Power Washing vs Soft Washing for Home Exteriors
They are not the same service, and using the wrong one is how exteriors get damaged. Here is the plain difference.
Power washing moves dirt with force
High pressure water, often through a flat surface cleaner, lifts road grime, tyre marks and ground in dirt from hard flat surfaces. Concrete driveways, paths and garage floors are the right home for it.
It works because concrete can take it. The surface is dense, it is not going to absorb water into a cavity, and there is nothing behind it to soak.
Soft washing releases dirt with dwell time
Soft washing uses a gentle flow and time rather than force, so the growth loosens and rinses away instead of being blasted off. Siding, painted timber, brick, mortar, roofs and decking all belong in this category.
It looks slower because it is. The trade is that nothing gets driven behind a lap of siding and no grain gets torn open.
What the wrong choice does
Too much pressure on siding forces water into the wall cavity, where it has no fast way out. On soft wood it furs the grain, so the boards feel rough and grey up again quickly. On soft concrete and mortar it cuts visible lines that never fade.
Most damage blamed on washing is really damage caused by one pressure setting being used on every surface of the house.
How to tell what your house needs
Flat, hard and horizontal usually means pressure. Vertical, painted, wooden or hollow behind usually means soft wash. If a single job covers both, it should be quoted as both, with the method for each surface stated up front.
Want this handled for you? Read about power washing or ask for a quote.
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