Maintaining a sparkling clean environment is a healthy lifestyle that every homeowner should inculcate. Not just cleaning inside of your home, but ensuring your exterior surroundings are sparkling and attractive. In doing this, you just might want to get a power washer to help you clear off stubborn dirt on your outside walls and siding. Unfortunately, using a pressure washer by yourself can cause more damage than the dirt you were trying to eradicate.
Never use a pressure washer by yourself. If you feel that you need that stubborn dirt off your yard or surface, you can get the help of a professional. Power washers are designed to eradicate stubborn stains with the use of pressure and water. They can clean effectively, but they can also damage the surface you are trying to clean. Some of the damages it can cause are:
- Chipping off painted surfaces
- Shredding glass screens
- Denting vinyl sidings
- Cracking wooden surfaces
- Causing organisms like algae or mold to grow beneath the siding as the water retains
An average consumer model of the power washer is 2800psi and 4000psi for a commercial model. This pressure is equal to the pressure you get when a car is smashed against a surface. Apart from the damaging impact of the pressure, the water damage it can cause if not handled properly is also severe.
You should always call an expert Largo pressure washer! This blog post is provided by Largo Pressure Washing Services. Reach out for more information!
Does Pressure Washing Damage Vinyl Siding?
Pressure washing your vinyl siding is one of the best ways of maintaining sparkling vinyl. It makes washing faster and neater. It is also ideal for vinyl siding that has planks at the top. Using a power washer on your vinyl helps protect your siding and even improve the appeal of the home. However, pressure washing vinyl should be done with the utmost care, it should be done by a professional and it should be done only once a year.
Here is where the problem lies when using a power machine to wash your vinyl siding; when the pressure is too low, it won’t get rid of the dirt and it won’t give the kind of shine you are looking for. On the other hand, if the pressure is too high, it can dent the vinyl, bore holes into it, and may even leave the marks of the water permanently on it.
Is it Okay to Pressure Wash Wood Siding?
It is okay to pressure wash your wood, but it is not okay to pressure wash it by yourself. If your wood is not warped in a stubborn stain or dirt, a soft wash is okay to keep it shining and intact.
If you want to avoid damages such as wood chipping, cracking or splintering while exerting too much pressure on your wood, you are better off a soft wash. And if you must pressure wash it, you are better off with a professional who understands the required pressure that is good for your wood.
Can You Pressure Wash Concrete Siding?
Concrete sidings may appear like a very strong surface that can withstand any kind of pressure. Unfortunately, washing concrete siding can damage it, especially if the pressure is too much or the pressure is asserted on a spot for too long.
This is not to say that you can’t pressure wash a concrete siding if you need to remove a stain or if you need to keep it sparkling. First, you need to understand that concrete slabs that are less than a year old are usually prone to damages, unlike older concrete slabs. If you exert the right kind of pressure, using the right kind of cleaning solution will give you the kind of look you want for your concrete siding.
However, you should seek the help of a professional if there is a need to pressure wash your concrete siding.
What Should You Not Use a Pressure Washer For?
You should personally not use a pressure washer for anything. If you need to pressure wash anything, you need to request the help of a professional who understands how to use the power washer. A professional understands the amount of pressure needed for a surface, which is different for each surface type. However, if you wondering what surfaces you shouldn’t use a pressure washer for, below are the list of surfaces you shouldn’t try a pressure washer on;
- You shouldn’t use a pressure washer on a living pet or a plant
- You shouldn’t use it on electrical panels or meters
- You shouldn’t use it on wood siding
- You shouldn’t use a pressure washer on asphalt shingles. If you have it on your roof, just leave out pressure washing the roof
- You shouldn’t use it on your AC
- You shouldn’t use it on any painted surface, it might chip off the paint. Especially if it’s lead paint. Lead paints should be removed carefully, they can be dangerous if blasted in the air.
- You should never use it on your cars or bicycles
- You shouldn’t use it to wash the gutters. It will wear off the surface
The Bottom Line
You should not use a pressure washer on your siding without the help of a professional to avoid damages that can result because
- You cannot tell the right amount of pressure that is needed on a surface. Too little pressure will produce no result and too much pressure will damage your siding.
- You may not be able to keep the right amount of distance away from the surface. If you are too close, you will be met with splashes of water that will not allow you to do a proper job and if you are too far away, you definitely will not get the desired result. Apart from this, you can’t tell the amount of distance that will produce the right amount of pressure for the surface you are cleaning
- You may not use the right nozzle on the surface you are cleaning. This also can cause damage to your siding if you are using a nozzle that is too sharp for your surface.
- You may not be able to determine how long you need to concentrate pressure on a spot. If you stay on a spot for too long, it may cause damage to your surface and if you don’t stay long enough, you may not achieve the desired result.
- Only a professional can tell for a certain the kind of cleaning solution that is right for your surface.
You don’t want to be caught wasting your time and energy pressure washing your sidings. More so, you also want to save yourself the pain of damaging your property. And so, let the professional pressure washer do it for you.
short url:
