Is your home exterior looking dirty or dingy? If you’re staring at the neighbor’s new siding in envy, it’s either time to invest in home siding replacement — or pressure wash your home to get it looking great once more.
How to Pressure Wash Your Home
Select the right pressure washer based on your home’s siding. Vinyl requires a pressure washer with 2,500-3,000 psi, while wood needs less pressure — about 1,200-1,500 psi. Other things you’ll need include eye protection, an extension wand, gasoline or electric cord (depending on how the pressure washer operates), a 5-gallon bucket and a cleaning solution.
Start from the bottom of your home and work up, spraying a 6-10-foot square of home siding. Scrub the cleaning solution onto the wet square, then rinse it off with the pressure washer. When you work from the bottom up, you can see where there’s still dirt. Working from the top down obscures the grime on your home, so you’re more likely to miss a spot.
Work your way around the rest of the home exterior this way until you’ve cleaned every square inch. If you’re pressure washing prior to painting, allow two days for the home to dry.
The best seasons to pressure wash are spring and fall; summer heat can dry the solution too quickly. The powerful spray from a pressure washer can send you flying off a ladder so you’ll either need to work from the ground, rent a scaffold, or hire a professional for this task.
Pressure Washing or Siding Replacement?
Pressure washing isn’t a magic wand that erases decades from your home, but it can do a lot. With a thorough pressure washing, you can expect grime, dirt, dirt, mildew, and more to fall away from your home. This technique is safe for most types of home siding, from brick or stucco to wood, vinyl, and aluminum.
If you know that your home’s siding is nearing the ends of its life, you may opt to replace the siding rather than spend time and money on pressure washing.
Brandstetter’s KangaRoof offers vinyl, wood, plywood siding, and more. As a trusted service provider in the greater Cincinnati area, you can count on us for high-quality home repair including siding replacement. To get a quote for siding replacement, and decide how to best protect your home, contact us today.
