Exterior painting

If it’s time to repaint the exterior of your home, you might be wondering if you must really pressure wash your home’s siding before painting it. Well, if you’re holding yourself against the idea of power washing your exterior, your fears are probably valid.

There’re a few reasons why some homeowners don’t favor pressure washing as a form of cleaning the exterior of their homes. First, depending on the type of siding and how it’s maintained, water can get into your walls and your house when shot at high pressure. When too much pressure is used, you may end up with wet attics, mold and a soggy carpet.

In the hands of an inexperienced user, the high pressure can damage the siding and even destroy the window screens. It can also remove sections of paint and caulking, and if you were only planning on cleaning your house, you’ll now have to repaint your house as well.

You Should Pressure Wash –Here Is Why

But, that is in the hand of an experienced user, however, when used correctly, pressure washing is a very critical step of surface prep before painting. Your siding accumulates all sorts of dirt and debris over time, including dust, chalk, mold and mildew, and other contaminants.

Painting on a surface that has all these forms of contaminants is setting a stage for paint failure in advance. Paint doesn’t adhere properly to surfaces that have dirt or grime on them. Failure to remove the dirt will lead to premature paint deterioration. You will notice paint peeling, flaking, chalking and bubbling just a few months after painting. Even the fine chalk that is created during sanding has to be completely removed before painting can happen.

Additionally, failure to properly remove mold and mildew will leave their spores behind and lead to a recurrence of the same within just a short time. Other than dust and mildew, loose old paint on the exterior also needs to be knocked off to create a smooth, even surface for a new paint job. Without that, the old paint will peel off over time, taking down with it the new layer of paint that you just applied.

The only best way to get rid of chalk, dust, dirt, grime, mold and mildew, and old paint from your siding is by using a pressure washer. In the hand of a professional, pressure washing will save you time, effort and money. Compared to other alternatives such as hand washing, it will knock off the deep-seated grim from the grooves and crevices, and high areas of the siding where a regular garden hose could have not sufficed.

Overall, pressure washing your home before painting sets a stage for a smooth, even and beautiful paint job that will last long against harsh exterior elements.

When to Pressure Wash

Depending on the type of your siding and weather conditions, it might take your house anywhere from one to three days to completely dry after pressure washing. Wood siding dries slower than vinyl or aluminum. If for some reason you can’t paint right after the exterior dries, don’t wait for over two weeks to paint, because by that time there would another dust accumulation, and your siding would require another washing.

As a rule of thumb, you should never paint on a wet surface. Doing so might trap moisture under the paint film and lead to premature paint peeling and bubbling. This also goes for each subsequent layer of primer and paint application –always wait for the previous application to completely dry before applying the next.

Consult a Professional

Judging from the above, pressure washing is a critical part of exterior painting prep which shouldn’t be skipped. As earlier mentioned, this might not turn out to be a great project in the hands of a DIY enthusiast. To get the maximum benefits, always consider a professional painting company such as The Painting & Wallcovering Co. Get in touch for a free estimate!