The Art Of Power Washing Siding
|
Some of the most common mistakes to avoid made by homeowners and contractors are:
Trying to remove the powdery coating called oxidation on aluminum siding. Removing this coating can cause discoloration and in some cases cause the siding to look like a completely different color. Using too much pressure can also force water up behind the siding where it will cause mildew behind the siding or in some cases, blow the siding off the house!
Washing the house from the top down or letting chemicals dry on the house, which may leave streaks on the siding.
Using a ladder to clean the upper areas of a house can result in serious injuries and death from slipping off the ladder.These are the types of mishaps that many people have when attempting to do a quick power washing of their home. If you decide to use a power washer on your home, here are some general guidelines to use.
Make sure the machine your using puts out a minimum of 4 gallons of water per minute and less than 1000 PSI.
Most homeowners will buy a machine from a hardware store that puts out 1,000 PSI but only uses 2 gallons per minute of water. While this machine may work, it will triple the amount of time to do the job properly.Be careful if your making your own house washing chemicals. For example, mixing bleach and ammonia can create a poisonous gas.
We suggest that home owners buy a siding wash that's available in most hardware stores and follow the manufactures guidelines for the product. Leave the stronger agents to the pro's or you may end up removing the paint along with the dirt!
The best way to clean siding is by using a power washer that has a chemical injector built into the machine. Using a chemical injector will allow you to pull the soap from the container, mixing it in the machine with water and spray it onto the house using low pressure starting from the bottom up. Make sure when using a power washer that you don't shoot water or chemicals up under the siding, this can cause significant mold problems behind your siding.
Allow the chemical to dwell on the siding, then using low pressure, rinse the product from the siding. Make sure when your rinsing the product off the siding that you start at one end of the siding all the way to the end. Do not stop or vary your distance from the siding, or it will cause the surface to be cleaned un-evenly.
If your siding has small black dots that do not come off during cleaning but can be scraped off using your finger nail. You probably have artillery fungus on your siding. This can not be removed from the siding without causing damage. For more information on Artillery fungus, see the Artillery fungus page.
If you decide this project is more than you want to handle on your own, we would be happy to tell you how to do the job safely and correctly or to find a reputable and experienced company. Just give us a call.
Henry Bockman
President, Henry's Housework Inc.
MHIC # 65039 Licensed, bonded and insured.
www.Henryshousework.com
301 353 9287
Henry Bockman has provided power washing, gutter cleaning, roof repairs and deck restoration services to over 10,000 commercial and residential clients for over 16 years.
Henry Bockman is currently the Maryland PWNA chapter president, serves on the Board of Directors for the National organization The Power Washers of North America and is also the Chairman for the Clean Across America campaign which he helped create in 2004. For more information on Henry Bockman and his company, Henry's Housework, visit the website at http://www.henryshousework.com
|
|
|
How About A Jungle Mural To Put Some Swing Into Your Child?s Room?
If your child loves all different types of animals, a jungle mural is a great way to make their room a fun and enjoyable place. You might be thinking how you will be able to achieve such a task, especially if you do not have artistic t...(related: Home Improvement)
Scented Candles ? Take Me Away!
Remember the old Calgon commercial-"Take me away Calgon!" There's only one thing that can take you away faster than a Calgon bath, and that's a scented candle. Whether you want a breath of fresh spring air, or you want to transport yourself to a South Sea paradise minus the ...(related: Home Improvement)
Rising Damp
It doesn't sound like a particularly interesting topic, however a quick search on the worlds favourite internet search engine will show that in some circles rising damp is a very hot topic indeed. The trouble is ...(related: Home Improvement)
Log Wall Characteristics
Looking at all the beautiful full-color glossy photos of log home in magazines gives us an idealized vision of the perfect wooden house. Like a supermodel, we can't imagine wrinkles and imperfections, but like any natural product, log walls are full of traits that are an integral part of their character.CHECKING: The new visitor to any log home is invariably struck by the cracks in the logs, sometimes stretching for several feet. Initially they might look alarming, but these cracks, or checks, are a natural pr...(related: Home Improvement)
Use The Fha Mortgage Specifically Created For Home Improvement
Almost everyone knows about FHA mortgages. They are tailor-made for first time homebuyers and others with less than perfect credit or other financial issues. You don't have to be low income o...(related: Home Improvement)
Swim Spas Make A Big Splash With Baby Boomers
If you are an aging baby boomer like I am, you may be looking for a fun form of water recreation where you can get some relief from aching mus...(related: Home Improvement)
Buying The Right Garage Door Opener
If you have recently built a new garage you might be having a difficult time deciding on the right garage door opener. It is certainly something that seems simple at first. Once you start looking around you will find there is allot of choices. Here is a buying guide to help you along.There are three different types of door openers. There is chain driven opener, belt driven, and screw drive openers. This might sound a bit confusing so lets sort this out.A chain driven garage door opener is great for heavy doors. A common type of garage door is now wooden. This is a perfect place to use one of these. Chain drives are usually built with a more powerful motor. T...(related: Home Improvement)
Popular Trends In Home Technology
As a former home automation installer and a former manufactures rep, I have observed many trends. The following items are certainly the hotest trends this year in home technology.VoIP (pronounced Voice over IP) refers to making telephone calls using your high-speed internet connection. This technology is gaining ground very fast, as new users are discovering it is 50-75% cheaper the comparable standard telephone service and congress is standing behind the technology for now, no taxes or legislation to mess it up ? yet... The a catch? Several m...(related: Home Improvement)
Summer Is Here! Consider Tackling Key Home Improvement Projects While The Weather Is Good!
Summer time means barbeques, baseball, camping, and yes, Home Improvement Projects! As the weather gets nice and the days get longer so do lists of home improvement projects. Here are a few projects which are best done in the summer maximizing the long days and the good weather!Gardening/Landscaping: Depending on which part of the country you live in it may be too late to plant a garden from seed, but you most likely still have time to get your garden going using starters. Plant now, be sure to properly weed and water and you ...(related: Home Improvement)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved. | Home Improvement