No matter the many years of warranty contractors guarantee homeowners, without proper maintenance regimes, properties may experience untimely wear and tear.
One of the many ways to maintain your house and ensure it reaches its expected lifespan, is to pressure wash it. In addition to restoring the original appeal of a house, pressure washing helps in raising its value especially when reselling the property.
Adequate preparation helps in streamlining and speeding up the pressure washing for quality results. This article explores the things you should do before the pressure washing team arrives at your property.
Provide Access Points
Power washing the patio
The main and first thing you should do to prepare for pressure washing is providing easy access to the cleaning team. Communicating access points helps avoid conflict with the neighbors due to possible trespass by the team. Let them know where they will come through and where they will exit. This information also helps the cleaning team plan with the right access equipment to make the process blissful.
Close All Openings
Pressure washing involves heavy use of water at high speeds. If any spaces were left open, water would get inside your house and cause structural damage and mold issues. To avoid this possibility, be sure to close all doors, windows and vents tightly. If the windowsills and putty have slightly come off, consider inviting a professional to address them before the house is pressure washed. There is no need in stressing over covering the openings since the cleaning team will do it first thing when they arrive at your property.
Provide Water Access
A pressure washing team comes with specialized equipment to do the job. The only thing the team will ask of you is access to water as this will be the main cleaning agent. Without it, the cleaners cannot do their job. It is therefore important that you communicate this detail in advance, so that they can prepare with the right equipment to do the job.
Clear Pathways
Pressure washers produce highly pressurized streams of water that may cause abrasion on paint on cars. Since no party is ready for such unforeseen circumstance, it is important to remove your car(s) from the driveway. You can park the car on the roadside or better still, request your neighbor to allow you to park on their driveway instead.
Although cleaning staff always operate with high levels of professionalism and care towards their clients’ valuables, it is always advisable to secure fragile items. Things such as flower vases, pots and trophies on the front steps are at a risk of damage. Securing such items does not only streamline the washing process, it also helps prevent conflicts when claiming for compensation from the company.
Communicate Special Requirements
As you are doing a walkthrough of the state of your exterior, you may have noticed areas with tough stains and mosses. Such areas will need special attention in order to address this problem. For instance, special cleaners and a little bit of pressure may be needed to remove them. Weak areas may need a little less pressure to avoid ablating your siding material. Communicating these issues in advance can help the cleaning staff tailor the best approach that satisfies your wishes.
Secure Children and Pets
It does not matter how friendly your children and pets may be; but they will always be a distraction to the cleaning staff. Distractions will reduce the work timelines while risking accidents from the highly pressurized streams of water. Since you do not want anything happening to them, take them out for a drive or picnic. If that is not possible, tuck them inside the house during the entire washing period. The sooner the cleaners are done with the washing, the sooner they hand over the house back you.
Protect Sensitive Areas
Areas with outdoor electrical and electronic outlets should never be exposed to water as this would destroy them or cause short circuits. It is therefore important that you cover them with a plastic material then secure the edges with a sticky tape all around. If you are not sure of how to go about it, be sure to communicate this requirement to the team in advance.
These preparation works go a long in ensuring a timely smooth process for exemplary results. The unsightly old look on the exterior of your house may not necessarily be a sign of wear and tear. Sometimes a pressure washing is all it needs to bring it to life and extend its normal wear and tear span.
