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Writer's pictureJosh Bruhn

Why Cleaning The Exterior of Your Home Is Important

Washing a home's exterior is often prioritized after the interior. It becomes something to do when we have extra time or money. The reality is, it should be part of a home owner's yearly maintenance plan for their property. In this post we will explore the top five reasons why.



Cleaning the exterior surfaces on your home is something you need to do because it protects you and your family while keeping you comfortable against Mother Nature's wrath. That "wrath" takes a toll on your buildings' surfaces causing things like dirt, mold, mildew, moss, and bacteria to take up residence on your properties surfaces.


As these things continue to accumulate and spread across your home's surfaces like the siding, roof, walkways, and decks, it quickly becomes apparent that something needs to be done before it's too late and they do real damage.


The best solution to bring your home back to it's previous luster is pressure washing and soft washing.


1. Act Before There Is Damage

As your home is doing it's job of protecting your family from the elements, it is exposed to moisture, whether that is from a passing shower or a winter snow. Then a mix of dirt, pollen and pollutants gets mixed in, creating a sponge for that moisture, trapping it against your siding. That sponge also creates a nice home for the serious villains mold, mildew, moss, algae and BACTERIA.


These five organics can cause serious issues, from actually eating surfaces, like the lime out of your shingles, to causing rot on your siding. They are responsible for millions of dollars in unnecessary costly home improvements each year. Removing them yearly or bi-yearly can greatly prolong these exterior surfaces, saving your family from having to put off their vacation in order to repair the house.


2. Protect Your Property Value

While you may or may not be thinking of moving, we all know life can throw us curve balls from time to time. The number one thing realtors will tell you about is curb appeal. That moment when they pull up with the client will make or break home sales. This is why a lot of agents recommend getting a house cleaned prior to listing.


For those of you not selling or waiting to sell, cleaning those surfaces can also help preserve their life span, especially on painted surfaces and siding.


3. Preparing to Refinish Painted Surfaces

Preparing surfaces to be painted is extremely important to the quality of the finished project. As everyone knows, painting over a dirty surface will shorten the life and quality of the finished project because the paint isn't able to attach solidly to the surface being painted. As the elements attack the painted surface, those areas will fail prematurely.


I'm sure you are seeing a theme by now that cleaning your exterior surfaces will add years of life, whether that is the beginning of their life or the yearly baths they get after.


4. Protect Your Family

Remember those five villains I mentioned earlier: mold, mildew, moss, algae and bacteria? Well, they're back and they are here to attack your family! They're sneaky too. They hitch rides in on your clothing, your shoes, or even just the opening and closing of the doors. If you have an allergy sufferer in your home, they will definitely appreciate minimizing the amount of these villains around your home. Furthermore, they can attack people's immune systems causing them not to be able to fight off an illness as well, or simply create a slippery walkway, opening yourself up to a potential slip and fall law suit. I know these all seem like dramatic exaggerations, but unfortunately they're not. Do a quick internet search and see for yourself.


5. Be Kind To Our Environment

Every spring, homeowners go to their local hardware stores and buy thousands and thousands of gallons of chemicals to clean their siding themselves. I completely understand this as I like to do things myself as well, but there are several issues with this. The first is that it takes a homeowner buckets and buckets of chemical to do what a professional pressure washer, with the right equipment, can do with a few gallons. Next, different types of contaminants/stains require different detergents, mixed at different ratios to clean them properly. The one size fits all chemical from the hardware store is NOT going to do that. So a professional is called in to help the homeowner and has to uses their detergents on top of the chemicals the customer already used. All of this is really bad for the environment and results in an overuse of unnecessary chemicals. Lastly, not necessarily environmental, but important to mention is personal safety. Professionals do this every day and have the safety equipment and the experience to clean your exterior surfaces safely. Whether that is knowing which detergents not to mix together, being able to safely climb up on a roof, or just having proper personal protective gear so they aren't inhaling bad fumes from the cleaners.


We serve Glastonbury, Marlborough, Hebron, East Hampton and surrounding areas. Let us take this necessary task off your to do list, give us a call for your free quote.





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