Pressure washing. It’s something that most homeowners have heard about, but not necessarily experienced. We’ve come to realize after being in the business for over 20 years that there really is quite a lot of misinformation about it floating around. We get on phone calls with prospective clients in Long Island and they’ll ask us things like “But won’t it blast my deck to pieces?” or “Doesn’t it just do the same as what my garden hose does?”
It’s for this very reason – and to have a place to direct people to in the future – that we decided to put together this post on some of the biggest myths out there relating to pressure washing.
Pressure Washing…What’s the Truth?
You may not have come across all of the pressure washing myths that we’re about to share, but we’re pretty sure you’ll have heard some of them. Hopefully this helps to inform you if you are thinking of hiring someone for pressure washing in Long Island.
Pressure Washing Will Damage Your Property
While we can’t deny that this is impossible, it’s extremely unlikely if you’re careful about who you hire to do the job. If you just search for “pressure washing company near me” and hire the first company you find, even if they have little to no track record, then you can expect some problems.
Untrained or inexperienced pressure washing contractors might not know how to properly use the equipment or how different materials and surfaces need to be treated – some are much more vulnerable than others and need to be treated with care.
Bottom line, take your time in selecting a pressure washing contractor and absolutely make sure they have a proven track record of success and the references or customer testimonials to back them up. If you do that, your property will not be damaged.
Pressure Washing is Only Suitable for Large-Scale Jobs
Pressure washing is well-suited to large jobs. That much is true. But it can equally be used to clean smaller areas. You see, it’s not just about the area you can cover with a pressure washer, it’s about the difficulty of the stain or dirt that you’re trying to remove. On extremely tough stains it can save you a TON of time compared to trying to manually clean the same area.
So this one is a complete myth. Pressure washing is well suited to jobs both large and small.
Pressure Washing Requires No Training
Pressure washers are freely available for purchase in most big box stores. Many folks think that means there’s no training required to use one and that the average DIYer will be able to do the job just fine. Why pay out the extra cost on professional pressure washing services if it’s not necessary, right?
We can’t tell you how many calls we receive in Long Island from homeowners that thought something similar, and then ended up doing some pretty serious damage to their property. As we mentioned earlier, not all materials and finishes are created equal. Some can tolerate more pressure than others. But if you don’t have the knowledge and experience that is only acquired through proper training, you won’t know these things.
So be careful with pressure washing if you don’t know what you’re doing. You could do more harm than good, and end up putting a real dent in your pocket, which is what you were trying to avoid in the first place.
Pressure Washing is Only Needed When Things Get BAD
There’s this strange misconception – we don’t know where it originates from – that pressure washing is something you only seek out when things get seriously bad. Like your home has to be absolutely filthy or an industrial-scale oil spillage has taken place. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The idea with pressure washing is that by doing it little and often – once per year is ideal – you can protect your property and extend its lifespan. If you wait until things get truly dire, that’s no good. It’ll cost you more and it won’t do your home any good.
Pressure Washing Any Type of Surface is Fine
This is a mistake that most novices make. They think that you can point the pressure washer at anything, and the only thing that’ll happen is that it’ll come up clean. While it is suitable for lots of different types of surfaces – concrete, pavers, stone and wood to name but just a few – other surfaces, like vinyl siding, are far more sensitive and must be soft washed instead.
All Pressure Washing Does is Remove Dirt and Grime
People have a tendency to think that the pressure washing benefits we’ve described above are the only ones. Sure, they’re the most obvious and perhaps most important benefits. But don’t look past the rest. It also destroys organic growth – things like mold and mildew – and prevents it from becoming a mainstay on the exterior of your property. This makes your home a healthier environment to live in. Pressure washing and keeping your property free from this dirt and grime will also help it to stay in good condition for longer, maintaining its curb appeal as high as possible.
If you’re still on the fence about pressure washing for your Long Island home or business, give our team a call today. With over 20 years of experience, Majestic Windows and Exterior Cleaning can answer any questions you may have to put your mind at ease.