Should I Power/Pressure Wash Before Painting the Exterior?

Power washing or Pressure Washing is an important step conducted prior to painting. In order to ensure the paint adheres properly, the surfaces must be clean, dry and deglazed. The majority of the time this involves power/pressure washing, although on occasion, the area may just require a hand wash (typically the size of the project and area to be cleaned/painted affects whether it needs to be power/pressured washed or hand washed).

Often a power/pressure wash can be performed if the substrate that is being cleaned does not need to be painted. Annual/semi-annual cleaning keeps your home looking new and protects it from unsightly mildew/mold build-up. It is important to know what kind of substrate you have in order to determine if it can strictly be cleaned or if it will require painting afterwards in order to protect the surface and keep it looking its best. Vinyl siding is a bit more forgiving and can quite often be cleaned without needing to be painted while aluminum siding can leave evident streak marks if it is power/pressure washed but not painted after it has been cleaned. Often, unsightly mold and mildew on Stucco and Dryvit can be washed and improved, but seldom eliminated because of the rough texture.