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Pressure
Washing Your Own Home...And Doing A Great Job At That
by Donald
Thomas |
As Autumn slowly makes her appearance it is a solemn warning
that Winter is up next. With Autumn comes the cool and relaxing
temperatures that helps us forget about the hot miserable days of
summer--especially in the southern part of the United States where
summers are always hot and very, very, humid.
But Autumn is cool and down right comfortable all across the USA;
however, it is also a clear and timely warning that "Old Man
Winter" is on his way, and things are going to get pretty
rough before Spring. For homeowners, Autumn can be a sought of wake up
call to begin needed upgrades and repairs before the temperatures begin
to drop and the cold, rain, sleet, and snow make their debut.
Now is the time to check out the
exterior of your home and see if
it needs any repairs and/or upgrades. And if it does, you should try to
get them taken care of before it's too late. There are some projects
that most homeowners are capable of doing themselves and there are some
better left to license professionals like electrical wiring and
plumbing along with heating and air conditioning, but there are other
projects that are really "green light" projects for homeowners.
If you are physically, psychologically, and mentally fit and able to do
some projects like painting; drywall/sheetrock
repairs; minor plaster repairs;
flooring installation, and some carpentry projects. But here again, if
you do not feel comfortable doing some or all of these tasks, by all
means contact a reputable contractor in your area and hire him/her to
do the job for you.
There is one exterior project that can really give most homes a fresh
clean new look without costing an arm and leg and that project is
"pressure washing". Pressure washing can really enhance the exterior of
your home and it doesn't require a great deal of experience to do; in
fact, a novice can do a real good job the very first time armed with
the right information and the willingness to do it.
Here is a quick overview of how to pressure wash your own home. First,
take a good look at the exterior of your home and take inventory of
what it needs. If there are any missing window panes; missing vents;
missing siding; rotten and/or damaged wood, it all should be replaced
before you begin pressure washing the exterior of your home. Our focus
is on the exterior of your home so
interior repairs that need to be
done can be put aside for the moment unless of course they will allow
water into the house.
With all repairs done you should be about ready to begin washing down
your house with the pressure washer. Whether you own a pressure washer
or you plan to buy one or if you choose to rent one from your local
rental store one thing that I cannot stress enough is that you should
be sure to follow all recommended procedures and guidelines established
and set forth by the manufacturer of the pressure washer. Always read
the operating instructions carefully and ask as many questions as you
need. If you can speak with a representative of the company that
manufactured the pressure washer by all means do so.
Some companies offer videos on how to operate their equipment, and
there is a lot of information on the Internet that is very useful in
teaching and instructing people how to operate pressure washers in
general. My point is this: before you begin operating the pressure
washer get as much information on how to safely operate the equipment
before you get started. A pressure washer can become a very dangerous
piece of equipment if operated improperly, so be wise and learn how to
operate the equipment the correct way before you begin and once you do
begin continue to practice safe operating procedures each and every
minute that you use it.
The key to successfully cleaning the exterior of your home is not using
brute force to blow your house down, but using quality cleaning
solutions that do the work for you. There are a large number of
cleaning solutions that you can use that are both safe and
environmentally friendly at the same time. You want cleaning solutions
that will not harm the plant life; pet life, and for sure, the children.
Before you begin pressure washing the exterior of your house in
earnest, take a good look all around it before you begin and make sure
the plant life is adequately protected as well as any and everything
else you do not wish to get wet. And by all means make doubly sure that
no people are in your work area! Clear the area completely before you
begin and always check twice to see if it remains clean.
When it comes to cleaning I employ what I refer to as a one-two knock
out punch. First, I wash the house down with sodium hypochlorite or
plain old household bleach. As I stated earlier, down here in the deep
south where we live mildew and mold are form idle foes that can be down
right tenuous. In extreme cases you will see homes and buildings
covered with black mildew that looks gross along with black mold! It's
enough to make you run for cover, but the bleach and water solution
destroys the mildew but does nothing to eliminate the mold; a special
mold removal product is necessary to get rid of black mold.
I usually allow the bleach about 10 to 15 minutes to work it stuff
before I follow up with the second punch. The second punch is a strong
alkaline solution with a ph of about twelve; meaning, it is rated the
strongest in the industry. The particular alkaline solution I prefer to
use is a citrus base soap detergent that smells like oranges and cleans
like a pro. I have been using this type of detergent for almost fifteen
years now and I haven't lost a battle thus far.
Whatever cleaning solutions you choose and whatever combination you
choose to employ more--more strength to you. Whatever works for you is
fine by me. The final outcome is all that really matters and that is
that your home looks great after a real good cleaning. That's all. In
your region of the country mildew might not be an issue at all, but
there could be other problems that you might have to deal
with that we down south do not.
In conclusion, pressure washing the exterior of your home can be a
wonderful way to give your home a fresh clean appearance. In some cases
it can stave off hiring an exterior
painting contractor or having
to paint the exterior of your home yourself. So here's to wishing you
the best kid. Good luck.
Disclaimer:
The author of this article is not responsible for any injuries that
might occur due to the content of this article or any other article
written by him. Please consult a reputable contractor in your area.
Thanks
American
Painting and
Pressure Cleaning, Inc.
(318) 746-1810 or (318) 677-9055
for all your drywall/sheetrock repair projects. We also offer carpentry
repairs; kitchen
cabinets staining and varnishing;
kitchen cabinets painting; exterior
(doors and shutters) staining and varnishing; deck restoration and
rejuvenation;
drywall (sheetrock) finishing; drywall (sheetrock) installation;
drywall (sheetrock) texturing; popcorn
ceiling removal; plaster restoration and plaster repairs; historic home
restoration; pressure washing, and flooring.
We are also interior residential
(house) painters as well as exterior residential (house) painters;
interior commercial painting contractors and exterior commercial
painting contractors as well, and
so much more.
For almost thirty years we have been providing homeowners
and commercial property owners with quality craftsmanship along with
down home friendly service. And if you are currently residing in the
Minden area feel free to call us at (318)
371-1005. Thanks, Donald
Thomas/owner |
| American Painting
and Pressure Cleaning, Inc. proudly servies Bossier Parish, Haughton
La., Benton La., Plain Dealing La., Webster Parish, Minden La., Cotton
Valley La., Sarepta La., Shongaloo La., Springhill La., Cullen La.,
Heflin La., Dubberly La., Sibley La., Doyline La., Claiborne Parish,
Haynesville La., Homer La., Lisbon La., Athens La., Bienville Parish,
Gibsland La., Ringgold La.,
Arcadia La., Lincoln Parish, Simsboro La., Grambling La.,
and Ruston La. |
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