When it comes to external cleaning duties most people tend to resort to pressure washing their house. It may seem like the fastest and easiest way to remove built up mould, dirt and grime. The main problem is this is that very few people understand how it should be done and thus, end up damaging their home in the process.

We are going to discuss the 10 reasons why you should never pressure wash your house, why it is better left to the exterior cleaning experts such as Endeavour Property Services, who offer professional House Washing in Auckland. And how DIY pressure washing your home can often cause more harm than good. Let’s get right to it;

1.  Water Absorbs into the Wood

Due to the high pressure involved in pressure washing, the water ends up finding gaps and crevices within your wooden wall. This causes water to seep into the wood of your walls, this water is more difficult to evaporate and once you paint over it, it gets trapped in the wall and leads bubbling and damage.

2. Gouges Wooden Walls

When pressure washing, some people may get too close to the wooden surface itself. The high pressure blasting the jets of water directly on the surface of the wood can cause a lot of damage. The pressure can destroy the surface of the wood, causing holes and dents on the surface and making the wood have a fluffy finish.  Wood is more vulnerable to moisture than many surfaces and it’s extremely difficult to repair if you accidentally gouge it.

3. Damaged Mortar on Brick Walls

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not safe to pressure wash your brick house since the high pressure can lead to blasting off the mortar from between the bricks.

4. Spreading of Paint Debris

When pressure washing the exterior of your home before painting. The paint is removed and spread across your section. Many homes still are pain tined with lead based paint. This can be very harmful to pets and children.  When pressure washing paint chips and is spread throughout gardens and there is potential risk of your pets or kids ingesting this paint!

5. Knocking off Your Siding

There’s a good chance that the high-pressure water can loosen or remove the siding of your home.

6. Shattering Windows

While pressure washing, a lot of guys are tempted to show their slightly dirty windows a bit of TLC. Instead of making your windows shine effortlessly through the winter, the pressure will end up cracking and even shattering the panes.

7. Breakage of Window Seals

The high-pressure water jets used when pressure washing can easily loosen or damage the seals of your windows. This could lead to water seeping into your home when it rains.

8. Growth of Mould

The water that seeps into the walls from the high pressure washing creates a perfect environment for the growth of mould in your walls.

9. Electric Shocks

As the high-pressure water penetrates your wall, it could easily get to the wiring of your home. Once the water comes in contact with electricity, there is high risk of electrocution.

10. Injury

There’s also a potential of injury when pressure washing your home. Not only to you, as paint or debris could be shot into your eyes. But it can injure anybody close by sending debris and paint at high pressures throughout the area. Furthermore, the high-pressure streams can throw objects that may hit someone who is within the yard.

Before taking to pressure washing of your home, take your time and think about the above risks. You’ll find that its best to seek a safer alternative such as soft washing or leave the job to the professionals. As they are trained on what methods are safe to use on particular surfaces.