As a first-time homeowner, your mind will be filled with the euphoria of fulfilling a long-held dream in the first few weeks of living in your new home. But Limehouse Property Management in Hampton Roads warns, that after a few weeks in that home, this feeling will start to wane as you realize that owning a home is a huge responsibility.
It will not be long before you see that you must do many things to keep your new home safe and comfortable for your family. All those things will require you to watch your new home’s systems and structures constantly.
Among the myriad things to do in that new home, you will soon learn that keeping your house clean will help you maintain its value and keep your costs low. You will also find that the most cost-effective way to do this is to pressure wash the building.
The problem is that just as pressure washing is an excellent tool for protecting your home from wear and tear, it can also damage your home. Pressure washing your house will cost you a few hundred dollars, but if done the wrong way, it will cause thousands of dollars worth of damage.
This is why it is essential that you learn the steps for pressure washing a home before you ever try to do it. These tips will help you get started on how to safely pressure wash your new home, even if it is your first time.
Tips for pressure washing your new home
1. What can you clean with a pressure washer?
Almost anything can be pressure washed; the exterior of the house, roof, and windows, wood decks or porches, garage floors, vinyl fencing, barbeque grills, driveways, garbage cans, lawnmower (to get rid of caked grass), foot mats and all kinds of concrete or wood surfaces. Whether you’re tackling tough outdoor grime or revitalizing surfaces around your property, RJP Hotsy‘s equipment provides the power and reliability needed for effective cleaning.
2. The name “pressure washing” can be misleading
Very few areas of your home – such as concrete – can take the stress of being blasted with very high pressure. Most parts of the house will benefit from being washed with water using pressures that will not cause damage. For instance, never blast softwood with very high pressure.
3. Know the cleaning solution to use
You can wash your house with water alone. If you use a cleaning solution, a range of cleaners is available. Examples include cleaners for house and siding, concrete and driveway, deck and fencing, vehicles and boats, and multipurpose.
4. Know the right mix
You need the right balance between a strong enough solution to clean the house and yet mild enough not to damage the building or harm nearby vegetation. For mixing instructions, check the detergent container.
5. The right kind of washer
The three things to know when selecting a pressure washing machine: are the type of engine inside it, the GPM (gallons per minute), and the PSI (pounds per square inch) range for the different nozzles. Washers with a higher GPM will let you rinse off the house quicker. The pressure and angle of the spray depending on the type of nozzle you are using at the time.
6. Avoid using ladders when pressure washing
Due to the force of the water from the nozzle, you could easily lose your balance and fall from a ladder. Using a ladder is not a good idea if this is your first time pressure washing a house. To reach the highest parts of the house, use a long-range tip affixed to the spray gun.
7. Work from bottom to top
For the best results, spray the house from bottom to top. Cover the entire house with the cleaning solution using a fan tip nozzle. Go over the surfaces once only; no need to do several runs. Over-spraying the house will not improve your results; it will save the cleaning solution.
8. Let the solution sit for a while
After covering the entire surface, give the solution time to work. When the mildew changes color, you can tell if the building is ready for rinsing. Ten minutes is a good time to wait, but this depends on how much mildew and murk have collected on the house.
9. Rinse with low pressure
Rinse from top to bottom; doing this will let dirt from the top fall to the bottom, and you have to rinse again. Do not use high pressure when rinsing; you could push water into places it should not go or break window seals and glass. When rinsing the house, it is all right to go over the building more than once to make sure you didn’t miss any spots.
Finally, it takes practice to get the hang of pressure washing a house. As a first-time homeowner, you may have questions about the steps below. Take a look at our website to find all the answers you might have.
