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Water behind the siding can promote mold growth and wood rot if left unchecked. Cleaning wood siding is typically a soft wash to prevent damaging the wood. Soft washing uses low-pressure water with a mixture of algaecides, bleach and surfactants.
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Solutions that promise to prevent growth do so by leaving a film of chemical on the siding, which isn’t healthy for the finish. The immediate perimeter of the building will be flooded with water as the house is cleaned, and that water may have diluted cleaner in it. Tender plantings will need to be covered, wetted down, and potentially pulled aside to allow ladder access to upper stories. If furniture needs to be moved off a patio or deck, that will cost extra in labor charges, or it may be an added line-item cost.
What’s in this pressure washing cost guide?
These terms are frequently used interchangably because from a layman's perspective, they both look like pressurized water. The heat from the steam of a power washer can be much more effective, however, it can also more easily damage the surface you are trying to clean. To have an expert recommend which process might be better for your application, Request a Price Quote.
Q. Should I pressure wash vinyl siding?
Pressure washing prices range from $170 to $310 on average with most homeowners spending around $210 to hire a professional. Power washing a house costs $170 to $360, while pressure washing a deck or driveway ranges from $100 to $260. The average cost for power washing is $0.35 to $0.77 per square foot, and your total price will depend on the square footage of the job. When power washing companies come to provide you a pressure washing estimate, they will take into account a number of factors that can increase or decrease the cost of your project. Pricing will vary based on the size of your house, deck, patio, or driveway.
It’s better to make several passes on a lower setting than one pass on a higher setting, which could crack or bend the siding. Windows and doors are particularly vulnerable areas when pressure washing a structure. Because water likes to find its way inside even when it’s not pressurized. Add force behind it, and it can make its way through insulation, weatherstripping, and good, solid seals—ruining the seal, potentially the door or window, and the walls and floors beneath it. This level of caution results in more time and effort and will add to the cost of the job. In general, it’s preferable and less costly to pressure wash a house during the warmer months of the year.
How To: Clean Exterior Siding
One day, the shady back of the house is clean and fresh, and just a couple of rainy days later it’s coated with a hazy green film of algae and mold, or the blackish gray staining of mildew. Every home has a side or face that doesn’t get any sun, so mold and mildew are likely something you’ll have to deal with at some point or another. Home improvement stores advertise bleach washes to kill the mold and mildew at the source, but undiluted harsh chemicals can damage the home’s finish and kill nearby plant life. Pressure washing blows the mold and mildew out of the texture of the siding, and if the contractor adds bleach solution to the wash mixture, it can safely reduce the likelihood of immediate regrowth.
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Damage Prevention
Some professionals use a paint sprayer indoors, but this is typically reserved for larger projects or new homes when the homeowner isn’t present. Sprayers create odors and fumes that require ventilation, Krall says. After furniture is removed, professionals patch and sand any imperfections in your walls and clean the walls if they’re dusty or have residue from smoking.
Some companies may charge a flat rate based on the square footage, while others may have pricing based on the complexity of the job or the materials involved. Painted, soft-grain wood siding, stucco, and aluminum siding are best treated with 1,200 to 1,500 psi models. For delicate stucco, it’s also best to use a 25- to 30-degree wider spray nozzle to disperse water over a wider area and with less force, preventing any gouging or nicking.
How Much Does It Cost to Pressure-Wash a Deck? (2024 Guide)
If you’re weighing whether to hire a professional or not, keep in mind that pressure washing is relatively low-cost compared to other common home improvement projects. And if you do it yourself, you’ll still have to rent expensive equipment that may not be as good as a professional’s pressure washer. Renting a pressure-washing rig will typically add about $120 to $230 to your project cost, plus the time it takes you to do the job.
Getting your home pressure washed during slower times could reduce costs. The average cost to pressure wash a driveway is $155 to $190 total or $0.25 to $0.35 per square foot. Some companies offer a flat price per driveway at $100 to $200, depending on the size.
If you do not want to use a machine-powered wash to clean the surfaces in and around your home, you may decide that you will hand wash them. It will typically take longer and require a lot more effort to do the same job when you opt to wash by hand. Hand-washing your siding, for example, would require ladders or scaffolding, while a pressure washer might be able to reach well above the ground without any additional assistance. Most roofs should not be pressure washed, for example, because it can damage them. You may not be aware of which areas to avoid when doing your own washing. You can unwittingly damage your property, which will end up costing far more than paying professionals to do it.
If the house is covered with fiber cement siding, pressure washing isn’t recommended and may even invalidate the warranty. The average cost to pressure wash a roof is $450 to $700, depending on the type of cleaning method, the size, and the surface of the roof in question. Roof pressure washing requires a specialty service and includes an additional risk because of the nature of the work. Many roofing materials should never be pressure washed because this can remove the protective layers on the material, leading to future leaks.
Pressure-washing estimate calculators can be helpful for both service providers and customers. The good news is that water, generally, is fairly cheap, as in less than a penny a gallon. There are a number of variables, but assuming you use about 250 gallons of water to pressure wash your house, that would be somewhere around $1.25 worth of water.
Light fixtures might need to be removed and things like air conditioners and plants should get covered. Stucco is tricky to clean for DIYers and is best left to pros because it requires the right amount of water pressure. The cost to rent a pressure washer ranges from $45 to $250 per day, depending on the size and whether its gas or electric. Fence staining costs $4 to $9 per linear foot, or $300 to $2,800 total on average.
Whichever option you choose, make sure your home can handle pressure washing. If there isn’t a lot of dirt or grime, you may be better off using your garden hose or wiping off soiled areas. Otherwise, doing it yourself or hiring a professional has its benefits and drawbacks—don’t forget to budget accordingly. Pressure washing a home’s exterior may not include the patio, driveway or fencing.
While getting down on hands and knees to scrub the deck may cost less than hiring pressure- or power-washing services, it can take a substantial amount of time and effort. To avoid back-breaking and labor-intensive work, most homeowners prefer to hire a pressure-washing service. Outsourcing this task greatly reduces the time it takes to get the deck clean and ready for a new season, which allows homeowners to focus on activities they prefer to spend time doing. Even if the paint or stain needs to be removed, it’s important not to damage the wood during the cleaning process.
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