House washing has a valuable role in bringing back the aesthetic appeal of your house. But here’s the catch. When done improperly, house washing can cause more harm than good. It’s not as easy as blasting water off your surface or using a DIY cleaning solution.
In this blog, we’ll share a few tips on how to avoid damage from house washing to prevent costly repairs and expenses.
Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing: What’s the Difference?
Both soft and pressure washing show exceptional efficiency for removing biological elements such as algae, dust, dirt, and mould in your home’s exterior. These two processes include spraying water onto a surface. With its similarities, most people can’t correctly identify which is which. The thing is, these two have key differences.
So, what is soft washing?
This cleaning process removes dirt and debris from your home by using low-pressure and specialised cleaning solutions. Soft washing involves a biodegradable chemical that initially loosens the dirt and grime.
Now, let’s talk about pressure washing in a nutshell.
On the other hand, pressure washing is all about having force. The cleaning method applies an adjustable amount of pressure to a water source to clean your exterior surfaces and remove the dirt and grime. Chemical solutions are optional, but a high-pressure water spray is generally sufficient to remove biological contaminants off to the exterior of your property.
Since pressure washing uses extreme pressure, it requires supervision and precision to achieve your exterior’s glow-up. Basically, pressure washing can cause damage when it is done improperly. As this cleaning method employs a high level of pressure, surfaces are at risk of being harmed. Paint can wear out, window seals can blow out, and landscaping can be affected too. It definitely works, but you need to know how to leave your house undamaged.
Remember that learning the difference between soft and pressure washing plays a critical role in deciding which cleaning method is suitable for your exterior house to help avoid damage from house washing. And to give you a hint, choosing between a soft wash and a pressure wash will depend on the type of surface you want to clean.
Damages that House Washing Might Cause
If not done correctly, you can expect:
- Stripped paint
- Shredded window screens
- Loose and dented vinyl siding
- Loose brickwork from cut mortar
- Damaged seals on windows, resulting in clouding and water damage
- Splintered or cracked wood
- Algae, mould, and mildew growth from water build-up beneath the siding
In worst-case scenarios, aside from the potential damage to your home’s structure, your body is in danger too! In fact, thousands of injuries and even some deaths are related to power washing each year.
Usually, these unfortunate incidents also result from the careless use of ladders. You can stop these accidents by knowing workplace safety precautions.
How to Prevent Problems from House Washing
Just because house washing is risky doesn’t mean you should stop doing it; house washing could only damage your property if you allow it. Fortunately, these damages are under your control, and you can avoid damage from house washing by doing it the right way.
But, what is the right way anyway? The simple answer is: don’t use so much pressure.
More specifically, only use as much pressure as you need for the job. With proper usage of pressure, not only can you avoid damage from house washing, but the stains and grime will be washed away much more quickly.
In fact, most jobs don’t actually require that much pressure. Gallons per minute (GPM) is generally more important than pressure when cleaning your roof, patio, walls, and other surfaces. GPM (gallons per minute) is a measurement of how much water the washer can produce in a minute.
While pressure is essential to break up caked-in dirt and grime, a high volume of water is what helps actually flush that water away.
Concrete driveways and sidewalks are suitable for high-pressure washing since they are hard and porous. Also, these surfaces are exposed to a lot of dirt, and the dirt clumps and sticks to them. Fortunately, they’re also sturdy enough to withstand some high-pressure misuse, though not excessively.
On the other hand, soft washing is better for more delicate materials, including wood, roofs, painted surfaces, and walls. Cleaning solutions help break up grime without damaging surfaces, and a greater emphasis is placed on volume rather than pressure using this technique.
So now you know how to avoid damage from house washing, but if you’re still in doubt or don’t have time to do it yourself, perhaps it’s time to consult the experts and let them do it for you. Call House Washing Experts at 1300 927 433 for a safe, hassle-free house washing service in Brisbane!