You’re proud of your home, but are you doing everything you can to keep it in great shape? If you don’t regularly power wash your home, you are missing out on an efficient and effective way to maintain the exterior of your house.
Power washing can seem intimidating. It’s a time-consuming job that requires specialized skills and equipment. It can be difficult for the average homeowner to know how often they should be deep cleaning their siding and other exterior surfaces. It can be just as challenging to find the time in their schedule to do that maintenance. It may be best to hire a professional service to handle your power washing needs. If you clean too often and you could cause damage to your finishes, but leave it unclean too long, and you may be allowing dangerous mold and mildew to fester. It can be tricky to strike the proper balance.
In this post, we will explore the various factors that can impact your power washing needs, as well as some general rules of thumb to follow for how often it is safe to power wash the exterior of your home.
How Frequently to Power Wash Your Home
If you were to ask the average homeowner what steps they take to keep their homes clean, they would likely mention things like vacuuming carpets, cleaning kitchens and bathrooms, maybe even shining up their windows. But there is one part of the house that many homeowners forget to maintain: their siding, brick, and other exterior surfaces.
When we pause to think about it, it only makes sense that these parts of the home would need regular attention and cleaning. After all, they are the part of the house that is most directly exposed to the elements. If you are interested in learning more about how power washing may benefit your home, you can request a free custom quote from Excel Residential today or read on to learn more.
Power Washing Schedule
Several factors can influence how often you should power wash your home, but there are a few tried and true rules of thumb that you can follow.
We recommend that every homeowner power wash the exterior of their home at least once every six to twelve months. Many diligent homeowners will use power washing services at significant season changes, for example, adding exterior power washing as another step in their home winterization process, or their spring cleaning, or both.
You can also use your judgment to some extent. When examining the exterior of your home, ask yourself: Does my home look dirty? Some finishes or paint colors may make dirt and grime harder to see, so we recommend running your finger along your siding to test. If your finger comes away covered in dirt, it may be time to schedule a power wash.
Location and Climate
For some homes, power washing once a year may be sufficient, but there are a few factors that can influence the recommended frequency of power washing for your house.
Has there just been a bad storm in your area? Not a regular thunderstorm, but an unusually strong storm that perhaps caused some damage to the surrounding area? Intense storms can kick up dirt, dust, and other debris and cause your siding to get dirty faster than usual. Additionally, power washing your home right after a bad storm can allow you to get a closer look at the exterior of your home to check for any damage you may not have noticed otherwise.
Another factor to consider is whether or not you have any major projects coming up for your home. For example, if you are planning to paint the exterior of your home, you should power wash beforehand. Power washing will make sure the painting surface is as clean as possible to allow the paint to stick and prevent any imperfections in the finish.
You should also power wash your home before putting it on the market. If you plan to sell your home, you want to make sure it is in tip-top shape. Residential power washing can increase the value of your home, so don’t leave that money sitting on the table.
Lastly, you will want to consider the climate and location of your home. If you are located on a dirt road or in an area with many trees, you may need cleaning more often due to the amount of dust or pollen in the air surrounding your home. Additionally, hot, humid climates are more likely to support mold and mildew growth than cooler or drier climates, so homes in hot, damp areas may need more frequent power washing.
Damage Control
One important thing to keep in mind when considering power washing your home is that there is such a thing as “too much of a good thing.” Power washing too frequently can cause issues for your home. Incessant power washing can damage your finishes and strip the paint from your siding.
Even if you are not going overboard with the frequency of your power washing, there is a chance you can damage your home if you are not using the proper water pressure for your finishes. Using too high of a PSI can crack your siding or result in water sneaking into places it should not be, resulting in rot over time.
If you are unsure of your power washing abilities or skills, it may be best to work with a professional service who knows the proper steps to avoid damaging your home.
How Often Will You Power Wash Your Home?
Power washing should be a regular part of your home maintenance schedule. Depending on your circumstances, location, and climate, the frequency can vary, but the bottom line is that you should be power washing your home at least once per year.
If you are concerned about your ability to power wash your own home, you are not alone. Given the possibility of damaging your home with imperfect power washing techniques, it may be prudent to hire a professional cleaning service to satisfy your power washing needs. Excel Residential offers power washing, window cleaning, and more. Request a free custom quote today to see how we can help keep your home’s exterior in tip-top shape.
