Power Washing Before Your Painters Arrive
The foundation of the exterior painting job is crucial to achieving long-lasting results. Be sure to clean all exterior surfaces including trim, gutters, siding, and trim before your painters arrive. Pressure washing is an effective way to remove dirt and dust. However, if you don’t use it carefully, it could cause damage to the siding.
Why Is a Clean Surface Important?
Preparing the surface is key to a good paint job. Dirt, dust, and debris can accumulate on your home’s exterior, affecting the quality and longevity of the paint job. The siding and trim should be cleaned to ensure that the paint will adhere and apply evenly. By carefully pressure washing your home, you can perform a visual inspection and find any damages that may have been overlooked.
Why Use a Power Washer?
A garden hose will not do as much as a pressure cleaner to clean your home. A hose is only good for washing off dust and dirt. However, a pressure cleaner, which has up to 50 more power, can be much more effective in removing years’ worth of grime.
How to Power Wash Your Home
Here are 10 tips for pressure washing your home.
1. Be Careful
It is important to use a pressure wash with caution and calculate your movements. Unsafe pressure washers can damage your home by etching wood or vinyl or stripping paint. They can also inject water into a siding and other openings.
2. Safety First
A pressure washer, when not used properly, can cause serious injury. Attention is needed to the direction the hose and the nozzle are pointing. The water released by the hose can be very powerful and cause serious injury, even if the person is standing far away. Wear safety glasses, gloves, and closed-toed footwear at a minimum.
3. Protect Items Nearby
Cover plants, flowers, and landscaping as well as vehicles, AC units, electrical services, and other items near your home with plastic or another suitable material before spraying. Before spraying, remove all toys, patio furniture, and other loose objects from the area. All windows and doors should also be closed.
4. Select the Right Tools
It is important to choose the right machine and accessories. To get the job done faster and more efficiently, you’ll need to use a machine that has a higher flow (GPM gallons per minute). Use a 25- or 40-degree nozzle tip to clean your house. You can also use a brush attachment to remove stubborn dirt. Use a soaping tip if you are using a cleaning product.
Use an extension wand to reach the highest points in your home, rather than climbing up a ladder. A ladder is a dangerous place to operate a pressure cleaner. An extension wand will allow you to clean hard-to-reach areas and out of reach while still standing on the ground.
5. Sprayer Test
Test your spraying skills before you spray your front house. Try it on a small area of siding. You can get a sense of the power behind your nozzle, and test out different techniques without damaging an exposed area.
6. Working in the Right Direction
Apply the cleaning solution horizontally and with a low pressure, starting from the bottom.
Be sure to spray water from the top down. This will push the debris down instead of causing it to spread around and prevent dirty water from spreading into clean areas.
7. Do Not Over Saturate
Don’t let the house become too saturated with water. It will not only prolong the drying process but could also cause water damage to the siding.
8. Work in Small Sections
Spraying small sections at a given time can help you be more efficient.
9. Allow plenty of time for it to dry
You can’t paint a house that is still wet, so allow it to dry for at least 48 hours. If you don’t allow enough time for the house to dry, painters will be unable to paint it.
10. Hire Professionals
If you are unsure of the best way to pressure wash before painting your home, hire a professional. Professional home painters offer power washing as an extra service. They have the experience to know when and how long to dry surfaces and get them ready for expert painting.
This post was written by a professional at Fresh Painting FL. Whether it’s a residential internal or an external painting, Their team of expert painters and professionals at Fresh Painting FL in Jacksonville offers incredible service and an excellent finish at affordable prices. They specialize in residential painting and internal and exterior painting, and we pride ourselves on being reliable, honest, and hard-working. Click here to learn more.
