7 Tips for Power Washing Your Home Exterior in Ft. Washington, PA
One of the easiest ways to clean and give your home’s exterior a fresh new look is by power washing.
Not only does it clean your home, but it also prepares the surfaces of the exterior of your home for painting.
Unfortunately, if you don’t know how to use a power washer properly, you might end up ruining the look of your home.
With that in mind, here are 7 tips for power washing your home exterior in Ft. Washington, PA.
1. Do A Thorough Inspection of Your Home
The first thing that you want to do is to perform a thorough inspection of your home to see if there are any damages that need to be repaired.
If you see any cracks, holes, scratches, or peeling paint, make sure to do the necessary repairs before you start power washing.
Even small damages, if you simply ignore them, could possibly lead to serious damage when hit by your power washer.
2. Purchase The Tools You Need
If you think that only professionals could handle a job like power washing, you’re wrong.
In fact, many DIYers own a power washer and they do the job of power washing their home exterior.
To get started, buy all the tools that you’ll be needing such as a hose, cleaning detergent, and drop cloths.
If you don’t own a power washer, you can rent one for around $40 – $100 a day.
3. Do Some Prep Works For Safety Purposes
Before you start power washing, make sure that all the doors and windows are closed and the power to the external electrical outlets of your home is turned off.
It’s common knowledge that these electrical outlets can be quite dangerous especially when hit by your power washer, which is using water.
Prevent any accidents by securing these electrical outlets with plastic and tape, just to make sure that they don’t get wet.
You can also try power washing an inconspicuous part of the surface of your home’s exterior, this will help you determine the right setting of your power washer.
4. Wear Personal Protective Equipment
To achieve the best results from your power washing cleaning project, you’ll need to use cleaning detergents or chemicals.
This is why you need to wear personal protective equipment such as goggles, gloves, boots, and full-body suits to protect yourself from harmful chemicals.
In case you don’t own any full-body suits, you can wear long sleeves and pants instead.
5. Cover Your Plants and Vehicles
Power washing can be a messy job and the chemicals that you’re using to clean are harmful not only to you but also to your plants.
To prevent these chemicals from causing any harm to your plants, you can cover them with drop cloths or plastic sheets but it’s better if you can transfer them to a safer place.
Also, don’t forget to park your vehicle somewhere else where it can’t be hit or damaged by your power washer.
6. Check the Type of Paint on Your Surface
If you don’t know how to check what type of paint is applied to your surface, you can ask a professional to do the job.
A surface covered in lead when applied with high pressure can cause it to break up and spread into pieces.
It is very important to know this since exposure to lead can cause damage over time not only to you but to your family as well, especially your children.
7. Power Wash in an Up and Down Manner
Many people power wash without a proper guide, and this makes the job more difficult and consumes a lot of your time.
One pro tip when power washing: power wash in a systematic way like an up and down manner.
If you don’t have the skills or tools to handle your painting or touch up, you should consider hiring a professional painting contractor in Ft. Washington, PA.
Hiring a professional painting contractor like Aspen Painting is the guarantee of a flawless, durable, and high-quality paint job.
We have years of experience in cabinet and furniture painting and staining with a long list of happy customers in Horsham, PA, Ambler, Dresher, Ft. Washington, and Blue Bell, PA.
Call us today on 215-773-8422 for a FREE estimate to get started.
Related: How to Clean an Exterior Siding in Horsham, PA
Here Is Why Prep Is Extremely Important For Exterior Painting
Ray is an inspiring leader with a strong work ethic stemming from his exemplary upbringing in a caring and loving family environment. His parents modeled the importance of integrity and hard work to him and his siblings, values which Ray now instills in his teenage daughter. As the owner of Aspen Painting & Wallcovering, Inc., he leads by example by expecting nothing but the best from himself and his employees. His primary goal is to provide superior service and quality craftsmanship to each of his clients so that they become enthusiastic ambassadors for the company. Ray is a passionate team player who always strives to exceed expectations.