Are there any real benefits to having your house washed?
If you don’t know what a house wash is, check out this article on house washing vs pressure washing.
The purpose of proper and professional house washing is to beautify your home and act as a preventative from damage and costly repairs.
A preventative from what?
From damage, hazard, and a warning from the HOA, if you’re part of an HOA.
Houses and homes are often affected by bacterial growth that eventually leads to fungal growth.
Did you know that roofs also get affected by the similar bacteria that grows on the exterior sidings?
This bacteria is known as Gloeocapsa Magma and it grows primarily on roofs. This bacteria feeds off the fiberglass on shingles and slowly deteriorates the entire roof. More on roof cleaning maintenance in another post.
Although roof shingles’ fiberglass is food for the bacteria and funguses, house sidings come in many different materials and not all will get deteriorated.
Here are some house washing projects we’ve completed throughout Austin, TX:
What Will Bacterial Growth & Fungal Growth Do To Your House Siding?
When it comes to residential properties, the most popular sidings are:
- Vinyl
- Wood Sidings
- HardiPlank
- Austin Lime Stones
- Brick
Out of all the types of sidings that are the most prone to damage from bacterial and fungal growth are wood sidings. Wood can easily rot if bacteria and fungus spread fast and can cause total structural damage.
Other types of sidings besides wood won’t be damaged, but do pose other risks and concerns.
Besides making the property look extremely run down and not a pleasant sight to see, too much bacteria and fungus on your home can cause:
- Triggering Of Health Condition & Allergic Reaction: Mold and Mildew can trigger allergic reactions as they grow and spread throughout your property leaving more spores that are airborne. People with allergic reactions to continuous exposure can lead to more severe allergic reactions and even skin irritation.
- Unsafe Environment: Algae and mildew can spread quite fast and get onto the flat surfaces around your property. Flat surfaces when there is a presence of algae growth can cause slipping and injuries.
- Early Warning Signs: Sings of organic growth such as algae and mildew on your siding could very well mean that there are areas of trapped moisture underneath your siding. This could mean a faulty install of sidings or a bad seal. As more algae cover the siding and make their way to wood areas of your home, causing rot to those wooden areas such as window frames.
House washing is proper maintenance and a preventative for homeowners. It also saves you from costly repairs in the long run.
House Washing Can Save You From An Expensive Paint Job?
A dirty house can make it look as if the paint is worn out and needs a new fresh coat.
If you are deciding whether you should repaint your house or not, consider getting it washed first.
We would argue that about 88% of the time your house will look just as good as a newly painted house with just a simple house wash. You’ll even save thousands if you did.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised that underneath all the dirt, grime, saps, and algae lies the beautiful original colors of your home.
A house washing can also detect what’s wrong with your siding.
From our experience, house washing has helped us discover oxidation on the sidings. detection of oxidation is when you 100% sure know that the paint on your siding is failing and it is time to get it repainted.
Sometimes oxidation is present without having to wash the house, this is a chalky substance that no matter how much you wash your home, always comes back.
Conclusion:
House washing is an effective maintenance plan for both residential and commercial properties. A clean property causes fewer issues. Professional exterior cleaning beautifies a property and can be a preventative for future hazards and costly repairs down the line.
