“That’s okay, I have a pressure washer” We hear this often. In
fact, there are many people on the internet offering “power
washing” that also bought a pressure washer. The problem with
simply “power washing” the surface is that you must apply that
high pressure equally to every square inch of the surface being
cleaned. In the case of a house wash, this means using a ladder to
clean anything higher than about 10 feet. I don’t have to tell you
the danger of using a 2 handed tool like a pressure
washing wand that is trying to push you backwards
while standing on a ladder 18 feet in the air. Even then,
you are not killing the mold, mildew and algae in the
vertical and horizontal laps of the siding or under the
siding trim. Dirt will adhere to any small particles left
behind which in turn allows moisture which allows the
algae and mold to grow. This is why many home owners have to
do this every year. Finally, a pressure washer will not clean the
gutters. This takes a special cleaner and is brush cleaned. Gutters
are usually painted aluminium and the paint will
oxidize over time. The years of dirt will will be
covered with years of oxidation. Under all that
grey funk is the original paint and in most cases,
depending on the age, we can bring it back to
the original condition. If you scratch the surface
of the gutter with an abrasive cleaner or pad you
will provide a place for dirt and algae to form.