David Carter is the owner and CEO of Handy Man Repairs Inc. in Philadelphia, Mississippi. As such, he has more than 50 years of experience and is currently a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and the National Kitchen & Bath Association. In this article, he explains the benefits of pressure washing your deck or home siding.
Mold is a big issue down South. Not only is it unsightly and unhealthy, but it can grow quickly on decks and home sidings that have not been properly treated or maintained. There are a number of methods people use for cleaning their decks, but I think pressure washing is really one of the best.
Some people tend to try to clean their decks with bleach instead of going ahead with a pressure wash, but this is a bad idea for a number of reasons.
First and foremost, the bleach that people usually use on their decks requires a lot of scrubbing, and it is caustic and hazardous, too. So the runoff from your bleach is going to kill the grass and the plants around your yard when it drains off the desk. That is why I warn people that bleach is not an environmentally friendly option when it comes to maintaining and cleaning your deck.
Another option some people use is a product called Krud Kutter. Krud Krutter is actually something that I have used, too. It comes in a gallon jug and you usually mix it with water. I have sprayed it on client’s decks and just let it soak in for a while. Doing that, before going forward with a pressure wash, minimizes the amount of work you will have to do to with the pressure wash because the Krud Kutter really soaks into the grind of the wood and makes it easy to wash the mold off.
Of course, people don’t just pressure wash their decks. I am commonly asked to come pressure wash the vinyl and aluminum siding on people’s homes as a precautionary measure to avoid getting any mold.
For the most part, I recommend that people get their siding pressure washed each year. Especially for those homeowners living in the Southern states like myself.
Pressure washing is especially important for homeowners with lighter-colored siding because the mold is really evident on those homes. Even on my own home, which is brick but has vinyl siding peaks at the top, I have to stay on top of it or the mold will start to accumulate. And that dingy, black and green mold is not something anyone wants to see on their home.
In addition, I should also explain that people need to stay up to date with their annual pressure washings because as time goes on, it becomes harder and harder to get the mold off. So the longer you wait in between pressure washings, the harder it will become to clean your siding and decks.
