There is more to pressure washing than cleaning driveways. Much of the work we do in the South Huntington area is related to cleaning residential exteriors. The thing is, exterior house cleaning is not as straightforward as it might seem because a home’s exterior is actually an agglomeration of various components.
These components are fashioned from different materials and fastened to the house using a variety of methods, some stout, others surprisingly frail. Each component of the exterior, then, must be thoroughly understood if we are to get it as clean as possible without causing damage.
The Different Parts of a Typical Home Exterior
If they were constructed in the past 80 years or so most homes in the US share similar characteristics, regardless of their architectural style. Each has an overhanging roof, a gutter/downspout system, a soffit and fascia system to seal the roof overhang, siding, decorative trim, and more.
Depending on when the home was built the materials used to create these components will be different. Pressure washers need to be aware of the materials and construction techniques used in order to ensure they leave things clean, and not damaged.
Let’s look at the challenges posed to pressure washing services by each of the different components of a typical home exterior.
The roof
With all due respect to the walls and foundation, the roof is the first line of defense against the merciless onslaught of nature. The typical roof takes a beating and you would think because of that it would be an ideal candidate for power washing. Not so.
With few exceptions taking high-pressure water to a shingle or roof tile is asking for trouble and should be avoided at all costs. If someone offers to power wash your shingled roof ask them if they’re insured, because they’re going to wind up causing a lot of damage.
The walls
The walls provide a shield against wind and whatever is being carried on the wind, and they make it possible to maintain environmental control within. The typical house wall consists of a wooden frame, ½ inch drywall on the inside, ½ plywood on the outside, a moisture barrier on top of the plywood, and then any vinyl, wood, or aluminum siding or brick. Most exterior walls are also filled with fiberglass insulation (though some homes use other insulating materials).
When pressure washing exterior walls on Long Island homes, care must be taken to use the right amount of pressure for the material involved. Bringing the same amount of water pressure to bear on vinyl siding as on brick could result in the siding peeling right off the siding right of the house.
The windows
Many people are surprised to learn that most windows with vinyl or aluminum frames can be effectively pressure washed. But it’s important that only someone with extensive experience should do so. That’s because there are myriad considerations that come into play when power washing windows. For instance, the state of the caulking and weather stripping and whether or not the windows have built-in screens. (If they do, those screens should be removed and washed separately.)
Those who just blaze ahead with power washing windows in an effort to save time may overlook damage to the weatherstripping or caulking. As a result, water may penetrate the exterior wall and compromise insulation, cause frame rot, create electrical hazards, and promote the growth of mold.
The doors
Doors, especially front entry doors, are typically built to withstand just about anything. As such, inexperienced power washers may not think twice about turning the high-powered water on the door in an effort to clean it up quickly. But while exterior doors are generally very tough they sit in a frame and the state and quality of that frame must be taken into consideration before pressure washing the door.
When we regard a door frame we’re looking for things like signs of rot that could be exacerbated by turning a power washer on them. If the framework is vinyl or aluminum we need to make sure it is securely fastened to the house before washing it. And of course, we don’t want water to blast into the house under or around the door so we need to consider the state of the seal and weatherstripping.
The soffits and fascia
The role of the soffits and fascia is to seal the underside of the roof overhang against the elements. In older homes, these important building components were fashioned from wood. These days they are often made of lighter and more fragile aluminum or vinyl.
Before we can start cleaning this part of the house we need to determine the material used and whether these components are securely fastened to the house. If they are not, high-pressure water could peel them away from the house causing extensive damage and allowing water to infiltrate the exterior walls and perhaps even the attic.
The gutters and downspouts
Nobody thinks about the gutters and downspouts on their house, mostly because they tend to do their job reliably year after year. But when it comes to power washing a home’s exterior care must be taken regarding these important components. Older gutters may be fashioned from wood, while nearly all new gutters and downspouts are either aluminum, vinyl, galvanized steel, or copper.
The material used is important because something like galvanized steel will stand up to much higher pressure than vinyl. Regardless of the material, the condition of the connections must also be taken into consideration before simply turning a high-powered nozzle on gutters and downspouts.
The trim
The trim is another component of the home exterior most people don’t think about. Until that is, it comes time to paint or wash the house. Only then do they realize just how much trim there is and what an important role it plays in both the practical and aesthetic life of the house?
The trim surrounds everything including the front and back doors, all the windows, the garage door, and more. In older homes, it will typically be fashioned from wood, and in more modern homes, aluminum or vinyl. Before we point a high-powered pressure washer at the trim we need to know it is securely fastened to the house and that there are no leaks or weak points. If the trim is wood we need to be sure there are no places where it’s rotting.
Why You Should Always Use Experienced Pressure Washing Services
Different parts of the house will require different approaches from the power washing technician. If you hire an inexperienced power washer or someone who does it as a side job to earn a few bucks, you open the various components of your home’s exterior to damage. And if the person you hired is not fully insured good luck collecting on any of those damages.
Experienced pressure washers understand that power washing a house is not a brute force exercise, but one that requires an understanding of the materials and risks involved and a nuanced approach to the various components.
Majestic Windows & Exterior Cleaning: Don’t Settle for Less
Power washing is a great way to restore the exterior of your home to its intended beauty. But it’s a process that requires a deft hand and extensive experience working with and around the various components of the home. Make sure your pressure washing experience is a good one by enlisting Majestic Windows & Exterior Cleaning to do the job.