What is Pressure Washing, and how does it work?

Pressure Washing, now more commonly known as Power Washing, is the most thorough and
deep cleaning technology available today for building exteriors. Whether your cleaning needs are
of an Industrial, Commercial or Residential nature, there is a Pressure Washing method to fit the
job. Pressure Washing uses water under extreme pressure, as a scraper to peel grease, dirt &
mold from your property. With live steam units much of the grease and dirt is melted by heat, as
it also is with hot water units, but the principle is still the same. The cleaning power can be
multiplied by increasing the water temperature, pressure, volume and by the cleaning
agents the contractor chooses to use.


What method of cleaning should a Company use to clean my property?
Let’s go over some basic types


For Exterior Industrial Cleaning:

Many Farm Buildings and Machinery and also most Industrial Heavy Equipment may be cleaned
with steam or hot water. Some steel and Masonry buildings can be cleaned with steam however
many of us feel lower pressure hot water at 160 to 180 degrees is a safer choice.


For Exterior Commercial Cleaning:

For Commercial buildings with windows such as older storefronts cold water is often the safer
and more acceptable washing method. Hot water or steam can cause sudden uneven rapid
expansion of untempered glass and greatly increase the likelihood of it cracking or shattering.
Newer Commercial buildings with steel siding and most masonry may be cleaned with hot water
but with any large glass area at all cold water is often the safer option. If the company quoting
on your property insists on using steam check with their insurance agent first and maybe ask
for references to check with before authorizing the work.


For Exterior Residential Cleaning:

With Vinyl and Aluminum siding making up the bulk of the Residential market we’ll examine
them first. A cold water washer with 3000PSI or better and a flow rate of 3.5 to 5 GPM or
better works well for vinyl siding. Use much less pressure on aluminum siding surfaces in
less than good condition, or that have been painted. Too much pressure, even on original factory
painted aluminum siding, can result in severe paint loss and striping effects. With a reasonably
good blend of cleaning agents and GPM, high temperature and pressures beyond 4000PSI
are unnecessary for vinyl. Hot water washing can be used judiciously for heavy or greasy dirt
removal or areas covered with pine sap, but overspray should be kept away from plants and
articles that may react badly to the extreme temperature. For Concrete Decks either type of
machines should give excellent cleaning. Generally you will require only hot water or
steam cleaning and a good strong chemical mix,when a concrete surface has

absorbed grease and oil.

 

Most reliable contractors should have similar modern equipment, and each

has their own variations of chemistry and methods.

 

There is no, "one method fits all jobs". Experienced contractors know

this and will have a variety of ways to tackle your job depending on

the circumstances your job entails.


Wood Sided Houses Decks & Fences:
Never ever allow the use of hot water or steam on your wood. Period!

Be it your fence, deck or house, wood is destroyed at the cellular level by hot water or steam cleaning.
Yes it’s faster than cold water, but it’s totally destructive. Proper cleaning of wood requires a cold
water washer at low pressure. An experienced contractor knows that it takes more time to clean the
wood with the lower pressures the surface requires, and it should be reflected in his quote. Do not be
surprised that cleaning wood without damaging it, is not cheap. It is a slow process but the article will
look great and will not need to be replaced because someone’s in a big hurry to get to the next job.
If you’ve brought these concerns to the contractor and they still insist on using steam or hot water,
Find another Pressure Washing Service!


Is there a difference between Cleaning Methods of Power Washing Companies? Absolutely!

 It takes time to wash a house properly, up to 3 hours for one person, or 2 hours for a 2 man team to
wash your average cape as an example. Unfortunately speed is the focus of too many PW companies.
It is not unusual for some to wash a house in an hour. Many use an inline injector which runs soap out
through the pressure line. We have found this can as much as double the amount of chemicals dumped
on the ground. Chemical mixes also need to sit on the building and work. In most cases even using a
Foamer, the quantity of sprayed material is so large it  just  pours right off  the surface to the ground.
This sight raised many questions and concerns from some of the customers our previous employer
serviced. These concerns were well founded. We decided to approach our employers with a slightly
slower but more effective method of applying the necessary cleaning agents. One that guaranteed a
consistent mix, would not flood all over the ground and would actually allow the cleaners time to
work before the chemistry was washed off. Unfortunately the idea of slowing the process down
did not meet with their approval.
Seven years ago with our newly developed system, we opened ColorMasters.


The ColorMasters Pressure Washing Method:

 We apply our cleaning agents at full cleaning strength by means of a separate tank, pump & sprayer.
In this mix is our antimicrobial, read that mold and mildew killer. We include this at no additional
cost - many charge $25 and more for it. The cleaning agents are then allowed to stand and work
for about 15 minutes and are then Pressure Washed off, along with the dissolved dirt. The total
application and standing time of the agents averages out at roughly an hour and a half per house!
For the Pressure Washing we use the board by board method as if we are painting the building.
Every pass cleans about 8” of siding and overlaps the last. This technique separates us from almost
everyone in the business. Slower? Yes! But this insures that we clean every bit of dirt and grime off
your property with minimal excess chemistry. Yes it takes more time to follow all our steps for a
true ColorMasters Power Washing, but if our customers are right, the results are well worth it.
We will continue to give our customers the best job possible - even if it does take us a little longer...


ColorMasters Power Washing Service, not more than you need,
 just more cleaning for your buck!!!

Surfaces not in good shape?
Simple fact. Not all surfaces can be returned to their original color by Power Washing.
Usually this is due to chemical oxidation of the surface or the paint. Stained surfaces &
faded sidings cannot be magically restored. Faded siding will probably still be faded
after washing unless it is a light oxidization and not really faded. Yes, all vinyl sidngs
oxidize - some more than others depending on the manufacturer. Vinyl oxidation is
basically the equivalent of steel rusting and appears as a whitish coating on the siding.
Most of the time oxidation can be removed, however in some rare cases it simply will
just will not come off. Corrosion on aluminum siding, being a chemical change,
is also not going to change with pressure washing.

In years past there were some corrosive acid treatments that some companies
used to attempt to remove oxidation from vinyl siding. In Connecticut, use of
such chemicals violates several Connecticut DEP and Federal EPA laws.

 Some stains on gutters may not always come off. This depends on several factors. One
of the worst causes of blackened streaks is from years of oil washing out from shingles.
The paints used today are affected by long term exposure to oil as many of them are
derived from oil by-products. Proximity to overhanging trees, high traffic areas and heavily
shaded areas all contribute to how deep the stain gets into the paint. If the stain has had
a few years to bake in the sun the odds of removing it are reduced. In most worst case
conditions the heavy stain is removable with a light stain left in it's place.

The Bottom Line
That being said, most gutters do clean up well and often better than expected.
Most sidings will look years newer and have years of extra life added to them
because oxidization no longer has a foothold.

To learn more, please visit our friends at
http://www.ultimatewasher.com/

Any duplication of this site is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved ColorMasters 2000 - 2008