaning liquids to choose from, and you can opt for materials that have minimal environmental impact. You can also choose to just use plain water; pressure washers are powerful enough to remove even the toughest molds without the use of additional cleaning chemicals.

Using plain water also allows you to feel confident about letting the water run down your driveway and soak in your yard. The soil can suck up the water and hydrate your plants for better growth. No matter what part of the house you clean, you can be sure that the power washer will produce stellar results without adding to the burden on the environment.

Get Rid of Vandalism

Vandalism is a perfectly good reason to call the professionals in. Note, however, that it takes a bit of know-how to remove vandalism. It depends not just on the material used to make the mark but also the surface where the mark is located. For example, if the vandalism is paint on paint, it might be better to paint over the markings. However, vandalism on concrete may be removed with the help of detergent and a power washer.

Get a Thorough Clean

Power washers are very good at cleaning off even the toughest stains, also note that special cleaning solutions are now designed to target specific issues ex. rust, Iron, Calcite, Efflorescence. If done correctly, you can easily remove mold and deep-seated dirt that would take hours to remove manually. Even the residential variety can produce jets of water within the range of 2800 - 3200 psi. This makes it incredibly efficient in removing stubborn dirt that's been stuck on the surface for years. Power washer nozzles can be adjusted to spread out or focus the jet, depending on the specific needs of the situation.

Flexible Cleaning Capacity

Power washers are incredibly versatile. You can use them for your driveway, for wooden materials, tiles, roof shingles, statues, and other materials. The water pressure can be adjusted depending on how you plan to use it, ensuring that there won't be any damage. This lets you clean anything from rattan furniture to a concrete driveway. It can also be used to remove dirt and debris on gutters or scrape off the mold and mildew from the roof. Some power washers come with attachments that let you spray soap directly on the surface to soften the debris before removing it altogether.

Multiple Cleaning Options

Professional power washers offer an array of services to clean your property. There are soft washes that are designed for the exterior of your home, roof washes, and commercial fleet washes meant for heavy vehicles. You can also have solar panels washed with a purified water feed brush without causing damage to the sensitive surface of the panel. Professional power washing companies offer both residential and commercial services with reasonable prices.

Can You DIY Power Wash?

Power washing is something you can do yourself, but why would you? Most homeowners opt to hire professionals for the job, as it produces a more thorough clean compared to DIY effort. Here are just some of the benefits to finding professional power washing services in your area.

Extensive Power Washing Knowledge

Professional power washers have in-depth understanding of different surfaces, dirt, and cleaning materials. They know the best cleaning chemicals to use on specific items and which ones can cause damage to the surface underneath. This is crucial information that takes a lifetime of learning, especially if you don't know enough about your home's structure.

Equipped With All the Right Tools

If you want to clean specific surfaces, it's not enough to have a power washer. Certain parts of the house require the use of additional tools or equipment to create a complete clean. For example, cleaning the roof requires a stable ladder and safety gear for homes and buildings taller than 3 1/2 stories, to prevent the cleaner from slipping off the surface. Professional power washers also come equipped with industrial-type pressure washers that can throw out powerful jets from a standing height. This creates a safer working environment and more satisfactory cleaning results.

Experienced Cleaners

Professionals have a deep understanding of cleaning procedures. They know exactly where to look and what to do so they can deliver a thorough clean. For example, you might not even be aware of some parts of the house that needs a good clean. In contrast, these areas are familiar to them and form part of their daily routine. In situations where a clean surface affects the overall life of the product, it's best to rely on the experts.

Safety Precautions

This isn't their first time on the job. Professional power washers have done this before, and they know exactly what to do to maintain a safe working environment and property protection ex. tape off outlets, keyholes for doors and light fixtures. They'll be equipped with all of the right tools and safety materials to guarantee zero injuries while at work. This is crucial, since homeowners may be held liable for injuries experienced while working on the property. This also keeps homeowners from putting themselves in unfamiliar and dangerous situations.

Third-party Liability Coverage

Of course, the employees aren't the only ones covered by insurance. Most power washing companies are also covered by third-party liability insurance. This guarantees that if damage occurs while in the process of power washing your property, you will be compensated for it. Let's say the roof gets damaged during the power wash; the liability insurance will cover the costs of fixing the roof. The same is true for any other part of your property, as long as the business is at fault. Is that a bad thing? Of course not! A good power washing company should have third-party liability insurance as a way of keeping their customers safe and secure. This keeps your mind at ease as you have professionals work on your most valuable asset.

Fast Cleaning

Of course, there's also the fact that power washing takes time and effort. Compared to your typical manual cleaning, power washing is significantly faster. However, the time difference between a DIYer and a professional when power washing is also considerable. It might take you a full day or even the whole weekend to finish your whole driveway. Professionals, on the other hand, have systems that make the power washing process easy. They already know exactly where and how they will start the process, allowing them to quickly finish the job within the day.

Quick Return to Use

A quick cleaning process means you'll be able to quickly use the space as needed. If you're having your driveway cleaned, then you obviously can't use it during the operation. Professionals have the capability to start and finish the project quickly so you can park and drive away without any issue. There's no idle time to speak of! This is especially useful if you're having specific parts of your house cleaned. For example, the deck, bathroom, or the patio are all heavily-used spaces on any property. Having them cleaned within a single day guarantees that you'll have them when you need them!

Choosing a Good Power Washing Company

Find a local company with years of experience in delivering satisfactory results within the area! Keep in mind that cheaper is not always better, but reasonable quotes are always a plus. Find professional power washing services equipped with extensive tools and experienced workers who can provide you with an honest quote for their service. Feel free to ask for references or look through their website to find feedback and testimonies of past clients. This puts you in the perfect position to judge whether they're the right power washing company for you!

There's nothing quite like power washing to get stubborn dirt off hard surfaces. If you're looking to give your home a nice, refreshed look, you can't go wrong with a thorough power wash done by professionals who know exactly what they're doing. Contact Hidden Valley Outdoors today and get a quote for our power washing services!

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