Power Wash Before You Paint

Every so often, your home or business needs a good power washing. The exterior faces all sorts of climate and weather elements, plus general exposure to dirt, dust, and grime. So, it’s a good idea to power wash that entire exterior with some sort of regularity. It doesn’t need to be often, but it does need to be done. You’ll be surprised how brand new and fresh your exterior looks after a power wash.

As CertaPro Painters franchise owner Dan Mahaney explains, when it comes to painting your exterior, power washing is actually necessary – or at least, it’s strongly recommended by the painting professionals. A paint job is done best on a clean surface that has been stripped down to its purest form. You don’t want to have paint sort of slopped on top of siding that has dirt and the residue of outdoor elements on it. You need absolutely clean siding, wood, stone, etc. to work with – which is why power washing is a service frequently offered by your painting contractor.

Getting Your Exterior Power Washed

You may want or need a power washing just for a good cleaning, or you might be getting ready to have your exterior painted. Either way, a power washing is the fast, convenient, and effective way to totally wash the entire exterior. This works for siding, stone, brick, wood, etc. – which means you should also power wash your deck before having it stained. When the exterior is power washed, it is back to its pure state with no materials to go between it and the paint, or the primer. This creates a stronger bond between the surface and the paint, which translates into a cleaner, more professional look and a longer lasting paint job.

Now, power washing can be a do-it-yourself job. However, power washers can be expensive, and often non-professionals do not have access to the same tools and industrial strength products. Although the process of power washing is more or less cut and dry, whenever you apply a product to your home, especially with pressure, it’s never a bad idea to let a professional handle the job. Many painting contractors offer power washing as part of their services, which is convenient since it’s actually a sort of prep for painting. When the painting contractor sends their estimator out to meet with you, you will discuss whether a power washing will be necessary – and it is necessary unless you happen to have had it done pretty recently. This will all be added to your painting proposal so you understand how it affects the cost.

Who should have their exteriors power washed?

Even when you’re not having your home or business painted, it’s a good idea to power wash regularly, just to remove the effects of weather and elements. Remove the dirt, the pollen, all the outdoor build-up. Cleaning your exterior makes your home or business look new – and perhaps back to the original color! This is especially important with a business. You want to present a clean, tidy, new appearance to the world of potential consumers. If you are planning on having your exterior painted, then you definitely need the power washing, and it is easy one-stop shopping when you hire your painting contractor to include the power washing service.

What are the benefits?

Power washing your exterior not only leaves it looking aesthetically pleasing, it also allows for a perfect surface to paint. The surface will hold the paint and primer well, without chipping and/or peeling. There will be no residue to sort of paint over. The power washed surface is one that turns into a smooth and durable painted surface. And rest assured little that can go wrong with power washing. If anything it is a process that prevents future risks or problems.