Homeowners wishing to sell their dwellings or simply spruce them up often buy power washer machines to clean the house’s cladding. Many people think that the higher the pressure, the more dirt will be removed. While this is true, it’s also a fact that too high a water pressure can cause damage. There’s a reason why the experts at a professional painting company in Clarksville, TN, use only a certain pressure and no higher to avoid damaging a house.
Cladding
A home’s cladding withstands heavy rains and winds. It wasn’t designed to withstand excessive water pressure, which can mar paint, blow the mortar between bricks out of place, knock siding loose, and damage concrete and stone. A water pressure of 1 ,300 to 1,600 pounds per square inch or PSI is recommended for cleaning most houses.
Windows
It might be tempting to just let the power washer blast the dirt off windows, but that blast can cause trouble. Window screens can be shredded if the power washer’s pressure is too high. Window seals are often penetrated, leaving the house open to mold and mildew. Too high a pressure can also shatter the outside pane of double-pane windows, leaving them susceptible to an increase in noise and a decrease in energy efficiency. It is not recommended to wash windows with a power washer.
Walls and Attic
If the cladding is breached, then water will get inside the walls, but it can also get beneath the roof. The walls and attic then become susceptible to mold. To prevent this, the experts at your professional painting company in Clarksville, TN, may use less than the recommended PSI to get the job done. Their machinery is industrial strength, though, and commercially available power washers aren’t. Trust the professionals to get the rid of the dirt without harming the house.
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