More often than not, a fresh new coat of paint is what your home exterior needs for it to look brand new and upgraded. The reason why many people take it for granted is that they are doing it wrong. One of the most important steps to painting both your siding and trim is to properly prepare each surface so that the paint will adhere and last longer. For more ideas on enhancing your exterior, check out our exterior services.

For a new exterior paint application to succeed, the siding must be cleaned and cleaned well, which can be a task that can be pretty laborious if scrubbed by hand. This is where pressure or power washing becomes handy. Power washing – or pressure washing – is one of the most critical components of preparing your home for new exterior paint. A pressure washer offers a quick and easy way to get the job done, but they can be tricky to use on siding. If your siding has seen better days, consider our siding replacement services.

While painting your home exterior without cleaning it will still be effective—given that it will still adhere to your walls or sidings, it will not last as long compared to cleaned siding. Invest the extra time in thoroughly cleaning the siding to boost the lifespan of your paint by cleaning it before applying paint.

Why should you clean your home exterior first?

There can be many factors that contribute to the early deterioration of new paints on your sidings. There could be issues of chalking, which is the result of old paint surface breaking down from years of sunlight exposure. This is a common phenomenon for walls that have been painted for a long time and homes that are located in sunny regions. If you try to paint over this chalky surface without power washing first, the paint won’t stick properly. More than the chalk residue, dirt and dust can also be an issue if you don't power wash your walls first.

Additionally, grey spores or mildew and mold can also be a problem, caused by extra moisture on your exterior. This is more common for houses that are located in rainy regions and areas. If you paint over mildew or mold, it will grow and eat through your new paint very quickly. To protect your home from moisture damage, check out our gutter guards.

Professional Power Washing

Different sidings need modified ways of power washing. If you need to power wash metal or aluminum, planks, stucco, vinyl, or wood siding before painting, contacting professional exterior painters to power wash your home can be a better and more convenient choice than opting to do it yourself. Here are just some good reasons why you should leave power washing to the professionals:

Hand washing can be not as effective.

If you are thinking about using your own garden hose to wash your home exterior, it won’t be enough to get the job done. The pressure coming from a regular garden hose is not powerful enough to remove the dirt and other residue that will contribute to faster paint fading in the long run. Power wash hoses can be up to 50 times more powerful than regular hoses. These high-pressure systems are ideal for getting a thorough clean on your house siding and preparing it for a smooth paint job.

Eliminating risk of damage

Professional painters are well-equipped to handle the cleaning of any type of house siding. They are experts and use the proper equipment and cleaning agents for every part of your house. Using the right power washing attachments ensures that water is applied at an even pressure on every surface. Professionals also have enough knowledge to make sure that your sidings will not get damaged, a risk that can be faced if you’re just DIY-ing the process.

Loose paint removal. 

If your house has peeling, flaking, or blistering paint, then expect a professional pressure washing to blow off loose chips of paint. Removing loose paint with power washing helps the paint preparation process. Professionals will also do this as part of their jobs.

Sufficient drying time

Professional painters know precisely when a house is ready to be painted after giving it a good power washing. A major cause of paint failure on home exteriors is when paint is applied before the siding has become dry enough for painting. Adequate drying times after power washing can vary depending on the type of siding you have and the manner in which it was washed.

 

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