Finding a Power Washing Company

Power washing has not always been perceived by the public as a serious profession. Tainted by fly-by-night companies due to potentially low start up costs, the industry has always fought an uphill battle in being a professional service industry that can stand strong on its own. Being a contractor I have heard horror stories of people being ripped off or having their property damaged by unethical contractors that thought they knew what they were doing.

The good news is there are professional power washing contractors out there that do have knowledge of equipment, cleaners, methods, business and customer satisfaction. While searching for a reputable contractor in your area keep some things in mind; always ask the contractor questions to test their knowledge, ask how long they’ve been in business, make sure they power wash full time and that they specialize in power washing only.

Stay away from contractors or handymen that offer every service under the sun like hauling trash, mowing, painting, power washing and so on. Find a contractor that makes his living serving others not one that just does it on the weekends for some extra beer money. Don’t buy into an unbelievably low price, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is, remember you get what you pay for. Finally, you should always ask the contractor for a written guarantee, references and testimonials. If they can’t stand behind their work or their customers aren’t saying good things about them then you can’t expect them to give you the professional results you expect.

Use the Proper Deck Cleaners

Having your wood deck appropriately maintained every couple of years is a terrific way to protect its looks and value. Some home owners neglect their wood deck so long that it becomes an eye sore to the neighborhood. A deck that is cleaned and sealed correctly, with the right deck cleaners, sealers and methods, will remain in good condition for several years. To have your deck looking good all the time, maintenance is required every couple of years. Maintenance methods will differ with every deck cleaning company but usually it will include a light washing and a re-seal of all the horizontal surfaces like the deck floor, steps and top hand rails. Every second maintenance coat, or every forth year, the entire deck needs to be washed and re-coated including the rim boards and all the spindles. Being on a deck cleaning maintenance plan like this with a quality deck cleaning contractor will mean a great looking deck that you and your family can have fun on for many seasons.

Deck Cleaning Benefits

Deck cleaning and sealing services are very accepted among home owners who recognize how important it can be to the being of their deck. With deck cleaning and sealing, the largest reason in doing the job correctly is choosing the proper cleaners and sealers. Preparing the wood suitably is just as important as the superiority of sealer that will be used. The most common reason a sealer falls short of expectations is because the wood was not prepared correctly. It will not matter if the sealer being used is expensive if the wood is not prepped appropriately the sealer will fail ahead of time.

Another fact to note is that wood is very soft and can be severely damaged and marked up from a high pressure washer. It is probably best to practice washing on a scrap piece of wood similar to that your deck was built with. If you don’t have a scrap piece of wood, try it on an inconspicuous location on your deck that is more or less out of sight.

If you are not practiced with operating a power washing unit or you don't have experience in staining wood, you may not want to embark upon a deck restoration project yourself. The favorable resolution is to hire a professional deck cleaning contractor to do the job for you.

Pressure Washing Tips and Help

Many home owners around the country prefer to take on their own exterior cleaning projects. Some may have had a bad experience with an unethical contractor in the past or they may just enjoy the satisfaction of being a do-it-yourselfer. Whatever the case; attempting a project like cleaning your homes exterior can be a frightening task. Most accidents resulting in personal injury or property damage are caused from a lack of knowledge. You can help this situation by doing your homework and researching cleaning methods and techniques. For instance, the Vinyl Siding Institute has guidelines and suggestions for cleaning siding as do most of the major shingle manufacturers for cleaning shingle roofs. Knowing these guidelines and other pressure washing tips can make your exterior cleaning task a little easier and safer. It can also help to reduce the risk of damaging your siding, roof, deck, or other surfaces around your property.

Power Washing Your Investment

Your home is probably your largest investment and you know it is well worth the time and effort to take care of it. Power washing can increase your homes curb appeal which reflects on your image. Cleaning the exterior of your home and property can also increase its value, but it can be a daunting task. Finding a professional contractor that offers power washing services can be well worth the effort and cost. A reputable contractor will have the proper knowledge, equipment, and cleaners necessary to do the job properly and in a timely fashion. The end result for you is a well maintained home, free of dirt, mold, and mildew which will cause rot and decay. Having these services done eliminates the risk of future repairs, renovations, and replacements of the building materials that make up your home. Whether you’re a do-it-yourselfer or looking to hire a contractor, taking care of your homes exterior helps to protect your largest investment.

Roof Alage Facts

Can you really clean a shingle roof? The major shingle manufacturers say the answer is yes. Asphalt shingles suffering from a type of airborne algae called Gloeocapsa Magma can be cleaned to restore the roof’s appearance. This alga appears as black stains or streaks on your roof.

Roof algae normally first appears on the north facing slopes of the roof where the prevailing amount of shade and moisture are present. The algae lands on the roof and feeds on nutrients in the shingles, as it rains the algae is spread down the roof causing the black streaks.
This condition will deteriorate the roof prematurely by not letting the shingles reflect heat like they need to.

The good news is this alga can be killed and removed by using methods recommended by the shingle manufacturers without causing damage to the shingles. Having your algae covered roof cleaned, while the shingles are still in good shape, is a great way to save yourself the cost of a total roof replacement by insuring you get the full life out of your roof.

Low Pressure Ways

What does it mean when a contractor says he uses low pressure washing methods? Low pressure washing is using very low pounds per square inch (psi) of water pressure to clean with. Contractors using low pressure rely on their cleaners to do the work and the gallons per minute (gpm) to do the washing and rinsing. This method of low pressure, quality cleaners, and high gallons per minute is very effective in cleaning most anything on your property. This method also eliminates risk of damaging your property like forcing water behind your home’s siding or shredding the wood fibers on your deck.

Contractors not using the low pressure method will be using high water pressure to blast the surface clean instead of depending on quality cleaners to do the work. High pressure can no doubt damage vinyl siding, decks, roofs, and even certain types of cement and brick. Make sure you, or the contractor you hire, use the low pressure washing method.

Indiana Pressure Washing Contractor

Welcome to the blog of Midwest Pro Wash. We are a pressure washing contractor providing exterior cleaning services like deck cleaning, low pressure roof cleaning, house washing, and cement cleaning to Indiana residents. We also do something that is unique to the industry; we provide free information about exterior cleaning. Whether you're a DIYer or looking to hire a professional cleaning contractor check in often for free tips, information, and advise about exterior cleaning. Thanks again for visiting the blog of Midwest Pro Wash.