While your home gives you and your family shelter from the elements, it remains vulnerable to the whims of the weather. Over time, these external conditions can cake your home’s exterior with dirt and debris, which can harm both its appearance and integrity. Power washing your home is key to maintaining your home’s outward look and protecting it from mold and mildew.
But when is the best time to power wash your home, exactly? As it turns out, bad weather doesn’t just necessitate power washing, but can also interfere with the process and its results. Let’s go over some of the ways weather or climate can affect the outcome of power washing.
Be Cautious with Cold Weather
There’s a reason most exterior painters see a decline in work during the winter months. Working in cold conditions isn’t just a nuisance, but is often counterintuitive as well. Low temperatures can slow down the paint’s drying process and affect how well it adheres to a given surface. Of course, painting isn’t the only exterior home improvement task affected by cold weather.
Power washing your home while temperatures are getting low can actually cause damage. While power washers send hot water toward the surface, if temperatures are below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (freezing temperatures), water that gets into cracks and crevices can end up freezing and expanding. In other words, be mindful of temperatures during and after you plan on power washing your home. It’s fine to perform this task in “cool” weather, say, in the 40s and 50s, but if freezing temperatures are on the horizon, hold off.
Problems with Too Much Sun
Sunny days are great for improving our moods, but they might not be ideal for power washing. Even if it’s not particularly hot out, an excess of sunshine can quickly dry out the water sent from your power washer. This can result in streaking and possibly a less thorough cleaning as detergents have less time to perform.
Additionally, sunlight can make it difficult to see, affecting your aim and ability to judge how well you’ve done after the fact. Ideally, you want to power wash your home on a partly cloudy or overcast day so your surfaces are completely cleaned and your eyes can stay focused.
What about Rain?
You might not feel inclined to get outside and wash your home while it’s raining, but a little drizzle shouldn’t discourage you. Light rain can actually provide some additional moisture and friction to help rinse your detergents and improve the cleaning process overall, free of charge. That said, you don’t want to get out there in a downpour.
Now, when it comes to exterior painting, you don’t want any rain at all. So, if you’re hiring one service to handle both power washing and painting, try to pick a time of year with consistent, relatively dry weather. This way, you won’t have to separate each task by a matter of weeks.
If it’s Windy, Wait
It might go without saying, but high winds can make power washing downright dangerous, as you may lose control of the stream and contact surfaces you should avoid, including yourself. Even if you manage to hit every intended surface, the winds will likely result in streaking and carry the moisture away from your home, nullifying the point entirely. If you want to stay safe and ensure the best results, wait out the high winds.
Getting it Just Right
Our homes, and our plans, are at the mercy of the weather. Professional painters know this all too well. If you’re preparing to power wash your home, don’t forget to keep the climate in mind. And if you plan on hiring a contractor to wash your home, work with a company that’s flexible and well aware of upcoming weather and other potential hazards.
All American Painting Plus works closely with every one of our clients to schedule services around their needs as well as external factors. We will choose the optimal times and days to work on your home for maximum efficiency and the best results. To learn more about our power washing, painting services and everything else we offer our clients in Northern Virginia, give us a call at (703)-620-5563!
