Pressure Washing: Professional Services or DIY?

What’s that stuff clinging to your siding? That’s mildew, or mold, or dust, or bugs, and they’re all making your home look a little run down and neglected. Whether you want to increase your curb appeal before selling your home or simply want to maintain your property so that it is in pristine condition, pressure washing is the right next step for your home.

Should you try to do it yourself or hire a professional? 

Do-It-Yourself Pressure Washing

Everyone loves a good weekend DIY project. For many of us, our daily jobs and routines don’t give us the instant gratification of a job well done. Pressure washing is satisfying. What once was dirty is clean again, instantly! 

If you have the time and the right kind of equipment, and the right kind of cleaning solution, and you aren’t trying to reach hard-to-reach spots on a ladder, taking a Saturday to power wash your grimy sidewalks, mildewy siding, or slippery deck just might be the right choice for you, you bootstrappin’, DIYin’ rockstar.

Before you pull on your work jeans and rubber boots, there are a few drawbacks to the pressure washing DIY project.

Drawbacks of the DIY Pressure Washing Project

First of all, do you really have the time? How much is your time worth? If this seems like an abstract question, do a quick calculation of the hourly rate that you get paid at work, and then multiply that by the time it’s going to take you to pressure wash your home. You have a precious few hours at home on the weekends. Do you really want to spend it getting soaked from head to toe and causing your hands to cramp? If you don’t love DIY projects, why are you spending so much of your free time trying to save a couple of bucks by pressure washing your property yourself?

The opportunity cost of pressure washing alone might be reason enough to hire a professional. But there are other factors you might not have considered yet. In addition to the cost of your personal time, you’ll need to buy fuel, cleaning solution, and acquire the right pressure washing equipment, all for this once-a-while project. Those costs add up!

If you own your own pressure washer, rented one, or borrowed one from a friend, you will want to make sure that the equipment is the right equipment for your surface. Vinyl siding responds differently than wood, for instance, and the wrong pressure can do more harm than good, damaging your siding or splintering your deck. Many homeowners make the mistake of applying too much pressure to their homes instead of employing a “soft washing” technique with the appropriate cleaning solutions. 

Equipment concerns are very real safety concerns. If you need a ladder to reach those hard-to-reach spots on your property, you risk physical harm when you climb that ladder and shoot a power washer at your siding. Trained professionals have the right equipment, the experience, and the appropriate safety measure in place to ensure the job is done correctly and safely.

Leave Power Washing to the Professionals

The team at Cascade Services values your time, and we believe that you could be spending your time more wisely on the weekends than scrubbing down your house. Professional pressure washing crews have all of the right tools, supplies, and training to bring out the very best in your property. Whatever contaminants are sticking to your siding, sidewalks, walkways, patios, and decks, we make sure they go away, completely and safely, leaving your home sparkling clean and ready for the backyard party, the neighborhood barbecue, or the for sale sign.

If you’re ready to retire those holey work jeans this weekend, get professional results with the professional power washing attention of Cascade Services.