A Homeowner's Guide to Pressure Cleaning & Costs

It's no longer news that pressure cleaning is a way of removing hardened stains on surfaces and properties to enhance the aesthetic look or make your home shine brighter again. Those tough dirt, muds, and grime on your walls, woods, roofs, sidewalks, gutters, and windows are what pressure cleaning can remove with ease. Pressure cleaning reduces allergies, minimizes dangers, removes dirt, grime and dust and promotes aesthetics.

The operator needs to understand his pressure cleaning tools to clean a home successfully. The amount of pressure you need for different surfaces differs, so you need someone skilled in pressure cleaning to clean your home.

A pressure washer uses high-pressure water spray, preventing walls from losing paint. It has high-pressure jets, which might be two to four in number on a rotating bar.

There are lots of rewards in cleaning your homes using pressure cleaning. If you are interested in DIY, there are many hoses in the market that you can buy depending on your budget. Take extra caution if you have not handled a pressure cleaner before.

What’s the process like for pressure cleaning

There are two types of pressure cleaner; A gas-powered pressure cleaner and an electric-powered pressure cleaner. A gas-powered pressure cleaner has a higher flow rate, making it ideal than an electric-powered pressure cleaner. That doesn't mean the electric-powered cleaner is useless. Homeowners can go for the electric-powered cleaner because you can keep them in smaller spaces.

They are entry-level for most pressure cleaners to perform deep cleaning at home. It's not as expensive as a professional pressure cleaner, and you are guaranteed a dirt-free home. There are professional pressure cleaners for professional contractors who are serious with home pressure cleaning. These types of pressure cleaners are built with professional pumps and engines. They can perform more sophisticated home and office cleaning than the entry homeowner pressure cleaner.

When choosing the right pressure cleaner, you need to understand the terms and what they mean to compare them. Here are terms you need to understand;

●Pounds per square inch (PSI)

It quantifies how much pressure is needed to remove the stain because the water pressure is measured in PSI. The tougher the chemical bond, the more pressure you will need to erase the stain.

●Gallon per minute (GPM)

It's used to measure water flow because it is measured in GPM. The higher the GPM of a pressure cleaner, the more surface area it can clean within a minute.

●Water Temperature

Although unheated water is the standard for all pressure cleaners, some professional units can run hot water.

●Cleaning Units

When rating a pressure cleaner, cleaning units is a valid test. It refers to the cleaning speed of a pressure cleaner. It's a product of PSI and GPM. PSI ×GPM = CU.

Which nozzles should I use on my pressure cleaner?

Pressure cleaners have different nozzles, and they are color-coded. Different colored nozzles serve different functions. The red nozzle has high velocity, and care needs to be taken when using red nozzles. The red nozzle can damage some surfaces and is mostly used on weeds from cracking driveways. The next nozzle, which is yellow, is used to remove paint and clean concrete. There's a green nozzle for eliminating dirt from furnishings and decks. Also, the black nozzle is used when you want to wipe with soap or detergent. Finally, the turbo nozzle is bigger than other nozzles and should be used with high management.

It's not advisable to use a ladder when using a pressure washer due to the push back from the hose, which could make you fall and cause back injury.

How much does it cost to pressure wash a 2000 sq ft house?

According to Home Advisor, the average cost to power wash your home is $0.40 per square foot. Professionals might charge half of the price if the size of the house is bigger.

You already know the effect dirt, grime, and algae can have on your house, to the extent of lowering your curb appeal. Getting the best out of pressure cleaning comes with a price when hiring professionals. The price also depends on the size of your home.

The standard cost varies from $400 to $800. When it comes to a 2000 sq. ft home, most people settle for around $600 for two hours of pressure cleaning work. This package includes the cost of labor, tools used, and other materials. You can cheaply spend $250- $360 to pressure wash a 900 Square foot house. For special cleaning, depending on your budget, some spend as much as $1,000 for a straight three hour wash of a 2,500 square foot house.

What does it cost to power wash a two-story house?

Houses with more stories will be more costly because of the size and square footage. A two-story building with 1500 to 2000 square footage calculation might cost 2×($400 to $800) equals ( $800 to $1600). If it's a three-story building, the average cost calculation is 3×($400 or $800) equals ($1200 to $2400).

Pressure washing cost per square foot

According to Home Advisor, the pressure washing machine cost per square foot ranges from $0.10 to $0.50. Although most companies charge per hour, you are likely to meet those that will still charge you per square foot.

What is soft washing a house?

Soft washing a house is a term used when washing delicate surfaces. It employs unique techniques. Any washing with a hose set below 500 PSI is considered soft cleaning. The pressure is dropped by changing the washer tip to widened spray. It provides a soft touch when washing surfaces such as cedar or other surfaces that don't need high-pressure washing.

Frequency of pressure cleaning services

How often you wash your house depends on the level of dirt you have around and how easily your home gets messy. Experts recommend that at least you should power wash your house two times a year. Regular washing between 6 to 12 months is okay to get the best out of your home. Every element of the house, such as gutters, windows, roof, sidewalk, walls and many more, should be taken care of. According to  Forbes Advisor, windows should be washed on a seasonal or semi-annual schedule.

Verdict

Whether you decide to hire professional cleaners, Homeowners can't underestimate the benefits of pressure cleaning your home. It prolongs the life span of your building, increases your house valuation, removes tough dirt, muds, and grime, and protects you and your family from hazards.