How to Pressure Wash a House - Contractor's Guide

This Pressure Pro produces 8 GPM at 3500 PSI

Example Machine

The Pressure Pro Pressure Washer produces 3000 PSI at 8 GPM and has a list price of $3400. The Pressure Pro 3000 PSI represents a high end commercial pressure washer used for everyday washing, and is designed for professional use.



PSI vs GPM

PSI (pounds per square inch) is the force of the water, and GPM (gallons per minute) is the volume of water the machine produces per minute. GPM is a far more an indication of the power and speed of a pressure washer than PSI. A 4 GPM pressure washer is the minimum that should be considered for professional use, and 5.5 GPM and 8 GPM are more commonly used by pros. Think of the difference between a push mower and a zero-turn mower, but will cut grass fine, but the zero-turn will cut the grass in a fraction of the time of the push mower.





Preventing Pump Damage

Here is some basic info about pressure washers, once a water line is attached and pressure washer is started you must squeeze the trigger every 3 minutes (preferably less) otherwise the pump could overheat and be damaged. You cannot let a pressure washer idle for over 3 minutes at a time. This has nothing to do with relieving pressure build up (the unloader already does that) but that the friction of the water inside the pump produces heat, the the small amount of water inside the pump will continually heat up and eventually damage the pump leading to costly repairs. Squeezing the trigger draws fresh cool water inside the pump and cools the pump off. This is also compounded when it is a very hot day and the water hose is in the sun, the water is already hot going into the pump, in this case you most hold the trigger open for a longer period of time.

Professional setups bypass the water from the pump back into the water storage tank instead returning to the incoming water line. This allows the fresh cool water from the tank to cool off the pump at idle, preventing damage to the seals and internal components of the pump. This is achieved by installing a 3/8 line from the bypass port on the unloader to connection on the water tank. This is done by installing a 1/2 bulkhead on the top or side of the tank and reducing to a 3/8 barb and connecting the hose. With this setup the pressure washer can run at idle continuously without damage. The Pressure Pro 8 GPM shown above comes with a bypass line already attached and is set up to be fed from a water tank with a 1" line.



Pressure Washer Nozzles

A pressure washer usually comes with a varieties of nozzles, color coded to indicate the spray angle. (Red 0 degrees, Yellow 15 degrees, Green 25 degrees, and Black (soap) 40 degrees). Each nozzle has a orifice sized to produce a certain PSI with the rated GPM of the pressure washer. The Pressure Pro has size "09" orifice nozzles, which at 8 GPM will produce approximate 3000 PSI. This is a different number than the spray angle that is color coded, a size "09" green 25 degree tip with produce the same PSI as a yellow 15 degree tip (in this case 3000 PSI).

How to reduce pressure

We are going to "soft wash" the house, so 3000 PSI is far too much pressure to use for our purpose. We want to use between 800 - 1200 PSI to wash the home, so how do we accomplish this? One way is to reduce the throttle of the engine, this will reduce the RPM that the pump is running at and also reduce the PSI. However this will also reduce the GPM of the pressure washer which will make the washer much less effective. The best way to lower the PSI and maintain the rated GPM is to use tips that are a larger sized than the ones designed for the pressure washer. We will use the chart below to determine the right sized tip to achieve soft washing with a 3000 PSI 8 GPM pressure washer.



Choosing the correct size nozzles

Looking at the Chart we see how much pressure a size "09" nozzle will produce at various GPM. Following the chart from the left, we see at 8 GPM a size "09" nozzle will produce 3000 PSI. This is our default tip that comes with the Pressure Pro. Going to the "700 PSI" column will go down until we see a GPM close to 8 GPM. (In this case 8.37 GPM)  A size "20" tip will produce 700 PSI at 8 GPM, this is the size of nozzles we want for our Pressure Pro to "soft wash" the home. You will have to use the chart to find the appropriate nozzles for your size pressure washer based on your rated GPM. You will use the higher pressure 700 PSI nozzles to wash brick up or wood close, to spray metal gutters with more pressure to remove mold, or to more easily remove cobwebs and debris from high distances. With 8 GPM it is possible to rinse the home with very low pressure nozzles, less than 100 PSI. From the chart below we can see that a size 60 nozzle produces 100 PSI at 9.49 GPM so with a 8 GPM machine we can rinse the home using low pressure 60 orifice nozzles that we also use for soap.








The four nozzles you need to "soft wash"

Now that we know what size tip to use we need four pressure tips, a nozzle to apply soap high, one to apply soap low, a nozzle to rinse high with more pressure, and a nozzle to rinse low with more pressure. Depending on your location it may be hard to find a varieties of pressure washing nozzles in local stores. In that case you will have to order the nozzles on the internet. Northern Tool usually has a good selection of nozzles and you could check there for the appropriate nozzles for your machine. Based on our example 3000 PSI 8 GPM machine, we will need a 2520 "Green" nozzle for rinsing low, a 0020 "Red nozzle" for rinsing high, a 2560 "Black soap" nozzle for soaping low, and a 0060 "Black soap" nozzle for soaping high. The numbers "2520" are usually imprinted on the end of the nozzle. The first to numbers is the spray angle 25 degrees "25", the next two numbers are the rated orifice size "20". Unfortunately you may find it hard to find a "0040" 0 degree black soap nozzle in a store. In that case I recommend going to www.pressuretek.com to find a 0 degree soap nozzle. The 0 degree soap nozzle is essential for applying soap to the higher areas of a home. We use a JROD 4 way nozzle holder that holds 4 1/4 meg nozzles at once which gives easy access and makes it harder to lose the nozzles.



Downstream chemical injector

We will use a dedicated chemical injector. You may be able to find one at a local store, or you can order a chemical injector from www.pressuretek.com or another online pressure washing supply store. The chemical injector has tube which is placed in a bucket of mixed detergent, and draws the chemical into the pressure washer hoses when a soap nozzle is attached to the trigger gun. Then by switching to a higher pressure tip, the soap can be emptied out of the lines so it is possible to rinse with water. When Soft Washing with the 8 GPM Pressure Pro we will not be using the chemical injectors feature of turning off with higher pressure tips. Instead we will move the detergent line to water to rinse or install a 1/4 shutoff valve to turn off the detergent while we rinse with less than 100 PSI nozzles.





Detergent solution

What is the best pressure washing detergent for washing homes with mold and mildew? The best detergent for pressure washing houses is a custom mixture of a soap surfactant to help the mixture "stick" on vertical surfaces and Sodium Hypochlorite to dissolve mold and mildew. Sodium Hypochlorite (SH) is very common chemical in today's world. It is used to clean clothes, purify water, clean pools, and found in numerous household cleaners. Sodium Hypochlorite is also best chemical to kill mold & mildew found on the exterior of homes. Sodium Hypochlorite is produced by electrifying salt water and is very inexpensive. Since it is so inexpensive and effective companies can't brand and market it effectively for pressure washing use. They create proprietary detergents with brand names and do everything possible to disparage Sodium Hypochlorite by saying it is "dangerous, ineffective, and bad for the environment." None of these things are true but are just marketing ploys so you will use their $20/gallon soap instead of $1.50/gallon SH. Sodium Hypochlorite is commonly marketed as bleach, and is best found in a more concentrated form at chemical or pool supply companies. However you can still use store bought bleach, it's just weaker and much more expensive. You can find SH at Walmart for about $3.00/gallon at about 8% strength. This means we will have to use it without watering it down otherwise it will be ineffective. For pros it is recommended to find a local supplier of 12% SH which gives more flexibility in mix ratios and can be bought more cheaply at greater quantities. In this area a 55 gallon of 12% SH costs just over $100.

Mixing our custom soap

We will start by adding 2.5 gallons of 12% SH to a 5 gallon bucket. Then add 2.5 gallons of water. This is our "House Wash" mix. We also will need some form of detergent (soap) to mix with the solution. The brand of detergent isn't very important, any commonly found products that are designed for pressure washing will work. Some products you may consider are Simple Cherry or Cleansol BC.  Read the directions on the detergent container on how much to add per gallon, and use about half the recommended amount. The directions are intended for using the soap without mixing it with SH and in our experience you don't need as much soap as the directions call for. We use a soap called "Elemonator" and use about 5 ounces per 5 gallons of SH/Water, but other products may require different amounts, again read the instructions and use less than called for. Now we will fill a 5 gallon bucket with straight 12% SH. Add the same soap quantity as in the first step. This is our "Strong Wash" mix. We use this for very difficult mold and for spot cleaning.  Once we drop our chemical line in our custom soap, the chemical injector will mix the soap with water further diluting it from 12:1-18:1 making it the perfect strength to use on siding. For contractors larger mix tanks are more efficient. We use 10 gallon tanks and 35 gallon tanks with the same 1:1 mix ratios for House Wash and straight for Strong Wash.



Soaping

Follow your pressure washer's instructions and  hose, trigger gun. Start the pressure washer and attach the green 25 degree 60 GPM nozzle. Make sure that every time you change nozzles that your quick connect is fully engaged. If it is not fully engaged and "locked" the nozzle will shoot off the end of the lance when you squeeze the trigger and you could possibly lose the nozzle or break a window.

Remember to always point the wand in a safe direction before first pulling the trigger, the initial "burst" of pressure is greater with the first pull and then is reduced to a steady flow. If you are aiming at something, this burst could possible damage it or cause you to lose balance.

Pre-wet any plants that are below the area to be washed, aim above the plants at a distance and allow the mist of the spray to wet the plants. Don't aim the pressure washer directly at the plants or get too close otherwise you will damage the plants.

Place the detergent injector in the 5 gallon bucket of detergent "House wash" mix. Attach the 25 degree soap 60 tip to the pressure washer, move closer to a the siding away from any plants and spray the wall until the chemical injector draws detergent, you should be able to tell by the soap bubbles.

Start from the bottom and apply the detergent to the siding as far up as you can reach. Then switch to 0 degree 60 nozzle to reach the higher areas of the siding and the fascia. Make sure all the siding is covered with the detergent. You do not have to "saturate" the surface, just "wet" the surface with the detergent. The secret of efficient washing is multiple quick applications, not long saturating applications that just waste detergent on the ground. Then switch back to the "Green" 25 degree 60 orifice nozzle and spray the siding away from plants to empty the detergent from the lines.

Then immediately rinse any windows from a distance to prevent the solution from drying on the windows. Never spray windows up close with pressure, this can break the vapor barriers of the windows causing them to fog. Always rinse the windows at a distance with low pressure.

Once approximately 5 minutes have passed, apply a second application of "House Wash" mix to the siding. You can move faster now that you are re coating the surface. Pros will coat a larger area (two sides of a small to medium house), then walk back to the start for the 2nd application. By the time they have finished the 1st application, the starting area is ready for the 2nd application and no time has been wasted.

You should see the mold begin to turn brown and run down the siding, if there any areas still containing mold after a few minutes reapply the detergent solution to those areas. If there are any very stubborn mold spots you can use pressure up close to remove them, or use a brush or rag if you can reach the area. Also note our solution will only effectively remove mold, if there are clay stains, grease stains, or heavy dirt stains on the siding you may have to switch to a stronger soap solution or brush the area to remove the stains.

After two applications of "House Wash" check the gutters and siding for any stubborn mold spots that remain. If you still see mold, switch the detergent injector to the "Strong Wash" bucket and spot clean the mold areas only. You can use the 0020 tip to clean the outsides of metal gutters to remove stubborn mold, be careful not to hit the shingles or siding with that tip. You can also use a brush to speed up removal of stubborn areas on gutters and siding while not waiting for the SH to work.

Heavy clay and rust stains need an acid based detergent for removal, OneRestore by EaCo Chem is the best that we have found, however it is expensive at $20/gallon or $100/5 gallons and you must use it straight or 1:1 applied with a pump sprayer. Note you cannot mix acid based detergents with alkaline detergents such as soaps or SH.

If the detergent does seem to be removing the mold by itself, you can increase it's strength by adding more SH to the mix. SH has a limited shelf life and can lose strength over time or if exposed to sunlight. Experiment until it begins cutting through heavy layers of mold by itself, with soft washing the detergents alone should do the cleaning, you shouldn't have to use up close pressure to remove the mold and mildew.



Washing

Once all the mold is dissolved then you need to "soft wash" the siding. Starting at the top of the quickly wash the siding making sure to cover all the surface area. Work your way from the top down washing away debris as you go. Try to wash away all wet debris that may be stuck to the siding during this step. With 8 GPM we can use the soap nozzles to rinse, it makes it easier and more efficient than using higher pressure. On smaller pressure washers you may have to use the higher pressure nozzles (700-1200 PSI) to effectively reach areas.

Rinsing

Remove the detergent injector from the soap and turn off the shut off valve on the line if installed, or place the detergent injector line in clean water. With an 8 GPM washer you may want to remove the chem injector entirely during the rinse process or build a "Detergent injector by-pass system" because the chemical injector reducing the flow of a 8 GPM pump, limiting your rinsing ability.

After you have washed the siding, you now need to thoroughly rinse the siding from top down. Hold the stream of water over an area and let the water "cascade" like a waterfall as you slowly move down the siding. Do this in sections and completely rinse the siding. A good rule of thumb is when you think you have rinsed enough, rinse again the same amount as the first rinse. Rinsing is critically important. You must rinse off all the soap from the siding to prevent the soap from drying on the surface and possible causing oxidation (hazing) of the siding. Make sure to apply an extra rinse to windows. Then rinse the any plants as you did in the pre-wetting process. Take extra time to rinse the plants, and rinse anything else the soap detergent could have been blown onto (cars, furniture, etc). With enough rinsing the SH and detergent will be neutralized and rendered harmless and eventually it will biodegrade into salt.

Important Note

For very high areas of the home it is possible to use the "Red" 00 nozzle to wash the fascia and siding more easily. This nozzle should not be used close range and can damage objects including exterior lighting, siding, etc.

You cannot use a "Red" nozzle that came with your pressure washer or is not rated to operate at low pressure with your pressure washer. Using the "Red" "09" nozzle will produce 3000 PSI at 8 GPM and you will damage a home by using this nozzle at that PSI. You must select a size nozzle that produces low pressure using a nozzle chart. A High pressure "Red" 0 degree tip will draw lines in your siding, concrete, wood or whatever else you use it on. If you don't have a thorough understanding of this do not use the "Red nozzle" at all. You have been warned.











by Jason Murphy

President

HydroClean Pressure Washing Corporation
www.pressurewashinghickorync.com

How to Pressure Wash a House Part 2 - Homeowner's Guide

How to Pressure Wash a House Part 2 - Homeowners Practical Guide



Intro
In this guide, we will show you step by step how to wash a house. We will use a method called "soft washing", where the detergents are relied on to clean, and the pressure washer used to apply the detergents and to quickly rinse. We will use a consumer model "Generac 3000 PSI Pressure Washer" as and example, but some details will need to be changed depending on the capability of your pressure washer.

 

 



Example Machine
The Generac Pressure Washer produces 3000 PSI at 2.7 GPM and has a list price of $497.51 and is available on Pressure Washers Direct for $399. The Generac 3000 PSI represents a mid range consumer pressure washer used for occasional washing, and not designed for professional use, but may be similar to what many homeowners may use to wash their home.

 

PSI vs GPM
PSI (pounds per square inch) is the force of the water, and GPM (gallons per minute) is the volume of water the machine produces per minute. GPM is a far more an indication of the power and speed of a pressure washer than PSI. A 4 GPM pressure washer is the minimum that should be considered for professional use, and 5.5 GPM and 8 GPM are more commonly used by pros, 2.7 GPM will be significantly slower but will still get the job done. Think of the difference between a push mower and a zero-turn mower, but will cut grass fine, but the zero-turn will cut the grass in a fraction of the time of the push mower.

 



Preventing Pump Damage
Here is some basic info about pressure washers, once a water hose is attached and pressure washer is started you must squeeze the trigger every 3 minutes (preferably less) otherwise the pump could overheat and be damaged. You cannot let a pressure washer idle for over 3 minutes at a time. This has nothing to do with reliving pressure build up (the unloader already does that) but that the friction of the water inside the pump produces heat, the the small amount of water inside the pump will continually heat up and eventually damage the pump leading to costly repairs. Squeezing the trigger draws fresh cool water inside the pump and cools the pump off. This is also compounded when it is a very hot day and the water hose is in the sun, the water is already hot going into the pump, in this case you most hold the trigger open for a longer period of time.

 



Pressure Washer Nozzles
A pressure washer usually comes with a varieties of nozzles, color coded to indicate the spray angle. (Red 0 degrees, Yellow 15 degrees, Green 25 degrees, and Black (soap) 40 degrees). Each nozzle has a orifice sized to produce a certain PSI with the rated GPM of the pressure washer. The Generac has size "3" orifice nozzles, which at 2.7 GPM will produce approximate 3000 PSI. This is a different number than the spray angle that is color coded, a size "3" green 25 degree tip with produce the same PSI as a yellow 15 degree tip (in this case 3000 PSI).

How to reduce pressure
We are going to "soft wash" the house, so 3000 PSI is far too much pressure to use for our purpose. We want to use between 1000 - 1500 PSI to wash the home, so how do we accomplish this? One way is to reduce the throttle of the engine, this will reduce the RPM that the pump is running at and also reduce the PSI. However this will also reduced the GPM of the pressure washer which will make the washer much less effective. The best way to lower the PSI and maintain the rated GPM is to use tips that are a larger sized than the ones designed for the pressure washer. We will use the chart below to determine the right sized tip to achieve soft washing with a 3000 PSI 2.7 GPM pressure washer.

 

Choosing the correct size nozzles
Looking at the Chart we see how much pressure a size "3" nozzle will produce at various GPM. Following the chart from the left, we see at 2.60 GPM a size "3" nozzle will produce 3000 PSI. This is our default tip that comes with the Generac. Going to the "1200 PSI" column will go down until we see a GPM close to 2.7 GPM. A size "5" tip will produce 1200 PSI at 2.74 GPM, this is the size of nozzles we want for our Generac 3000 PSI to "soft wash" the home. You will have to use the chart to find the appropriate nozzles for your size pressure washer based on your rated GPM.



 

The four nozzles you need to "soft wash"
Now that we know what size tip to use we need four pressure tips, a nozzle to apply soap high, one to apply soap low, a nozzle to rinse high, and a nozzle to rinse low. Depending on your location it may be hard to find a varieties of pressure washing nozzles in local stores. In that case you will have to order the nozzles on the internet. Northern Tool usually has a good selection of nozzles and you could check there for the appropriate nozzles for your machine. Based on our example 3000 PSI 2.7 GPM machine, we will need a 2505 "Green" nozzle for rinsing low, a 0005 "Red nozzle" for rinsing high, a 2540 "Black soap" nozzle for soaping low, and a 0040 "Black soap" nozzle for soaping high. The numbers "2505" are usually imprinted on the end of the nozzle. The first to numbers is the spray angle 25 degrees "25", the next two numbers are the rated GPM 5 GPM "05". Unfortunately you may find it hard to find a "0040" 0 degree black soap nozzle in a store. In that case I recommend going to www.pressuretek.com to find a 0 degree soap nozzle. http://www.pressuretek.com/spsyno.html. The 0 degree soap nozzle is essential for applying soap to the higher areas of a home.



Downstream chemical injector
The Generac has a built in chemical injector and detergent tanks, however the tanks aren't as easy to fill with a large amount of detergents. Instead of using the build in injector we will use a dedicated injector. You may be able to find one at a local store, or you can order a chemical injector from www.pressuretek.com or another online pressure washing supply store. The chemical injector has tube which is placed in a bucket of mixed detergent, and draws the chemical into the pressure washer hoses when a soap nozzle is attached to the trigger gun. Then by switching to a higher pressure tip, the soap can be emptied out of the lines so it is possible to rinse with water.

Detergent solution
Sodium Hypochlorite (SH) is very common chemical in today's world. It is used to clean clothes, purify water, clean pools, and found in numerous household cleaners. Sodium Hypochlorite is also best chemical to kill mold & mildew found on the exterior of homes. Sodium Hypochlorite is produced by electrifying salt water and is very inexpensive. Since it is so inexpensive and effective companies can't brand and market it effectively for pressure washing use. They create proprietary detergents with brand names and do everything possible to disparage Sodium Hypochlorite by saying it is "dangerous, ineffective, and bad for the environment." None of these things are true but are just marketing ploys so you will be there $20/gallon soap instead of $1.50/gallon SH. Sodium Hypochlorite is commonly marketed as bleach, and is best found in a more concentrated form at chemical or pool supply companies. However you can still use store bought bleach, it's just weaker and much more expensive. You can find SH at Walmart for about $3.00/gallon at about 8% strength. This means we will have to use it without watering it down otherwise it will be ineffective.

Mixing our custom soap
We will start by adding 3 gallons of 8% SH to a 5 gallon bucket. Then add 1 gallon of water. (If you can find 12% SH add 2-2.5 gallons of SH to a 5 gallon bucket and fill the rest with water) We also will need some form of detergent (soap) to mix with the solution. The brand of detergent isn't very important, any commonly found products that are designed for pressure washing will work. Read the directions on the detergent container on how much to add per gallon, and use about half the recommended amount. We use a soap called "Panel Bright" and use about 1 qt per 5 gallons of SH/Water, but other products may require different amounts, again read the instructions and use less than called for.



Applying the detergent to the home
Follow your pressure washer's instructions and attach the garden hose, pressure hose, trigger gun, and place the detergent injector in the 5 gallon bucket of detergent mix. Start the pressure washer and attach the green 25 degree 5GPM nozzle. Pre-wet any plants that are below the area to be washed, aim above the plants at a distance and allow the mist of the spray to wet the plants. Don't aim the pressure washer directly at the plants or get too close otherwise you will damage the plants.

Attach the 25 degree black soap 40 tip to the pressure washer, move closer to a the siding away from any plants and spray the wall until the chemical injector draws detergent, you should be able to tell by the soap bubbles.

Start from the bottom and apply the detergent to the siding as far up as you can reach. Then switch to 0 degree "Black" 40 nozzle to reach the higher areas of the siding and the fascia. Make sure all the siding is covered with the detergent. Then switch back to the "Green" 25 degree 5 GPM nozzle and spray the siding away from plants to empty the detergent from the lines. Then immediately rinse any windows from a distance to prevent the solution from drying on the windows.

You should see the mold begin to turn brown and run down the siding, if there any areas still containing mold after a few minutes reapply the detergent solution to those areas. If there are any very stubborn mold spots you can use pressure up close to remove them, or use a brush or rag if you can reach the area. Also note our solution will only effectively remove mold, if there are clay stains, grease stains, or heavy dirt stains on the siding you may have to switch to a stronger soap solution or brush the area to remove the stains.



Washing
Once all the mold is dissolved then you need to "soft wash" the siding. Starting at the top of the quickly wash the siding making sure to cover all the surface area. Work your way from the top down washing away debris as you go.

Rinsing
After you have washed the siding, you now need to thoroughly rinse the siding from top down. Hold the stream of water over an area and let the water "cascade" like a waterfall as you slowly move down the siding. Do this in sections and completely rinse the siding. A good rule of thumb is when you think you have rinsed enough, rinse again the same amount as the first rinse. Rinsing is critically important. You must rinse off all the soap from the siding to prevent the soap from drying on the surface and possible causing oxidation (hazing) of the siding. Make sure to apply an extra rinse to windows. Then rinse the any plants as you did in the pre-wetting process. Take extra time to rinse the plants, and rinse anything else the soap detergent could have been blown onto (cars, furniture, etc). With enough rinsing the SH and detergent will be neutralized and rendered harmless and eventually it will biodegrade into salt.

Important Note

For very high areas of the home it is possible to use the "Red" 005 nozzle to wash the fascia and siding more easily. This nozzle should not be used close range and can damage objects including exterior lighting, siding, etc. At 1200 PSI (05 nozzle at 2.7 GPM) the "Red" nozzle is safe to use at a distance (10' - 15') to wash and rinse, and can be used at a closer range to wash exterior gutters.

You cannot use a "Red" nozzle that came with your pressure washer or is not rated to operate at low pressure with your pressure washer. Using the "Red" "03" nozzle will produce 3000 PSI at 2.7 GPM and you will damage your home by using this nozzle at that PSI. You must select a size nozzle that produces low pressure using a nozzle chart. A High pressure "Red" 0 degree tip will draw lines in your siding, concrete, wood or whatever else you use it on. If you don't have a thorough understanding of this do not use the "Red nozzle" at all. You have been warned.

Final Cost

Your total cost will be around $500 if you don't already own a pressure washer. To wash a 2000 sq ft vinyl home would take about 4-6 hours if it is your first time washing.

Pressure Washer $400

Soap $20

SH $10

Nozzles $40

Chemical injector $30

Total: $500

Hire a Pro

Another option to consider is to hire a professional to wash your home. A pro can wash a 2000 sq ft home in 1 1/2 hours or less and it will cost on average between $200-$400 depending on your area. You also can have the peace of mind that a pro will wash your home correctly, taking care to rinse your plants, protect the more delicate areas of your home, and properly rinse all soap residue from the siding.

by HydroClean

 

 

 

 

Gutter Guards, do they work?

Many homeowners consider getting gutter guards, attachments to gutters that prevent leaves and debris from clogging gutters.

There are many varieties of gutter protection systems on the market, with many of them claiming that homeowners will have no maintenance or cleaning issues with their gutters again. Are these claims true?

As gutter cleaners, we have cleaned hundreds of homes and seen many types of gutter protection systems. There are simple screens which snap to the gutters, available in metal or plastic, and commonly sold at Lowe's and Home Depot. There are protection systems made from metal that fit over the gutters and have a narrow slit for the water to enter. Other protection devices include ones made out of composite material that fit into the gutters, and systems made from aluminum with a fine mesh screen.


Unfortunately in my experience most of these systems do not work as advertised, with only two gutter protection systems that are effective.

The gutter screens do tend to keep out most of the larger leaves, as most protection systems do, but allow smaller seedlings, leaves, twigs, and dirt to enter into the gutter. With the screens in place it can be difficult to clean the gutter as the small debris gets stuck in the mesh of the screen, but some systems flip over allowing the gutters to be cleaned more easily.

The gutter covers with the narrow slit do a better job of keeping debris out of the gutters, however I have seen situations where these systems are clogged with dirt and debris. The design of these systems makes it almost impossible to clean without physically removing sections of the covers. If they do become clogged then you will have a difficult time cleaning them. The major problem with "gutter covers" is they have a very small area for the water to enter, in large downpours most of the water will run over the gutter and will spill onto the ground next to your home, defeating the purpose of having gutters in the first place. These systems are also usually expensive.  

Now to the to systems that actually work. Rainflow makes a gutter protection system made from composite material, it is porous allowing water to flow but fine so small debris will not become trapped in it. This system comes in three foot sections that fit and fill the top part of the gutter, and allow all the water to run through into the gutter.

Another product I have seen on the home I have cleaned is called Gutter Glove. Gutter Glove is made from aluminum and has a fine mesh screen. This screen allows the water to flow freely through, and prevents leaves and small debris from clogging the gutter. I inspected a section of 40 foot high gutters under large trees with Gutter Glove installed, and the gutters were completely clean.

Unfortunately both these systems are expensive, from $10-$25 a foot installed.    If you are considering installing a gutter protection system, I would recommend either the Rainflow, or better yet the Gutter Glove system. There may be other systems that work, however those are the only two I have seen in person that actually work. The large opening gutter screens that snap to the gutters and the gutter cover design are not recommended. A

less expensive alternative to gutter protection is to have your gutters professionally cleaned once or twice a year. Simply cleaning your gutters is usually more effective than most of the gutter systems, as the gutters are cleaned and flushed to ensure proper operation and flow.

Installing high end gutter protection for 200' of gutter would cost around $4000. Hiring a gutter cleaning company to clean 200' of your gutter would cost between $150-$200 each cleaning.  

So for the same price of one of the more expensive gutter protection systems, you could have your gutters cleaned for the next 20 years!

In summary, gutter protection systems are best used when you have very high and inaccessible gutters that would be difficult and costly to clean by hand. It is less expensive and more effective to have your accessible gutters cleaned annually or bi-annually.

By HydroClean

Originally appearing at www.pressurewashinghickorync.com

Gutter Guards, do they work?

How to Pressure Wash a House

Misconceptions of Pressure Washing  

Most people have misconceptions of pressure washing. A commonly held view is that a pressure washer cleans with high pressure on the surface, and a higher PSI rating for a pressure washer equals more cleaning ability.

A first time user of a pressure washer will usually try to clean with pressure, if the surface doesn't come clean, then they will move closer to the surface or use a tip that produces more pressure in a attempt to clean.

Using high pressure to clean can be dangerous to both the user and the surface being cleaned.

Painted wood siding can be stripped of paint, soft wood decks can be marred and striped by high pressure, and windows can have there vapor barriers broken from the pressure.

Higher pressure is more difficult to control, and is especially dangerous from a ladder, which amateur washers will use to reach the higher areas of there home.

The bottom line however, is high pressure isn't all that effective in cleaning. Mold and other stains many times are not budged at all by pressure, but can be easily wiped off with a cloth or brush. But cleaning a home by hand with a brush or cloth is very time consuming.

High pressure cleaning is only effective on hard surfaces such as brick and concrete, even though extremely high pressure can damage the facing on brick and the finish on concrete.

The Secret to Pressure Washing

The secret to pressure washing is detergents.

Every stain on a home, mold and mildew, grease, red clay, rust etc., has a certain chemical which will break down that stain and allow a pressure washer to rinse it off.

A professional pressure washer knows what detergent will break down each stain, and how to safely apply and use the detergent. Incorrect use of these detergents can cause harm to the user, siding, and plants surrounding the home.

Moderate pressure (2500 - 3500 PSI) can be used to clean certain types of siding (vinyl, hard wood siding) but is only effective using a soap based detergent. A minority of professional pressure washers use this technique. The side being cleaned is soaped using a detergent tip. The soap is allowed to sit on the surface for a few minutes and loosen the dirt and mold. Then the siding is cleaned from top to bottom overlapping each pass with the fan spray of the pressure washer.

This isn't very difficult for lower siding, but the high parts of a home must be washed with pressure from 6"-12" away for the stains to be removed. Every square inch being of the siding must be cleaned this way. To reach the higher areas of a home, a ladder or extension wand must be used.

Professional Soft Washing 

The majority of professional pressure washers use a technique called "soft washing". Typically less than 1000 PSI is used to clean a house. Very little pressure is used, with the surface being cleaned by the detergents applied, and then rinsed by the pressure washer. By using lower pressure, there is less change of harm to the washer or the surface being cleaned.

Pros first pre-wet any plants and surfaces not being cleaned, then apply their detergent solution on the siding from the bottom up. The solution includes sodium hypochlorite and soap to allow it to cling to the surface more effectively. The solution is allowed to dwell on the surface until all the mold is killed. Any spots still left are hit with a second application of solution.

Once all the mold is gone, the professional washer rinses from the top down washes all traces of mold and debris from the siding. Then the siding is thoroughly rinsed to remove all soap from the surface, and all plants and other surfaces are throughly rinsed with low pressure.

Higher parts of siding are reached using a special tip that can shoot a low pressure stream up to 40 feet. On very high parts a 6 foot extension sometimes is used, but all the washing can be safely from the ground without using ladders.

Houses can be washed faster and more effectively than using the "pressure cleaning" technique. Pros using the "soft washing" technique generally favor pressure washers that put out more gallons per minute (GPM) and have less pressure (PSI).

In summary, smaller one-story vinyl houses can be cleaned by do-it-yourself homeowners using residential machines, however for larger two-story homes with high peaks it is best to hire a professional pressure washing company that utilizes soft washing techniques.

by HydroClean



How to Pressure Wash a House
Originally appearing at www.pressurewashinghickory.com