A clean exterior can really add value to your property. For instance, if you have recently listed your home for sale; a freshly cleaned exterior might be the edge you need to make a sale. If you are a business owner, a clean exterior will leave a great first impression with your customers. A sparkling exterior tells your customers that you value cleanliness and you have fine attention to detail. These are qualities that are particularly important to patrons of restaurants – especially if the outside of your business is stained with graffiti or a gum stained sidewalk.
There are multiple options for exterior cleaning in Houston. In some cases pressure washing may be appropriate, and in other cases, you might be better served by soft washing your property. There are some fairly important differences you should be aware of before you call a pressure washing company in Houston.
What is Power Washing?
Power washing is pressure washing using hot water. It is used to clean sidewalks, concrete or drive ways where there are grease, oil or other stains. It is an effective means to remove chewing gum, oil stains, tire marks, and other difficult stains. Not all power washing companies in Houston offer hot-water power washing, but when the application calls for it, it can be the most effective cleaning technique.
What is Pressure Washing?
Pressure washing is almost the same as power washing except that the latter applies very hot water. Both methods produce about 3500 PSI. Pressure is used to break down dirt, grime, even paint in order to clean without chemicals and without scrubbing. Surfaces like decks, patios, and walkways respond well to this treatment and it’s ideal if a surface is difficult to clean by hand. A technician will be able to create more or less pressure as needed.
At Quality Pressure Washing of Houston we use a Hydro Tek pressure washer with a hot water attachment, which allows us to deliver hot water at over 200 degrees. We don’t need it every day, but when we run into gum or an oil stain, nothing works better than hot water. For oil stains we add a de-greaser to help remove the shadow of the oil stain.
What is Soft Washing?
This is not a method utilizing cloth and bucket, but another method using a low pressure washer (about 300 PSI). A mixture of water and solvents or chemicals is applied at the lower pressure and left on for a period of time enabling the mixture is soften and dissolve the dirt grime and algae. It is then washed off using a high volume of fresh water. If everything has not been removed, the process is repeated. Soft wash is a relatively new concept and many companies don’t have a “low pressure” delivery system. We use a “Water Dragon” pump system which delivers up to 10 gallons per minute at 200 – 300 PSI. This enables us to thoroughly clean your roof, vinyl siding, cedar fence, or anything else that might be damaged by high pressure.
If you have questions about whether or not pressure washing, power washing, or soft washing is appropriate for your property, call Quality Pressure Washing of Houston today at (832) 278-2305 for a free consultation.
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