You’re thinking about giving your home’s exterior a fresh coat of paint.
You’ve heard that pressure washing your home before it’s painted is a huge factor in how your finished paint job will look and how long it will last.
But why?
Is pressure washing your house before painting a requirement — or is it just a good idea?
In this article, we talk about pressure washing a house before painting and answer your questions about how to get the job done right.
Table of Contents
- Is Pressure Washing Necessary Before Painting?
- FAQs About Power Washing Your House Before Painting
- Two Brothers Painting: Your Number One Source for Pressure Washing Services in Oregon and SW Washington
Is Pressure Washing Necessary Before Painting?
Pressure washing is highly recommended before painting the exterior of your home. In fact, it’s critical if you want to ensure the longevity of your paint job.
Any time house paint fails, it is the direct result of a lack of prep or substrate failure that doesn’t allow the paint to bond. This may be evidenced on your home’s exterior substrate in several ways, including:
- Dry rot
- Loose caulking
- Mildew
- Dust; or
- Contaminate
When you are pressure washing, it is critical that you do more than just rinse your house with water. Once you break the surface tension by getting the siding wet, you must be sure to then hose it down with siding cleaner to kill the mildew. Be sure to follow up with a thorough rinse.
FAQs About Power Washing Your House Before Painting
Is Water Alone Enough To Get the House Clean Before Painting?
No. Simply applying water alone is not enough to get your house clean and ready to paint.
At Two Brothers Painting, we use a specialized siding solution in addition to water when power washing a home. The siding cleaner is strong enough to kill any mildew and get rid of all contaminants. But it is also biodegradable, so it won’t hurt your landscaping or contaminate your groundwater.
How Much Drying Time Is Needed Between Pressure Washing and Painting?
You will need to allow the outside of your home at least two days of drying time between pressure washing and painting.
At Two Brothers Painting, we typically wash a home on a Friday, let it dry over the weekend (provided the weather is good), and come back on Monday to begin prepping the exterior for painting.
Does the Type of Pressure You Use When Washing a House Matter?
Absolutely!
The type of pressure you use to wash your house depends on the substrate of the home and the desired outcome.
Some types of siding, such as cedar, are softer, so using a lighter touch and even strokes when pressure washing is necessary to maintain the integrity of the siding. On some of the more stubborn types of siding, like concrete or concrete masonry units (CMUs) where you may have dirt or debris embedded in the siding, you will want to use a higher amount of pressure.
Often, the level of pressure being used is not as important as how the person operating the washer is applying it. This includes factors such as the distance from the substrate, the speed of application, etc.
For example, just because your pressure washer is 3000 PSI, that doesn’t mean you have to use the full force. Getting farther away from what you’re washing will lessen the pressure. If you’re too close, you may wind up etching the siding.
The key to a successful pressure washing job has a lot to do with the experience of the person doing the pressure washing.
That’s why we recommend leaving the pressure washing to the professionals, like the team at Two Brothers Painting. We have the experience it takes to know exactly what is best for each individual substrate and can get your home clean and prepped for painting.
Should You Hand Wash Your House Instead of Pressure Washing?
While some people think that hand washing a home is preferred over pressure washing, it can seemingly take FOREVER to wash an entire home by hand.
Pressure washing does a far superior job in a fraction of the time. Plus, if your home has any stubborn mildew, dirt, or grime, the added pressure along with the right cleaning solution will likely get rid of it better than hand washing.
What Are the Benefits of Having Professionals Pressure Wash Your House Before Painting?
While you can rent a power washer and try to DIY the pressure washing of your home, you’ll get much better results by hiring pros to get the job done right. Here are just a few of the reasons to leave the job of pressure washing your home to the professionals.
You’ll Get a More Powerful Clean
If you are thinking about pulling out your garden hose and washing your home’s exterior, you might want to reconsider.
A pressure washer is infinitely more powerful than an everyday garden hose and can be up to 50 times more powerful and is the best way to clean your home’s siding and prepare it for a smooth paint job.
Loose Paint, Mold, Mildew, and Dirt Will Be Properly Removed
The exteriors of many homes have areas covered in:
- Peeling, flaking, or blistering paint
- Mold
- Mildew
- Dirt; or
- Grime
If you want to have a paint job that will stand the test of time, it’s critical that these are fully removed from your siding before the painting begins.
The pros are trained to know just what to look for and how to get contaminants off in the right way.
The Job Will Be Done Quickly and Efficiently
Professional painters prep and paint houses for a living and are equipped to handle the cleaning of your home’s exterior — no matter what type of siding you have.
They are experts with just the right equipment and cleaning agents for every type of job.
The pros understand which pressure washing attachments to use to ensure that water is applied at an even pressure on every surface of your home. And they know the exact amount of pressure to apply to ensure the integrity of your siding.
Professionals will have your house pressure washed and ready to paint in a fraction of the time it would take you to do it yourself.
The Pros Know Exactly What Level of Pressure to Use
Trying to DIY your home’s pressure washing job can not only cause damage to your home’s siding but to your home as a whole.
Here are just two more benefits of letting the professionals tackle the job of pressure washing your house.
No Etching
When used incorrectly, pressure washers can cut into the siding of your home, even if it’s constructed of concrete or brick. You can only imagine the potential for damage on softer substrates such as vinyl, cedar, or fiber-cement.
Professional pressure washers understand how to take into account the machinery’s PSI rating and how far back from your home they should stand while spraying your siding.
They also know when to spray using a fan-spray nozzle instead of a stream nozzle, which has a needle-sharp spray that can quickly tear into your siding.
No Injecting
A common way a DIY pressure washer can damage their home is through something known as injecting.
This occurs when the person using the pressure washer sprays at too low an angle. This drives water up and under the siding boards, soaking the insulation and sheathing of the interior wall beneath.
To prevent injecting, always spray at a perpendicular or slightly downward angle. Never spray above your head but use a ladder to maintain the correct angle.
And be sure to avoid spraying water into any openings in your home’s exterior, like cracks around the windows and doors, heating exhaust vents, and air vents in the crawl space or attic.
The Pros Know Exactly How Long To Let Your House Dry After Power Washing
While you always want to allow at least 2- 3 days of dry time between power washing your home and beginning to apply paint, much of the time requirement depends on the weather.
This is another area where the professionals shine. They know how to take into account things like humidity and the projected weather outlook when determining sufficient drying time. The pros also understand how to recognize when your home’s exterior is ready to begin preparations for painting.
You Won’t Be Risking Injury or Added Expenses From a Bad DIY Job
If you don’t know what you’re doing when it comes to pressure washing your home’s exterior, you can easily cause significant damage.
This may be done by:
- Using the wrong nozzle
- Setting the pressure level too high
- Washing a surface that shouldn’t be pressured washed
- Applying the wrong cleaning product
- Shooting water under the siding boards
And keep in mind that these damages bring with them the added and often costly expense of repair.
Pressure washers can also cause injury. Operating a pressure washer isn’t a walk in the park. They are serious pieces of machinery that pack a powerful punch and can be extremely dangerous.
Even the slightest miscalculation can easily send you to the hospital with serious injuries.
Two Brothers Painting: Your Number One Source for Pressure Washing Services in Oregon and SW Washington
If you’re ready to have the exterior pressured washed, Two Brothers Painting can help.
Not only are we experts in pressure watching, but we also can tackle:
- Exterior painting
- Interior painting
- Cabinetry painting and refinishing; and
- Exterior stains and finishes
We’re fully licensed and insured and are committed to treating every home as if it were our own.
With over 20 years of experience, clients in the Portland Metro, Beaverton, Tigard, Bethany, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Clackamas, and Hillsboro areas have relied on our experienced and skilled professionals for all of their interior and exterior painting projects.
Get in touch with Two Brothers Painting today to schedule your estimate.