Clean Your Homes Siding With A Pressure Washer

Pressure washing which is also referred to as power washing is the best way to clean your house of mold and mildew. It is also a must to prep your home for painting and other projects. Basically pressure washing a house’s exterior will clean dirt and build up from the atmosphere off your siding material. One thing to be careful about is when pressure washing a house is not the same as a drive way. Only low pressure (around 300 psi) should be used. A high pressure spray will damage the siding material. Your first question to a pressure washing contractor should be ‘what pressure do you clean with’. If they use high pressure (more than 300 psi), drop them like a hot potato! If you will be doing the job yourself, be sure your pressure washing unit has a house wash tip with it. If you plan on getting a new coat of paint on your house, it is essential to get the house washed. This will create a clean foundation for the paint to adhere to.

Pressure washing a house is safe for almost all siding products like metal, vinyl, brick and hardy plank. Again this only applied to low pressure techniques. High pressure on brick and mortar will most likely damage it. Vinyl siding is also easily damaged if care is not taken. If your house has wood siding then low pressure cleaning will also keep it looking good. To clean the house a mixture of cleaning agents is mixed into the water that is sprayed onto the house. After sitting for a few minutes it is then rinsed off. For moldy siding a mix of bleach is an excellent cleaner. For wood special detergents are needed that will not damage wood fibers. If you are just needing a general cleaning then an all purpose house wash mix will be used to remove the grime that has built up on your house over time. Most of these cleaners can be found at local home improvement or pressure washing stores.

To get started you will need to find a local rental place and obtain the proper size unit. I suggest a quality brand such as a Karcher power washer. Since you will be using low pressure to clean your house a unit of around 3000-3500 psi will be more than enough. The only reason to have this much pressure is to reach the high eves of a second story house. How do you get low pressure out of 3000 psi ? You need to use a special tip on the wand, sometimes called a house wash tip. It has a large hole which creates a lower pressure stream but with more volume. This will bring the psi down to around 300 psi. To mix in the cleaning material the unit should have a ‘down streaming’ function. This is a small hose you put into a bucket of cleaning solution. When you start up the unit a vacuum is created that will draw up the solution and mix it with the water as it comes out the hose. This usually creates a mixture of around 5-1 or 7-1. You will need to read the cleaning solutions directions to be sure you are using the correct amount of solution.

The best way to actually clean your house is to start at a corner. Slowly work your way across to the other end of the house. As you go spray the stream of water down at the bottom of the house and work your way up to the eves of the roof. Always work from the bottom up, this will reduce the chance for streaks to appear. Be sure to saturate every inch of the side you are working on. If you do not then you will have spots where the bleach and cleaner did not touch. Once you get to the end of the house you will need to pull the ‘down streaming’ hose out of the cleaning solution bucket and go back over the side of the house again, this time with only clean water coming out the hose. Thoroughly rinse the siding. You should now be done with that side of the house. Put the ‘down streaming’ house back into the solution bucket and begin the next side of the house.

Start with the nozzle about 3 feet from the wall and work your way closer until you feel the spray is strong enough but not too strong. Never get closer than 12 inches from the siding or you may damage it; do not point it at windows and avoid aiming it upward, where it might drive water under the siding. Remember, this is extremely high pressure, so never point the nozzle at anyone and be sure to wear safety glasses. Also keep the wand, the water, and yourself away from any electrical wires or devices.

Protect any plants, light fixtures, or other breakable objects around the house with plastic bags, duct tape, and drop cloths. Move obstacles and outdoor furniture away from the house. A pressure washing unit is no toy. Be sure to wear safety glasses and do not underestimate the power of water. Never point the wand at anyone at any time. Power washing is the best way to clean your home hands down. If you decide to buy your own unit check out a Husky pressure washer or other name brand. Cleaning your house with a pressure washer is not very hard and will result in a nice shiny house you will be proud of.

From Action Cleaning Equipment in Houston, Texas, a helpful and informative video to help answer questions about the purchase of a pressure washer. This video answers questions such as: hot or cold water? Gas or electric powered? Stationary or Mobile? Buy, Rent, or Lease? Action Cleaning Equipment is Houston’s leader for pressure washer sales, pressure washer rentals, and pressure washer leasing.

Pressure Washer Rental Articles

Electric Pressure Washers Get The Job Done

Electric pressure washers are powerful tools that can do a lot of important tasks quickly and efficiently. They are simple to use, but can be harmful if not used wisely. Many people don’t realize that the force of the water coming out of these machines can actually damage wood, brick and even stone surfaces if not used properly. This article is a general discussion about these machines.

First, I just wanted to offer up a few tips for taking care of the machine itself. As my Dad used to say, “money doesn’t grow on trees”. Boy, isn’t that the truth! The point is that electric pressure washers are not free. They are fairly priced, but they still cost enough to offer a high level of motivation for most users to take good care of them. So a few tips on how not to harm the machines are in order. First of all, make sure you take time to bleed out all the air before starting up the washer so it doesn’t burn up the pump. Second, keep hoses, nozzles and the motor clean. This is always a good suggestion when talking about power tools of any sort, and it certainly applies here.

Electric pressure washers can be used for many tasks. The first time I used one it was to try to deal with about 40 years of dirt and discoloration on the white brick on part of the front of my house. I had tried scrubbing with hot water and soap and had no luck. Imagine the little grin of satisfaction when I turned on the pressure washer to start cleaning and the grime just blasted away! I was hooked. I soon discovered that I had to be really careful as I worked along though. If I got too close, or lingered too long in any one spot, the pressure of the water literally blew away the brick. This was easy to avoid once I got the feel for the tool. As long as I kept moving, didn’t get too close, and held my mouth just right, there were no problems.

Another experience I had with electric pressure washers was when I helped my parents tend to their cedar sided house. The years of water damage splashing off the deck had darkened the wood for about the first 3-4 feet up the walls. We tried chemicals and other ways first, but didn’t have any satisfying results until we unleashed the “beast”. It was a unit we rented from a local rental shop. They gave us some basic instructions and sent us on our way. Little did we realize how much fun we were about to have. As soon as we started working the years of darkened wood just disappeared. As when I used it on the brick project, we had to be careful to not damage the material. After just a short time we were finished and applied new stain. We felt pretty proud of ourselves after that job was done.

Electric pressure washers may not seem like something you would use much, but you would be surprised at how handy this machine really is. Whether you are taking care of everyday chores like cleaning dirt off bikes and garden tools, or keeping your car looking nice, or blasting grime off of siding, brick, decks, or walkways, electric pressure washers are a definite plus to have. They get the job done when no other tool will do.

Cleaning the easy way with a pressure washer hire from City Hire and save water at the same time. This concrete hadn’t been washed for over 5 years. Due to the continuous rain it had become slippery and we needed to remove the mould. No cleaners or solvents etc were used.

Pressure Washer Rental Articles

Pressure Washer Rental Or Should You Buy A New Pressure Washer?

Pressure washers can be a great tool. They are an excellent method of washing or cleaning many types of surfaces that would be very hard to get clean the traditional way. But be careful – these washers are aptly named.

The spray from pressure washers is so strong that they’re commonly used to remove flaking paint from houses in preparation for new paint. That is one reason you should always be careful when using pressure washers on painted surfaces. If you want the paint to stay on, make sure that you are far enough away from the surface, and make sure to test a small inconspicuous area first.

Many people use pressure washers on the siding on homes and mobile homes. Siding that is old and stained can look new again with the strength of the water mixed with the correct cleaning agents. And it is very easy to do. All you do is point and spray. However, you may need to run clean water over it to rinse.

Many places will rent out pressure washers if you don’t need one often enough to warrant a purchase. However, you should check prices before you rent, because sometimes the cost to rent one is very close to the cost to buy one. It could be smarter to buy, use, and sell. You may think about buying used. If you find a washer that has a good motor but has a leaky hose, don’t despair, you can get replacement parts at almost any automotive supply store or retailers who sell pressure washers.

If you’re planning to do the work yourself, choose a small, inconspicuous spot for your first test. Remember that your water pressure to your house doesn’t have a tremendous impact on the amount of pressure you’ll get from your washer. A typical washer can cut into wood and dent aluminum. If your machine has optional settings, start on the lowest pressure.

In addition to renting and buying options, some businesses will carry out the pressure washing for you and bring their pressure washers to you for the task. All you have to do is tell them what you need done and when. This is good because you don’t need to do any of the work, and there is no liability for the washers on your part. And you don’t have to read any directions, instructions, or manuals. And it may or may not be cost efficient, depending on the company and your other available options.

Whether you buy, rent or hire someone, pressure washers can really get the grime shifted. Whatever you are cleaning you are bound to like the results. Most people are really amazed at the force these things can exert. The downfall is that you’ll never look at your garden hose the same way again.

www.yardrents.com Demonstration of use of YardRents.com pressure washer. A pressure washer is great for cleaning sidewalks, decks, driveways and house siding. With 4000 pounds per square inch and 4 gallons per minute, this washer delivers a strong, efficient stream. It includes 50 feet of hose, a washing wand and 4 different nozzles that easily connect. You can also add soap or chemical to the water stream for tough projects. It is powered by a commercial-grade 13 horse-power Honda GX 390 gas engine with a steel gas tank, engine oil alert and simple pull-start ignition.
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Pressure Washer Rental Articles

Pressure Washer Rental

Lucky for you if you have the cash to buy items that you need in your home but in case you simply don’t have the mean to spend on something, the best thing to do is to just rent. Fortunately, pressure washer rental is now possible. However, there are times when a person can’t decide whether to buy or rent the tool, not because they don’t have the cash but because they just don’t think whether they will be able to make the most out of the product.

In case you think that you will make use the tool for more than twice in a year, then you should consider buying one for yourself. There are times when the price of pressure washer rental is close enough to the price that you will have to deal with if ever you will buy a new or used one. Remember that you can use this tool for wide range of purposes, it not limited to cleaning off siding but this works well in removing chipped paint so your wall can be prepared for painting.

Normally, stores that cater pressure washer rental would sell their tools after a few uses. When they decided to sell their units, it is the best time to grab the offer. Going for pressure washer rental is a wise choice but in case you will have the need to make use of the item for wide range of purposes then it is best to simply have one for yourself. You can make use of it for cleaning your roof brick, deck, driveway, wooden fence, and the list goes on. The best thing to do is to read about petrol pressure washers on this article on our home page.

So the next time you think about pressure washer rental, contemplate whether you are really saving your cash or what. After all, renting fees for pressure washer rental are not cheap and it may not come easy.