Tips for Power Washing Your Home

Table Of Content

• Can This Surface Be Pressure-Washed?
• The Dos and Don’ts of Pressure-Washing
• How much does it cost to pressure wash the exterior of a house?
• Step 6: Painting
• How To Fix a Sagging Roof
• Best Electric Pressure Washers, According to Expert Testing
• What PSI do you need to wash a house?
• Q. How much does it cost to pressure wash a house?

The main distinction between power washing and pressure washing is heat. Pressure washing uses cold or cool water, whereas power washing uses heated water. Power washing cleans surfaces better, especially if your home is full of grease and mildew.

Can This Surface Be Pressure-Washed?

But if it's bad, I pretreat the mildew-stained areas using nothing more than a pump garden sprayer loaded with a solution of liquid bleach, Jomax mildewcide and water. When considering pressure washing your house, it’s important to think about the costs involved and whether to do it yourself or hire a professional. First, inspect your house for any areas that might need more attention.

The Dos and Don’ts of Pressure-Washing

Let’s take a closer look at the costs, whether you should do it yourself and how often you need to pressure wash your house. The cost to clean windows is $190 to $460 and is often a service that people choose to have done at the same time as pressure washing. When the siding is clean and looks new, the dirt and grime buildup on the windows will be even more obvious. Having the windows cleaned professionally will incur an additional charge.

How much does it cost to pressure wash the exterior of a house?

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It does all this without breaking the bank, making it our choice for best budget pressure washer. To test pressure washers, including the models here, we evaluate how much pressure each model can produce. Those that generate a higher level of pressure (measured in pounds per square inch) receive a higher score than those with a lower pressure output. Pressure washers come with nozzles ranging from 0 degrees to about 40 degrees. The higher the number, the wider the spray pattern, and the less concentrated (and potentially dangerous) the stream of water. Consumer Reports recommends against using a 0-degree nozzle because it poses an unnecessary safety risk.

In general, it’s preferable and less costly to pressure wash a house during the warmer months of the year. Some people will apply soap from the bottom up and rinse from the top down, but the manner in which it’s done remains a matter of personal preference. Power washing costs vary based on the number of stories that a house has. Roofs that need cleaning will get a soft wash that can cost $0.35 per square foot. Roofs can suffer from bacteria, moss and mildew growth to make them unsightly and a problem for your homeowner’s insurance company. Some insurers will cancel your coverage or raise your premium should they spot moss growth, because it’s a liability.

How To Fix a Sagging Roof

It’s a lot of fun and it’s not really ‘work’ if you’re having fun.” — Joel N. When it comes to cleaning the exterior of your home, you may wish there was a Magic Eraser big enough for decks and driveways. The next best thing may be this highly-rated, lightweight portable electric power washer that’s currently on sale for 20% off. The Sun Joe SPX3000 Xtream sports both high pressure and GPM, making it versatile for use as a sweeper or a grime remover.

Best Electric Pressure Washers, According to Expert Testing

Pressure washing companies typically see more work during the summer in some parts of the country, which could lead to increased costs. Getting your home pressure washed during slower times could reduce costs. Homes get built with different materials and pressure washing them can require different techniques and considerations. Some home material will need a soft wash while others can receive pressure washing. No matter the material, costs remain between $1 and $2.25 per linear foot.

What PSI do you need to wash a house?

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It may seem odd to pay the national average cost to pressure wash a house—$296—to pressure wash house siding. After all, most homes have a spigot and a garden hose, so why is the expense necessary? First, the only real similarity between a garden hose and a pressure washer is that water flows through a tube in both tools.

Q. How much does it cost to pressure wash a house?

Whichever option you choose, make sure your home can handle pressure washing. If there isn’t a lot of dirt or grime, you may be better off using your garden hose or wiping off soiled areas. Otherwise, doing it yourself or hiring a professional has its benefits and drawbacks—don’t forget to budget accordingly. Surfaces that can handle the warmer water can benefit from power washing, but it’ll cost homeowners more. On average, homeowners can expect to pay a professional $0.15-$0.75 per square foot.

That being said, prices may run higher or lower in this range depending on the size of your house. For instance, homes with two or more stories will most likely cost more. Most pressure washing companies will quote you a flat rate, which can run anywhere from $0.10 to $0.50 per square foot.

When used on a very light pressure setting by an experienced technician, pressure washing painted surfaces can be safe. If there’s any possibility that there’s lead paint on the surface or beneath it, however, pressure washing is a bad idea, as the paint may be chipped off or spread. Especially if it’s an every-other-year expense, pressure washing a house isn’t the most expensive maintenance item on the list, but there are certainly ways to save on costs. Buyers who see dingy siding and stained walkways see a home that hasn’t been kept up. This may lead them to wonder what else hasn’t been kept up and to scrutinize the home inspector’s report more carefully. First impressions are important to the value the buyer sees, so it’s reasonable to take a step to make that first impression one of a home that is ready to move into.

Pressure washing and power washing are largely the same thing. Homes get washed with pressured water and cleaning agents through a pressure washer. Some will differentiate the two terms by qualifying power washing as using hot water while pressure washing uses cold water. The average cost to pressure wash a house is $400, though pressure washing a home can range between $200 and $1,250, depending on the size of your house. Pressure washing companies typically use linear feet and the number of stories a house has to determine pricing. Home pressure washing pros can have a minimum charge of $200 for smaller homes while larger homes with two or more stories can cost $1,250 or more.

But first, it’s important to understand what makes up the cost of hiring a pressure washing pro. The average cost to pressure wash a house based on the material being cleaned ranges from $0.30 to $2.00 per sq.ft. The high-end cost covers pressure washing a roof or a composite deck. Different materials require different processes and levels of pressure for effective cleaning.

Attach the garden hose to this mount,  making sure that the other end is attached to the spigot outside of the house. The Karcher 2000 is the easiest-to-use pressure washer on this list. Of all the machines we tested, it was the only one that did not come with a selection of nozzles; instead, it uses just one variable angle nozzle that you twist in order to adjust. With this method of spraying, you don’t have to worry about losing or breaking the nozzles on your machine.