How to pressure wash a 2 story house
In search of guidelines? Do you live in a 2- story house? Then you are at the right place!
What’s the need for power washing (also called pressure washing)? It is the best remedy for removing mildew, mold, debris, and dirt that contributes to the dull appearance of your home’s siding. It works by using its strong stream of water to spike away residues of the affected areas or surfaces without venting much energy in it for scrubbing. This would even make you want to go ahead with getting a new coat of paint.
Are you thinking of the height? Why not go for a ladder to reach the upper areas, or rather an extension wand. Since it is a two-story building, it’s what you ought to do to get there!.
Note: working with a power washing machine requires special technical know-how for the sake of avoiding hazards like injury, paint stripping over, and gouging sidings. Most times, you also need to consider the weather because pressure washing should be done on a clear day when there are no heavy winds to get the best results.
Here are the following steps to ensure that you follow effectively, they are;
Indoor;
- To avoid electric shock, turn off the power to any external electrical hardware or outlet.
2. Ensure doors and windows are closed.
3. Get rid of barriers like furniture away from the area while washing the house or before washing.
For Garden plants and shrubs;
Before you clean garden plants or shrubs, spray them with a garden hose to ensure they are safe from dripping. Do not forget to cover plants with a plastic tarp.
- Using the ratio of 3-parts water to 2-parts water, fill your garden with bleach.
- Get the sidings sprayed with the bleach solution for coating it thoroughly and ruggedly, beginning from the top downwards.
- Proceed by making use of a ladder to get to the second-story building.
- Connect the extension wand to the power washer if the need be.
- If you have your sidings painted before, you could choose to skip the above step or if the sidings are not very dirty.
For light cleaning;
Use a 25-degree and attach the garden hose to the pressure washer by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Spraying the top;
Get your ladder positioned at the side of the house and aim your pressure washer at the siding.
Never forget to make sure that your ladder must be tall enough to reach the uppermost areas of the two-story house.
To reach the top of sidings;
- Attach an extension wand to the pressure washer for easy access to the top sidings of your house.
- Then you can carefully spray your house beginning from the top, then across, and downward.
- The sprayer nozzle should be held perpendicularly to the sidings and should be about 12 to 18 inches away.
To rinse off bleach;
Follow a slow, sweeping motion, and then work your way across the sidings to get bleach rinsed off.
Lastly, allow the siding to get sun-dried for at least one full day before painting.
What PSi Pressure washer for a 2 story house?
Are you still in doubt? Unsure of the correct water pressure value for your two-story house?.
To know the psi pressure of your two-story house, which means that you want to see the water pressure value, which is usually measured in psi or ponds square inch.
Meanwhile, it is a usual occasion for most homes when it comes to water pressure based on the fact that there is a need for adequacy. By doing so, it comes out that one family member’s trickle of water is another family member’s high-power firehouse.
It is expected for a homebuyer to get so concerned about the normal water pressure value because of the knowledge that excessive pressure can inevitably result in leaks and an underwhelming shower experience.
Normally, the psi value for a home is between 30 and 80 psi, so for a two-story building, it must not exceed more than 80 psi. If you want to regulate the psi for your home, and you want it not to be too low, with its violation code to be above 80.2, aim for a psi that’s between 60 and 70.
What size pressure washer for a 2 story house?
Are you looking for the right size for your pressure washer? For your two-story building.
Homeowners looking for the right-sizes” for a pressure washer are not in search of large, medium, or small size, but they refer to the power or pressure output the pressure washer delivers. The
Its power is usually measured by pounds per square inch (psi) or gallons per minute (GPM).
Note: 1 Psi is roughly equivalent to 6895 N/m2. The SI unit, gallons per minute (GPM), is defined as the flow rate and is being measured by the number of gallons of water flowing out of the water source per minute.
Now, the ideal pressure washer for a two-story house is heavy-duty or extra heavy-duty. Heavy-duty, gas-powered pressure washers are known for their durability and making large-scale cleaning jobs easier and lighter.
Advice by most users is that your water pressure level should not be more than 2600 psi because of the extra power. If you notice well, pressure washers with higher psi and GPM clean faster and much better, unlike the ones with a lower psi value, but the only thing about it is that; they are more expensive than the low-rated units.
Although, the fact about the one with great GPM is that; they make the job done faster because there is more water inflow with force readily capable of carrying away the dirt.
The difference between the effects of both higher psi value and GPM is that;
When you shoot your pressure washer with its highest psi, then you will end up blowing air.
In contrast, when you do the same for a pressure washer with a higher GPM, you will blow water that will help remove dirt.
Both of them in combination will give you the best pressure washer!!
Why must you have adequate water pressure?
It is essential because it allows the use of multiple water sources occurring simultaneously without affecting their functioning. Examples include; when you want to take a shower, and at the same time, you have your sprinkler and dishwasher running.
Meanwhile, it is unsafe to have too much water pressure because it will increase the risk of damage to your fixtures, seals, pipes, joints, pipes, and appliances in your home’s plumbing, and it will then result in water waste.
- The effects of the power of pressure you need to know!
- Too much pressure can weaken links in your pipes
- Increase the chances of leak failure
This is why you must always do well to check your home’s water pressure to avoid expensive repairs due to water damage.
What are the early or significant notifications of high pressure?
To save yourself the risk of accidents due to high pressure in your home, you should know the warning signs of high water pressure!
These signs are ;
- The factors that affect your water pressure usually include; the type of residential water service offered in your area and the extent of elevation of your home.
- Repeated repair of leaks in fixtures
- Plumbing water pressure makes a knocking sound and eventually causes a “water hammer” effect anytime you flush a toilet or turn off a faucet. If not, there would be damage.
- Dishwasher and ice makers appliances are getting affected.
- Breakage of seals and pumps
- All these are the common signs you may have sight showing that there is high pressure.
How to fix it?
This is something you or a professional can do by checking your home’s psi with an appliance called a “water pressure gauge.” When you want to obtain a reading, screw the gauge onto a spigot in your home.
Note: A regulator is needed when your water pressure is above 80 psi. As a regulator will make adjustments to the amount of water entering your house right from the municipal water supply. Thus a regulator device can work manually or automatically, ensuring that your home is receiving the exact amount of water pressure required.
Also Read:
How often should you pressure wash your house
What happens when there is low water pressure?
Now, this is just an annoying event for many homeowners. Taking a closer look at this, simple tasks like washing dishes, taking showers, and watering outdoor plants but also makes an obvious increase in the amount of water used in doing these tasks.
The most aggravating moment is usually when filling up a sink or bathtub takes longer or forever. Your showerhead may give you an anemic spray because of this. Even your dishwasher, too, will take a long time to complete a cycle.
What to do!
You have to discover the cause first and foremost before you can do anything about it. It could even demand that you focus on fixing that one fixture or pipe serving it.
Causes of low water pressure?
This is commonly caused by many things, both indoor and outdoor, and they are;
- Having same use of water schedules with neighbors
- There is an inappropriate pressure regulator for 45 to 60 pounds per square inch (psi) wearing out after years.
- Change in position of your water meter valve in front of your house, which then causes low or no water pressure in the house.
- Leaked pipes
- Galvanized pipes have mineral deposits.
How to fix it!
- Repair leaked pipes
- Ensure you open water meter valves
- Replace steel water pipes and failing pressure regulator
What does water pressure do?
Readings in a water pressure tell you more about how forceful your water is in PSI (pounds per square inch), and the normal water pressure is generally between 40 and 60 PSI. This is why most of these homeowners prefer middle values around 50 PSI. To get the ideal value for your own house, measure the house and set it for all family members for use.
Most importantly, when you adjust and check your water pressure, it will help you save money and improve the quality of your life.
Location of water pressure in homes?
For some homes, it is located under the basement or near an outdoor spigot.
Conclusion
As a homeowner of a two-story house, it is advisable to get an extension wand to reach very high areas. Also, get to understand other kits that are needed to make your sidings spotless.
You can do well to get a telescopic extension wand if you want an ideal one. This is because they ensure that pressure is kept longer and a focused spray for hard-to-reach areas or surfaces.
