Throughout the fall and winter months, your home tends to attract mildew and dust, causing your house’s siding to appear ugly and filthy. If you’re ready to sell your house, this is not the look to stick with when potential buyers come calling. Trends ebb and flow with the years, but one thing’s timeless – your house, whether you just moved in or have resided there for a long time, will not look appealing when it’s dirty. Power washing your home will restore it to its previously grand exterior and make you proud to call it home.
When to Hire a Professional Company
Maybe you like DIY projects, testing out your mettle, or saving money and think power washing your house is a good idea. Unfortunately, unless you have experienced power washing, it’s not recommended that you complete the work by yourself. Aside from using the incorrect tools, machines, and techniques, you may inflict damage to your home if you’re a novice including broken screens, peeling paint, and busted open sealant and/or siding. You may also risk water seeping into your home or within the structure which leads to dangerous mold issues. Don’t forget the possibility of injuring yourself and the people helping you while balancing on a precarious ladder with a powerful hose in hand. Sometimes, it’s best to leave work like this to professionals
How to Find a Reputable Power Washing Company
Googling power washers on the Internet will gather a lot of prospects you can hire and machines you can buy, but what does a good power washing company offer? Check for valid licenses and insurance that covers liability and the workers. Ask for references from happy customers or stroll in your neighborhood, search for signs advertising power washing companies and knock on the door for a quick-and-dirty (rather clean!) review. Always get a few estimates to compare prices, services, and guarantees. Then select what works for you. Make sure you find out what they actually do, what they use and the length of time they’ll spend doing it. Surf the Internet beforehand to review how to power wash a home, so you’ll know what to expect.
What to Expect
One of the first steps a power washing company will do is to assess how large your house is and how much work and equipment it will take to clean the outside of your home. When they arrive, they’ll cover up items around the home like bushes, lighting, etc., with plastic tarps and secure them. They’ll scrub the dirty surfaces with brushes before spraying down the house. You may want to query the company about what types of chemicals they will use to clean your home if any. Some use bleach; others use detergent and other cleansers. If you’re concerned for the environment and your outdoor foliage enduring chemical damage, talk to the company beforehand and find out what their cleaning practices entail.
Some homeowners scoff at hiring professionals to perform tasks like power washing due to excessive costs. Angie’s List researched that in 2014 homeowners spent around $338 for power washing companies to clean their homes. Depending on how large your house is, how labor-extensive and -intensive the job is and other determining factors, it may cost more or less in your area which is why it’s smart to investigate more than one company before you hire one. The time and trouble you may save on a thorough job well done may justify the cost.