After much procrastinating our official Sydney Wide Pressure Cleaning forum is now open.
Here you will be able to post all questions relevant and specific to our industry.
So with introductions taken care of….
may we present to you the….
Pressure Cleaning Sydney Forum Now Open!
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Dec 022011
Nov 102011
When you think about the benefits of high pressure cleaning your house, the foremost thing that comes to your mind is an improved appearance. Pressure cleaning restores the past glory of your house. You will be amazed to the see the difference it can bring to the aesthetics of your house. As you read further you will gain insight into the wonders of external cleaning.
Removes oxidation and faded paint
Your house starts looking faded over a period of time. This look steals away the beauty of the house. The faded paint, graffiti by kids and the oxidation settled on your walls can be removed by high pressure cleaning. This process allows fresh paint to stick better on your walls.
Prevents accidents and health issues
Your pathways and driveways get covered with mold, moss, dirt and grime after some time. This makes them very slippery and accident prone. Continued exposure to dirt and moss can expose your family to respiratory infections. Apart from them, there are other microscopic surface contaminants that can have an adverse effect on your health. High Pressure cleaning and house washing plays a huge role in successfully removing all the dirt and grime thus, giving your family a healthy and safe environment to live in.
Enhances property value
Repainting can only superficially enhance the look of your house. It cannot clean the dirt and grime settled in the nooks and corners and it is very expensive. House washing removes mold, grime, fungus, dirt and oil accumulated over a period of time without costing you much. What you have is a sparkling house which enhances the value of your property in the market.
Inhibits use of chemicals
Many use strong chemicals to remove stain and mildew from their walls and floors. Though chemicals remove stains immediately, they eat away the surface gradually. Strong chemicals leave behind strong odor and their fumes can be a major health hazard. Pressure cleaning process makes use of only water for removing dirt and grime. The chemicals if at all used, are mild and eco- friendly.
Saves you money
People tend to spend a lot of money on maintenance of their house. Repainting and refurbishing is very expensive and can cause a sizeable dent on your wallet. Outside elements like wind, sunlight, pollution and rain can damage and erode your walls. High Pressure cleaning will enhance the life of your paint thus revoking the need to repaint. It thus, increases the life of your property and saves you the money spent towards expensive repairs.
Wondering how you could clean the dirty walls that are ruining the charm of the house? House washing is the best solution to restore the beauty of the walls.
Pressure cleaning the walls is not as easy as it may seem to be. It requires proper technique and genuine effort. It demands a lot of time, of which we have an inadequacy. Therefore, let the professional hands do the cleaning for you and let yourself to relax the weekend.
Concrete walls are best cleaned using the soft house washing technique. First the concrete is to be prepared by wetting it using a low-pressure sprayer, as this will prevent the concrete to soak the detergent. Make sure you spray from the bottom of the wall and slowly move upwards.
The chemical or detergent is to be carefully chosen, best suited for the kind of surface that is to be cleaned. Scrub the tough stains with the help a stiff bristle brush. Evenly spray the chemical on the wall using low pressure mode on the pressure washer nozzle. This too is to be sprayed starting from the bottom of the wall to the top. Leave the detergent for 5 to 10 minutes to do its job.
The nozzle of the pressure washer is to be cleaned thoroughly and it is to be made sure there is no detergent left behind. Switch the pressure cleaner to the high pressure mode and rinse off the detergent with slowly subjecting the wall to the pressure of the water. This time you should start from the top and slowly move to the bottom of the wall in sections. Ensure the areas near the wall are rinsed down too and also it is to be made sure that no detergent remains on the wall.
Precautions that need to be taken:
House Washing tools may seem simple tools to operate but, one small mistake can make you handicapped for life. Hence, it is always better and wise to take necessary precautions before you start cleaning your walls using this technique. If your eye is exposed to the pressure of water gushing through the nozzle of the pressure cleaner, you may lose your eye sight for ever.
To prevent this, you should always use a pair of safety goggles while cleaning anything using the pressure cleaner. Hand gloves and long pants help prevent your body from any kind of mishap. Never point the nozzle at anyone and not even yourself. It is to be made sure that the nozzle is tightly fixed to the wand of the pressure cleaner.
It is advisable to first test the pressure cleaner on a small patch of wall before going ahead with the cleaning. Also one should be acquainted to the usage of the machine, if not one should spend considerable time to learn how to use it. However, to attain best results, the nozzle is to be held 6 inches away from the concrete and evenly clean each part of the wall.
Concrete walls can collect a lot of dirt over time and make your house look dull. To brighten up your house you will have to pay due attention to the walls. And making use of the pressure cleaning technique would bring back life to your walls again, guaranteed!
Jul 152011
There are many house washing services in the market that claim to do miracles to your building. If you go by the tempting advertisements that these companies roll out, then you are in for a loss. For one, a good reputed contractor will not spend extra bucks on fancy advertisements when he has his reputation to speak for him. The task of selecting an efficient cleaning service can be harrowing, especially if you are looking for one for the first time. Nevertheless, by observing some features of a company, you will be able to put your finger on a good cleaner.
Guarantee and liability insurance
A good house washing company will give you a guarantee cover. That is, if you unsatisfied with the service or find some remnants of grime and algae, then you are entitled to demand a pressure wash again for the premises. This is one of the main traits of a contractor who is confident about his work. Confident contractors also offer liability covers. If in the process of using high pressure jets of water, any damage is caused to the property, they will reimburse the repair cost. No contractor will take a risk on his profits unless he has good reason to do so. So, in your search for a good cleaning service, look out for guarantees.
Request to investigate the cleaning premises
The right price for a cleaning work and the kind of equipments and materials required can be fixed only after a thorough investigation of the premises that is to be cleaned. The amount of dirt, grime and algae, among others, decide the pressure of water, chemicals and disinfectants that are to be employed. When you talk to the contractor, see if he would like to visit the place before starting work. Ultimately, it is not the contractor, but his workers who will do the actual cleaning. So, a good contractor will not pinch pennies in training his staff. The worker’s knowledge should be upgraded regularly. The workers of a good pressure washing contractor are very professional and hard working.
Comprehensiveness of the service
A good contractor will give you a comprehensive service. He will look into each and every aspect of the premises. The bathrooms and toilets need more attention. If your roof is tiled, then there will be a lot of dirt deposited in the gaps of the tiles that should be cleaned. Drive-thrus, garages and patios are to be included in the cleaning service. Since cooking is done in the kitchen, there is sure to be a lot of oiliness or grease on the kitchen surfaces. If you have a chimney or a fireplace, then they need special cleaning. When you choose a contractor, check if he is covering all these things. His service should be all-inclusive.
It will help if you can get reviews about the pressure washing service. You can check the internet or local newspapers, who publish such reviews. You hire a cleaning service so that you can be hassle free, save time and money. So, go through the character of the house washing service before choosing one.
Jul 062011
A clean driveway adds much to the attractiveness of your house, which is why it’s important to have a driveway as clean and resplendent as your house. There are numerous benefits of getting your driveway cleaned once in a while as an integral part of your house washing arrangements.
The driveway forms the entrance to your house. It is as important as the garden or the porch. First impressions are instantaneous. If you wish to make a good overall impression on your relatives, clients and other important visitors, you have to hit it off perfectly. A neat and clean driveway sets the stage for you. It shows that you are a responsible person. Furthermore, if your driveway is not clean, your children can come in contact with the accumulated dirt and fall sick. Driveways are subjected to dirt accumulated in the gaps of car tires and even shoe soles. A thorough cleaning twice every year will keep your driveway gleaming in the sun.
If your driveway is kept clean, it would be a lot easier to drive your car in and out of the garage throughout the rainy season. However, if it’s not cleaned from time to time, whenever the wet season sets in, your driveway will be soaked and grimy with all the debris stuck in between the paved bricks or stones. You will then have to waste your valuable leisure time for cleaning up your car, when instead you could have ensured a thoroughly cleaned driveway just once in every six months. Visitors also won’t have to worry about their cars getting dirty if the rain comes. You also restrict the amount of filth that gets into your house to a minimum if you keep your driveway clean. A clean driveway will drastically improve your home’s overall appearance.
Pressure cleaning your driveway is neither a difficult nor a time-consuming task. It is all the more inexpensive if you can do it yourself. For flat surface cleaning problems, pressure washers are the most imperative mechanism till date. A pressure washer forms an indispensable partner in your house washing endeavors. It benefits from high professional specifications and will make your work a lot easier while cleaning your driveway. The pressure generated by its flush is more than enough to tackle dirt and stains in the dullest of driveways, leaving a uniformly clean surface. Its high work rate and operator friendly design dramatically reduces fatigue, increases productivity and saves on house washing labor costs. Operating a pressure washer is as straightforward as using a lawn mower. Simply connect it to a water outlet, turn it on and you can start working.
Pressure cleaning your driveway requires a lot less future maintenance and will prevent wild plants and grasses from growing on your driveway and creating an undesirable mossy coating. However, before attempting to clean your driveway yourself, it is essential that you consult people who are acquainted with house washing works. You can also hire a cleaning contractor to clean your driveway if you are unsure about doing it yourself.
Dirt, dust, grime and many other problems can affect the beauty of your home’s interior and eventually take away its charm. Age of your home plays a critical role in deterioration of paint color etc. But if the reason is not age, a pressure washer can do a miracle job of house washing. These models come in various sizes and specifications. The surface where you intend to use your equipment decides the pressure rating of the model you need to use. This is all the more critical when you are planning to clean your home’s interiors. There is a lot of preparation of the area to be done because a home is usually packed with a lot of stuff such as furniture, home décor, appliances and many more similar and varied items.
Pressure washers can be either hired or purchased. Consider the second option if your home’s cleaning requirement is more frequent. You can choose to hire from the local hardware store if you plan to clean only once or twice a year.
Area preparation prior to house washing
Move away all furniture from the area you propose to pressure wash. Make sure you secure all doors and windows tightly if you do not want shutters, panels or loose fittings flying. Do not place any breakable objects anywhere near the area proposed for power wash. Having indoor plants or shrubs will certainly liven up your home. But during pressure cleaning, it is always better they are not kept in the vicinity. When you have no choice but to keep them in their original place, make sure you do not point the gun in their direction and spray water liberally on them to prevent soap from sticking on to them.
Protective plastic coating can be placed over light fixtures. Make sure no electrical outlets or appliances are there while you power wash. Read through the safety and instructions manual completely before you begin power washing.
Tips for house washing using a pressure cleaner
Cleaning your home’s interior can be done in two ways. For dingy and small areas where there are quite a few immovable objects, it is recommended to attach a tip that facilitates high flow but low pressure. For large areas that are relatively spacious and have no obstacles, you can make use of high pressure and less flow. It is always better to start from the highest elevation and work your way down to avoid dirt or cleaning solution drip down your wall.
The detergent to be used must be wisely chosen especially when it is your home’s interior. Approaching cleaning operation the green way is probably the best methodology to adopt. It is not only about user friendliness but also ensuring a healthy and safe living for your family as well as your home. Rinsing the area thoroughly with plain water without leaving any traces of the cleaning agent is critical. Completing house washing using a pressure cleaner requires some amount of understanding of the equipment and cleaning methodology.
House washing is an important task that requires some amount of planning and execution. Cleaning the exterior portions of your home is not an easy task. It is quite laborious and time consuming especially when you use traditional methods of cleaning. Pressure washing is possibly one of the most sought after options for cleaning your home’s exterior. First and foremost, these areas are vulnerable to many undesirable elements caused by man and weather. These have the ability to cause immense damage to pavers and other surfaces on the driveway, patio or porch or side walk or sidings or possibly any area. Such stains cannot be cleaned manually especially when they have become old. Also, exterior areas are relatively large spaces and require a lot of time and effort.
Pressure washing is therefore considered to be a wise and effective option not just for house washing but also for cleaning the exteriors. By spraying water and if necessary, detergent at high velocity, the equipment can very easily remove deteriorating paint, chalk like residues, grime and dirt from the surface. This is also very important as a precursor to adding a fresh new coat of paint and for that to last.
House washing specifications and tips
Depending on the kind of cleaning task, you need to hire an appropriate power washer model. Domestic models also have different models with different specifications and they begin from a pressure rating of 1200 psi to 3000 psi. Standing on a ladder to reach high areas is not advised since you may be unaware of the pressure that can be exerted. In order to reach high areas, hire 6 feet to 12 feet adjustable extension shaft but this requires some amount of experience from your end. Your driveway or patio can be lined with light fixtures or plants and other items that are utility or décor based. Make sure you duct tape all breakable objects. Similarly, outdoor furniture and obstacles must be moved away from these areas.
When you are working near windows; exercise caution lest you end up with broken glass panes or loose window panels. Hold the nozzle away from these areas to prevent such accidents. Window screens and panels are best subjected to be cleaned using a kerosene soaked rag. Any chemical used should be rinsed away thoroughly since it can cause permanent damage to the surface.
If your house has been painted using lead paint and that too quite long back, make sure you contact your public health department. Also, if your home is over two stories or is quite large, you might consider hiring a professional cleaning service company to do the task. This is predominantly because even though pressure cleaning is a simpler and quicker option, it still takes some amount of time and especially when the area is large, the efforts involved are also high. Therefore, it is sensible to hire an individual or a company that holds expertise in this specialty. The inevitable task of house washing can be handled well through pressure cleaning.
So you have decided to opt for a professional pressure cleaner for your driveway, roof, walls, pathways, etc, and do not know how to proceed with it? Read through this article to understand the basics of choosing a pressure washing contractor?
• First and the foremost, you need to understand the procedure and advantages along with the risks involved. Needless to say, you’ll get a clear idea about what to expect out of a pressure cleaner, and how to proceed.
• After understanding pressure washing, search the white pages to find out a pressure cleaner with experience. Also discuss the idea of concrete cleaning and house washing with friends, neighbours and family. Searching the internet is also a good option.
• After zeroing in on some contractors, you need to meet them, to discuss your property. This is generally done after having them examine the complete area, along with your property. Different pressure cleaner companies have different packages for different customer needs and varying property requirements. Discuss with them risks involved with house washing, and what procedure they would apply. This can tell you how to make the best of their offerings.
• Discuss with your pressure cleaner at length what equipment they will use for various cleaning needs, like for concrete cleaning and house washing, what pressure (and temperature of water) will be required, and what kind of detergents and chemicals will be used.
• It is also important for you to know whether your pressure cleaner owns the equipment, has leased them or whether they are rented. Generally dedicated house washing contractors own their equipment. They also have equipment for almost all pressure ranges so they can use different pressures for different requirements. For example house washing does not require excessive pressure.
• Also ask if your pressure cleaner can write up a general estimate of job on a paper. These estimates include details of service, final expectations of job, and total expenses in terms of materials used, amount of work and the labor.
• One should also take references for the kind of pressure washing that they are seeking. For example if you want concrete cleaning, then take references for the said cleaning job.
• A good pressure cleaner must have insurances and bonding as well. This takes care of any unintentional accidents or damages to your property.
• It is always recommended to know the financing policies of the contractor. Also find out what is the guarantee given by the contractor on the finished project.
• Many companies also give demo so as to satisfy their customers.
• It is generally suggested for the property owner to be present at the site. This ensures that if owing to any reason you are not satisfied or happy with the way work is being done, don’t think twice before letting your contractor know your concerns.
• After completion of project, do a thorough analysis of your property to ensure there are no damages.
The above steps give you a general idea about how to proceed with outsourcing of your concrete cleaning and other pressure washing jobs. By taking a few simple precautions you can protect your home and make it beautiful too.