Powerwashing House

[Mojoman]

My house is getting pretty dirty.
Vinyl siding.

We have gotten some quotes from professionals, but just way higher than I expected.

Thinking of buying my own prosumer power washer and doing it myself.

Any successful experience with this?

[THebert]

You might be able to rent a power washer. Check around-

[Blue Light]

I just borrowed a neighbor's powerwasher to take care of a deck that gone a little mossy. I was thrilled with the way that sucker just tore the grime and moss off. Afterward I l was not so thrilled to see that the wood was all torn up and splintery.

In fact, I was sanding it this morning and got a tremendous splinter in my finger.

So, uh, use caution!

[Peteyvee]

Originally Posted by Blue Light

I just borrowed a neighbor's powerwasher to take care of a deck that gone a little mossy. I was thrilled with the way that sucker just tore the grime and moss off. Afterward I l was not so thrilled to see that the wood was all torn up and splintery.

In fact, I was sanding it this morning and got a tremendous splinter in my finger.

So, uh, use caution!

If that was pressure treated wood (and my guess is that it is), you better go see a doctor. I got a splinter in my big toe from our deck in Florida, thought I got the entire splinter out and got a really painful and nasty infection that took a couple of months to heal. That stuff contains formaldehyde and a bunch of other nasty stuff. Don't screw around with it....

[straightblues]

If you are going the power washing route, don't waste your time with cheap home pressure washing units. They are crap. I use a couple in my business and they break after a month of use. I bought the warranty and am getting them replaced monthly but they just aren't worth it.

You can rent a good one for the day.

[lord preset]

It's true that the consumer grade units are not built for the ages, and certainly not everyday commercial use, but when you consider how infrequently they are going to be used in a household they can last a good while. I have a mid-grade model from Home Despot that's been going for 10+ years. One benefit of the prosumer units is that they tend to be less powerful and thus less likely to do lots of damage in the hands of a less experienced operator. There's nothing wrong with renting a pro unit for the day if you are not going to have need of a power washer on occasion, but you do have to be VERY careful not to strip paint off any wood trim, blow out caulking etc. Set the PSI only as high as you need to get the grime off.

[A-Frame]

Bunch of people in our neighborhood get a group rate. Guy does a great job and isn't suffering a learning curve. Saves me the heartache of effing things up.

[majorledhead]

You have to be careful you don't do more damage than good with the pressure washer. Having the right fan angle tip goes along way. You may be surprised how clean it will come with a strong solution of simple green, a long handle scrub brush, and a hose. Start at the bottom and work your way up to avoid and clean streaks.

[Tonekat]

If you rent a powerful one, don't hit any part of your (or any living creatures) body with the spray. You can really mess yourself up.

[Brett's Les Paul]

I use a pump up sprayer with some diluted bleach, a common garden hose and a scrub brush if needed. No need for a powerwasher, just wet the siding, spray bleach, let it set a moment, hose it off. Done. Wear crappy clothes. Easy.

[DGTCrazy]

My Power-washer (from Costco) is one of my most prized possessions....there...I said it!

Seriously though, with a Stucco Home, Concrete Sidewalks, Redwood Fencing, Cars, Tools, it just works fantastically on them all. The advice given regarding the Spray Direction is right on the money, as you NEVER want to spray upwards. So you'll need to invest in (or borrow) a good Ladder.

Also...find an area you can give a "Test Spray" on before going all out on your home. Different paint compositions, paint age, color and paint condition will all react differently to the washer, especially if you use any Cleaners via an In-Line Cleaning Detergent Injection System. Pay close attention to the "Tip" you use too as other's have mentioned. And remember that there's always the initial reaction of wanting to get the job done "quick".....but that's what leads to problems.

After the house dries, check to see if any areas leaked, if any paint issues occurred and what needs caulking/re-caulking and repair.

[Cobb]

This may be common sense but I don't think anyone has mentioned it.

Different power washers have different amounts of power. You can get a cheap 1500 PSI power washer for around $80, or you can get one with double that, obviously a big difference.

['58Bassman]

Originally Posted by Mojoman

My house is getting pretty dirty.
Vinyl siding.

We have gotten some quotes from professionals, but just way higher than I expected.

Thinking of buying my own prosumer power washer and doing it myself.

Any successful experience with this?

Ever run a business? I would guess not.

They have expenses you don't think about, like the fact that they don't use a dinky little consumer washer, they should have insurance, they have to pay more in taxes than a private person, they have to pay workmam's comp as soon as they have one employee, they need to make a profit & they have a reputation to keep, so doing a good job means there's a small possibility that you may refer others to them vs the guarantee that you'll dump on them if they do the tiniest thing wrong. They may rent space for the company, they may have someone doing the clerical/admin and if they do rent space, they have utilities and insurance for that, too. Plus, they won't be buying the cleaning solutions in gallon jugs, so their outlay for supplies and materials is high.

Still too high?

[jerrylee]

+1 on the Simple Green and a brush.

[pj29]

Originally Posted by jerrylee

+1 on the Simple Green and a brush.

I have been thinking about this very topic recently. Need to wash the vinyl siding and worried about the water damage from the power washer. Think I will try the Simply Green route and see how if goes. It is really only bad on one end of the house, the rest should be easy.