Do you need to pressure-wash your house first? The house should be pressure washed before being painted for several reasons.
You can get a clean surface that is ready for painting by using a pressure washer.
Painting a house without first pressure washing it is possible, but the new paint will last longer if it is applied to a clean surface. If you don’t clean the surface first, you can expect it to only last about three to four years after you paint it.
If you give your home a thorough cleaning before painting it, however, the fresh coat of paint should last for at least seven years.
This is because the paint will last longer and provide better coverage on a clean surface, and the surface will be less susceptible to the damaging effects of weather, humidity, and heat.
You should start by rinsing the surface with clean water and working your way down from the top when using a power washer. As a result, larger pieces of trash, dirt, spider webs, and other debris will be easier to knock down.
Then, refill the washer with the solution and clean it using the chemicals, starting at the top and working your way to the bottom.
After that, you should give it a final rinse in clean water. Most of the dust and dirt, and even some of the peeling paint, will be removed effectively in this manner.
While this will make the job easier on the whole, it will not get rid of all the old paint, so scraping will still be necessary.
Pressure washing has some costs that go along with it. You should get a pressure washer, which you can rent. Since most people only use a power washer occasionally, renting one is a better financial option than buying one.
However, you can extend the life of the paint job and save money in the long run by first pressure washing the exterior of the house. In the marketplace today, you can choose between machines that run on gas or electricity.
In most cases, an electric pressure washer will be adequate for cleaning a single-story house; however, a two-story house will benefit more from a gas-powered pressure washer, as it can reach the top of the house and apply more pressure.
The cost of the cleaning agent should also be taken into account. Choose one that can withstand the pressure of a home pressure washer.
Never put bleach through your pressure washer due to the risk of corrosion.
As you may know, pressure washing is not without its dangers. Although this is the case, avoiding them shouldn’t be too challenging. Hitch Property Constructions provides home painting services to help you paint the home of your dreams.
You can avoid etching, which contains of tiny cuts made into the side of the house due to the force of the water, by simply moving back a few feet.
Water may also have been injected into the building through the siding or the seals, both of which frequently give way under the pressure. Take care with the sprayer’s angle of hold to avoid this.
Different Areas Take Longer To Dry
The amount of time that must elapse after a pressure washing for the substrate to dry varies from region to region due to the varying levels of humidity across the country.
If you want to make sure the surface is dry, you can place a small piece of plastic cellophane over it and observe whether or not it absorbs moisture.
Then, adhere the cellophane with tape on all four sides and wait a day. Condensation forming under the plastic sheathing is an indication that the exterior surfaces have not yet returned to their dry state.
When the area is completely dry, you can move on to the next steps in preparing the exterior of your home for painting.
It’s asking a lot, but a new coat of paint on the outside of your house isn’t something that happens frequently.
A few of the best exterior paints mostly on market today can truly last a lifetime if the directions for applying the paint are strictly adhered to.
However, returning to the original idea of pressure washing the exterior of your home before painting it, there are many advantages that lie hidden behind the upcoming work that needs to be done.
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you plan on renting a pressure washer and making the most of your daily rental fee.
Remember that you’re not trying to remove the paint; rather, you’re just rinsing away the foreign debris like dust and cobwebs.
The fact that you cannot perceive it does not mean it does not exist. After you start rinsing off the exterior, you’ll see what I mean.
Cleaning Gutters
It’s also a good time to clean out the gutters, as long as you start at the top and work your way down. You know this can cause a major mess, but if you have a pressure washer, you can clean the outside of the building and the gutters in no time.
If you clean your gutters before painting the exterior of your home, the paint will adhere better, and the gutters won’t get in the way of your hard work.
Best Pressure Washing Soffits
Rinsing off the soffits, where many various types of insects construct their nests, is a good idea after cleaning the gutters. Birds like the barn swallow, cliff swallow, and black-billed magpie all prefer nesting in soffits.
If possible, wait until the kids have moved out before starting laundry. Who gives a hoot about hornets, except those who want to stay away from their stings?
One solution to this issue is to dress as a painter and wear a bee vale. However, pressure washing is the best way to get rid of those pests before painting. In this way, you’ll be able to paint your soffits with the highest quality paint.
Cleaning Exterior Walls
After the gutters, fascia, and soffits have been cleared of standing water, you can begin rinsing and cleaning the exterior walls. If you start in a corner and work your way across the room, you’ll eventually cover the whole thing. You won’t believe your eyes as you watch the dirt and grime dissolve right before your very eyes!
A thin film of dirt that requires a high-pressure wash to be fully revealed. Having this data on hand is crucial before moving forwards.
Examine the siding’s bottom edges and look for sunken nails. Water can enter here and do even more damage to the building.
There is a risk that high-pressure washing the siding will cause irreparable damage if it has expanded to an extreme degree. This means you should be very thorough when cleaning the siding on walls.
Prepare Exterior Windows For Painting
In relation to pressure washing the gutters, siding, and trim, you should also take the time to remove the window screens and clean the spaces between the sashes and the frame where the windows move up and down. How many different kinds of animals live there and then get washed away is unknown.
Bear in mind that getting too close with a pressure washer can easily blow out screens and damage the wood. We suggest you take a step back and maintain a distance of three to four feet between you and the spray tip.
Let’s pretend you’re using the red single stream tip and rewinding even further. First, follow these instructions to get any wooden windows primed and ready for painting.
Pressure Wash Before Scraping
When possible, a pressure washer should be used first, before any scraping is done. This ensures a thorough drying process before any potential scraping is attempted.
Dried paint can be easily scraped away, while wet, sticky paint requires more work. A few days after a pressure washing, you can see where you need to focus your scraping efforts around the eaves, trim, windows, and the bottoms of doors.
It’s not necessary to scrape off all of the paint before painting the exterior, just the spots where it’s flaked off.
Before you grab the paint scraper, give the surface a good pressure washing; this will get rid of a lot of the dirt and grime that would otherwise have to be scraped off.
Cracks, chips, peels, blisters, and bubbles that need fixing become much more apparent after the washing process is complete.
Washing off failed paint, however, will cause more damage to the wood than scraping it off by hand after it has dried.
After the pressure washing process is finished and the area is completely dry, you should apply a good bonding exterior primer to any bare wood surfaces. You can rest assured that your high-quality paint will adhere properly if you follow these steps.
How to Pressure Wash Your House Before Painting
Cleaning the building’s siding thoroughly before applying a new coat of exterior paint is a tedious chore if done by hand, but it’s necessary for a good seal. Even though pressure washing is a quick and easy way to get the job done, it can be tricky to use on the siding.
Due to the high water pressure, it is easy to damage the siding, and if you aren’t careful, you could also damage the sheathing and wall cavities behind the siding.
Hand-Washing vs. Pressure Washing
Cleaning the house by hand before painting it can yield excellent results, if you have the time and energy to do so.
There are other choices if you don’t have either of those. The results of a touchless car wash, in which no physical contact is used, are satisfactory but not exceptional, as you probably already know if you’ve ever used one on your vehicle.
A white cloth can still pick up dirt from a car that has been washed with a touchless car wash.
In the same way, if you want the best results when washing the siding of your house in preparation for painting, you should do it by hand using soap, water, and brushes.
But the truth is that pressure washing a house is much easier and quicker than hand washing the entire thing, and the results are just as good. Planning for a new look for your house? Look no further! Hitch Property Constructions is here to help in your home renovations.
Cautions
When preparing your home for a new coat of paint, pressure washing the siding is meant to clean the siding, not strip it of its paint. Although most pressure washers have sufficient power to strip paint, the best results will be achieved if the paint is stripped in a separate step using a scraper, sander, or heat gun.
Pressure washing to remove paint carries with it a fair share of dangers, and it’s also not the most effective option. High-pressure water spraying to remove paint from a wood-sided building’s exterior is a bad idea for many reasons, but especially because it would flood the building’s base.
Sometimes, pressure washing siding gets a bad rap because of the two risks listed below:
- Etching: Think of the potential harm done to cedar, vinyl, or even fiber-cement siding if pressure washers were used to cut into brick and concrete under the right conditions. However, if you keep a safe distance from the siding and point the sprayer in its direction, you can avoid any unwanted etching. Depending on the PSI rating of your washing machine, this could mean keeping a distance of 18 inches to 6 feet. Second, if you want to avoid tearing lines into the siding, use a fan spray nozzle instead of a stream spray nozzle.
- Carefully spray under the siding at a low angle when injecting. It is possible that water will be forced up between the siding boards and into the sheathing and/or insulation of the wall if the pressure is high enough. Spraying should be done either perpendicular to or slightly downward from the siding’s surface, and never at an upward angle. Look out for ventilation holes, cracks in windows and doors, and heating exhaust pipes.
Types of Pressure Washers
Pressure washers can be found in both gas and electric varieties. In order to avoid damaging the siding, you won’t need the brute force of a gas-powered washer, and an electric one will do just fine. Pressure washers with a PSI range of 1000 to 1500 are usually more than sufficient for washing siding.
Using a high-volume gas pressure washer with a specialised nozzle, it is possible to clean the upper areas of a two-story home. With this, you can stay put while cleaning, rather than having to constantly get up and down.
Avoid using bleach-based products, which can damage the spray washer and kill nearby plants, and instead use a solution made specifically for cleaning siding.
Instructions
Protect Landscape Plantings and Utilities
Siding can damage plants and shrubs near the foundation, so cover them with plastic before you start working. If you do this, the pressure sprayer won’t be able to rip the leaves off your plants.
Although shrubs are susceptible to injury, it is highly unlikely that such damage would be fatal. In spite of this, the plant’s appearance could be marred while it is in bloom.
When cleaning the siding with a pressure washer, it’s important to first cover any exposed electrical components or air conditioner compressors with plastic.
Spray Off the Major Debris
Use the pressure sprayer to rinse the siding with water only, starting at the top and working your way down. If the spray angle is large and the pressure is moderate, it should be adequate for the job at hand.
You should try to clean up as much of the visible mess as possible, such as insect nests, dead leaves, and mud. Please wait until the siding is completely dry before proceeding.
Apply Bleach Solution to Mildew Areas
Discolored areas caused by mildew can be cleaned by mixing one part bleach with ten parts water in a batching container and then sponging the solution onto the affected areas.
Bleach solution can also be applied with a garden sprayer. When working with bleach solution, take extra care to avoid spills on shrubs and other plants in the landscape. Mildew can be cleaned off with bleach alone, so scrubbing is unnecessary.
Spray With Cleaning Solution
Complete this step when there will be no direct sunlight on the siding and no high winds.
Fill the pressure washer’s solution tank with cleaning solution, then spray the siding with the water/solution mixture, starting at the bottom and working your way up. Cleaning solutions should be sprayed on at a wide angle and low pressure.
In order to properly apply the cleaning solution, follow the steps outlined in the manual that came with your pressure washer.
Apply the spray paint using horizontal strokes along the siding and working your way upwards at a slight downward angle.
A stepladder could come in handy at this point; use it to ascend one or two steps with each pass, keeping your body tilted downward towards the siding.
Rinse
After letting the solution sit for ten minutes, rinse thoroughly starting at the top and working your way down.
Contrarily, when rinsing, it’s best to start at the top and work your way down to avoid getting muddied water on your clean surfaces. The standard rule of thumb is to start at the bottom and work your way up when cleaning, but the opposite is true when rinsing.
If you need to rinse the siding, you should use a higher pressure setting and a wider spray pattern than you would for washing. However, as before, check the manufacturer’s guidelines to ensure you don’t damage your siding.
You should rinse it thoroughly because that’s where most of the cleaning happens. Check out our Melbourne home repairs to help you to build your dream house.
To protect the siding from being harmed during the rinsing process, keep the nozzle at a safe distance at first. If you notice any damage occurring, you can bring the nozzle closer to the siding.
Before you start painting, give everything at least 48 hours to dry, and make sure any bare wood is completely dry.
If it will be a while before you can start painting, it’s a good idea to give the surface another rinsing with clean water. It’s amazing how quickly dust and spiders return after a thorough cleaning.
Conclusion
There are a number of good reasons to pressure wash a house before painting it. A clean surface is less susceptible to the damaging effects of weather, humidity, and heat, and thus paint will last longer on it. There are expenses involved with pressure washing, but they are well worth it. There are many benefits to pressure washing the exterior of your home prior to painting. In order to prevent corrosion, bleach should never be run through your pressure washer.
If condensation forms beneath the plastic covering, the exterior surfaces have not yet returned to their dry state. It is quick and easy to clean the building’s exterior and the gutters with a pressure washer. For the most effective results when painting after pressure cleaning, follow these steps. Insects of all shapes and sizes build their nests in soffits, so it’s a good idea to give them a good rinsing. When to Use a Pressure Washer Before Painting Your Home.
While pressure washing is a fast and simple solution, it can be difficult to use on the siding. The only places where paint removal is required are those where the coating has flaked off. Pressure washing the siding is a viable option if you have access to a pressure washer and high-pressure water spray. A house can be cleaned much more quickly and easily with a pressure washer than it could be washed by hand. Furthermore, it is not the most efficient method for stripping paint from wood-sided structures.
Don’t get too close to the siding, but aim the sprayer at it. To clean siding effectively, switch from a stream to a fan spray nozzle. It is important to never spray upward from the surface, but rather at a perpendicular or slightly downward angle. A garden sprayer can also be used to apply bleach solution. Scrubbing is unnecessary because mildew can be removed with bleach alone.
Take special precautions to avoid getting bleach solution on your shrubs and other plants in the yard. Give everything 48 hours to dry and make sure any bare wood is completely dry before you begin painting. In general, when cleaning, one should get to the base of the area first. Apply more pressure and spread the spray out if you need to wash the siding.
Content Summary
- You can get a clean surface that is ready for painting by using a pressure washer.
- Never put bleach through your pressure washer due to the risk of corrosion.
- When the area is completely dry, you can move on to the next steps in preparing the exterior of your home for painting.
- If you clean your gutters before painting the exterior of your home, the paint will adhere better, and the gutters won’t get in the way of your hard work.
- After the gutters, fascia, and soffits have been cleared of standing water, you can begin rinsing and cleaning the exterior walls.
- This means you should be very thorough when cleaning the siding on walls.
- In relation to pressure washing the gutters, siding, and trim, you should also take the time to remove the window screens and clean the spaces between the sashes and the frame where the windows move up and down.
- Bear in mind that getting too close with a pressure washer can easily blow out screens and damage the wood.
- When possible, a pressure washer should be used first, before any scraping is done.
- It’s not necessary to scrape off all of the paint before painting the exterior, just the spots where it’s flaked off.
- After the pressure washing process is finished and the area is completely dry, you should apply a good bonding exterior primer to any bare wood surfaces.
- Even though pressure washing is a quick and easy way to get the job done, it can be tricky to use on the siding.
- A white cloth can still pick up dirt from a car that has been washed with a touchless car wash.
- In the same way, if you want the best results when washing the siding of your house in preparation for painting, you should do it by hand using soap, water, and brushes.
- When preparing your home for a new coat of paint, pressure washing the siding is meant to clean the siding, not strip it of its paint.
- However, if you keep a safe distance from the siding and point the sprayer in its direction, you can avoid any unwanted etching.
- Carefully spray under the siding at a low angle when injecting.
- Using a high-volume gas pressure washer with a specialised nozzle, it is possible to clean the upper areas of a two-story home.
- Avoid using bleach-based products, which can damage the spray washer and kill nearby plants, and instead use a solution made specifically for cleaning siding.
- In spite of this, the plant’s appearance could be marred while it is in bloom.
- Use the pressure sprayer to rinse the siding with water only, starting at the top and working your way down.
- Discolored areas caused by mildew can be cleaned by mixing one part bleach with ten parts water in a batching container and then sponging the solution onto the affected areas.
- Fill the pressure washer’s solution tank with cleaning solution, then spray the siding with the water/solution mixture, starting at the bottom and working your way up.
- Apply the spray paint using horizontal strokes along the siding and working your way upwards at a slight downward angle.
- If you need to rinse the siding, you should use a higher pressure setting and a wider spray pattern than you would for washing.
- To protect the siding from being harmed during the rinsing process, keep the nozzle at a safe distance at first.
- If you notice any damage occurring, you can bring the nozzle closer to the siding.
- Before you start painting, give everything at least 48 hours to dry, and make sure any bare wood is completely dry.
- If it will be a while before you can start painting, it’s a good idea to give the surface another rinsing with clean water.
FAQs About Home Painting
Is Pressure Washing Necessary Before Painting?
The answer to your question is yes, you should power wash your house before painting it so that the new coat of paint will properly bond to the exterior of your home. Power washing is essential for ensuring that a paint job will last as long as possible every time it is done.
Do Professional Painters Clean Walls Before Painting?
When you hire a professional to paint your walls, you should not expect them to clean them before they start. Since the vast majority of professional painters do not, you will either need to hire a cleaner or complete this step on your own before the painters begin their work (otherwise, you may have just paid for a paint job that will just need to be redone)
How Long Should I Wait to Paint After Power Washing?
After giving your house a good power washing, you will need to give it some time to completely dry out before you can paint it. The length of time spent in this queue can range anywhere from one day to three. The use of a pressure washer is not recommended for novices. If you do not have prior experience, the high water pressure may cause some of the exterior of your home to become damaged.
How Do You Clean Dirty Walls Before Painting?
In most cases, using water that is warm and soapy will be your best bet. To clean the wall, fill a bucket with water and use a sponge to rub it in circular motions, beginning at the bottom and working your way up. This ought to remove the majority of the dust and grime that is on the surface, and as a result, you will end up with a wall that is much smoother for the application of paint.
Do I Need to Prime Over Existing Paint?
You most likely do not require a refresher course. You can skip the priming step and go straight to painting if the wall that you are working with is smooth, clean, and covered with the same kind of paint (for example, both are oil-based). You will need to fill holes, apply spackle, and sand the wall. Depending on the severity of the damage, you may even need to cut a new piece of drywall to fit into the existing wall.
