Washing Siding Before Painting

Rinse frequently with clear water and allow the surface to dry before painting.

Washing siding before painting.

Wood siding and trim should be ready to paint after a day or two of dry weather. Use a 300 degree steam cleaner a rental item or scrub the siding with a very hot detergent solution. Scrape part i photo by sarah wilson. Replace or fill badly damaged areas.

Working in sections from the bottom to the top will avoid streaks. A high powered pressure washer can also dent aluminum and vinyl siding. Lightly sand glossy finishes to remove the sheen called scuff sanding but sand scrape or cut into the surface only as much as is necessary to correct problems. Potential of siding damage water injected under siding or dirt remaining on house.

A typical cleaning procedure would be to wash the siding once with the pressure washer and then spray it with a bleach or detergent solution and. True most pressure washers are powerful enough to take off paint but for best results stripping should be a separate step done with a scraper sander or heat gun after the process of washing. The most effective way to do this is to use a pressure washer. Paint that has peeled bubbled or blistered has got to go.

The best way to apply them is with a plant sprayer. Efflorescence mold and algae lichen and stains from chalking paint or rusting metal are problems that you should attend to before painting masonry which includes surfaces such as stucco brick and concrete block. Cleaning washing off cracks crevices where siding overlaps each other tends to collect a considerable amount of dust debris. Oftentimes houses can have mildew on their siding.

From there water can damage insulation electrical wiring and can spur mold growth. It s not just dirt either. By cleaning off all the gunk we can make sure the paint goes on smoothly not just rolling over dirt. The only way to remove this mildew is washing off with bleach.

It s important to wash your house so that the new coat has the best chance to bond with the undercoat. House siding collects a fine film of chalk and dirt and even if you can t see it it s important to remove it before you paint. Pressure washing before painting is a chance to remove all dirt debris and cobwebs before painting. So if you haven t painted exterior within last six months it is recommended you need to wash exterior walls soffits fascia porch ceilings removing dust and debris before painting again.

First eliminate the sources of the problems. There are ways to safely clean your house before painting using a pressure washer including using lower psi pressure washers widening the spray and standing at least two feet back.