Why You Should Pressure Wash Before Painting

When it comes to exterior painting, preparation is the key to quality results. By not following the proper steps before hand, your project could end up worse off than before. Arguably the most important of these preparation steps is pressure washing. Any professional painter will tell you, you should always pressure wash before painting. This will increase the look, quality and lifespan of your paint job.

Why is Pressure Washing so Important?

Pressure washing is the best way to remove dirt and debris from the exterior of your home. Paint likes to stick to clean surfaces, so anything left on your home when painting will cause the product to fail. No matter what surface it is, always pressure wash before painting, or else the new paint will flag and chip away within a few years.

How to Pressure Wash Before Painting

1. Cover any furniture, landscaping and anything else you don’t want to get wet.
2. Attach your pressure washer to a water source and add any desired cleaning agents.
3. Depending on the amount of dirt on your home, a chemical or cleaning agent may need to be added. If this is the case, spray your chemical on the area and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Then, rinse the area thoroughly with clean water. Do this for all areas on the home that are being painted.
4. Be careful to pressure wash from a safe distance, as getting too close could chip or damage the surface. Anything closer than twelve inches is too close! Also be careful around sealed windows and doors, as water can still make its way through those gaps with the pressure of the machine.

Ask a Professional

If you are planning on hiring a painting company, don’t bother pressure washing yourself. A painting company who does not take care of this for you isn’t worth hiring. Elite Pro Painting will not start an exterior project until one of our three full time pressure washers has come by. Our main goal as a company is customer satisfaction, which definitely includes taking jobs like pressure washing off of your shoulders. We would love to help with your project! Give us a call for a free quote!