Did You Know Power Washers Can Soft Wash?

If the exterior of your house needs washing, how should you approach it? The answer is more detailed than you might think. Pressure washing and soft washing are available methods, but they are quite different. It’s why homeowners in South Jersey want the best Power Washing Gloucester County has to offer. A high-pressure wash to remove general surface contaminants is excellent for hard surfaces like stone and concrete. But soft washing is optimal for roofing, siding, and other surfaces that are less durable. Make sure to choose power washing or soft washing based on the type of surface.

High-pressure power washing is a process using pressurized water (or PSI) that is highly effective for cleaning stronger surfaces with heavily embedded contaminants. It is also an excellent method to remove loose paint or faded stain before re-coating. High-pressure washing often is too strong for the siding on a home or deck and can damage their painted surfaces. On the other hand, high pressure is useful for preparing aluminum siding before you repaint, but not otherwise. Concrete more than three years old will benefit from a high-pressure wash, but always use caution when cleaning with higher PSI.

Therefore, higher pressure is best for taking off loose paint from wood and aluminum siding and preparing wood and aluminum siding to paint. It is also useful for preparing decks to be staining (removing grayed out wood fibers and loose stain/paint); pressure washing concrete that is more than three years old. For quick and thorough removal of surface contaminants like mildew, mold, algae, and grime, soft washing is the best method. It uses lower pressure and relies mostly on the cleaning solutions used in the process. Soft washing distributes the cleaners and water flow at a higher volume with lower pressure.

Also, even though concrete is a hard surface, it needs to be soft washed with solutions until it is more than three years old. Concrete less than three years old requires a soft wash, and this is primarily to make sure the structural integrity of the surface isn’t compromised. On roofs, the best method of protecting the surface requires a wash that is even softer than a basic soft wash. It uses a less diluted form of cleansers than a standard soft wash. In general, when you are considering a regular cleaning of your house, deck, roof, or newer concrete, soft washing is the recommended method.