Hi all!

I only know residential maid/cleaning. The outside of the house is something I am clueless on! I need help with what I should know about pressure washing. The reason is, my home is white vinyl siding and we live on the waterfront. It's turning GREEN on the back side of my house. It's pretty ugly now and it's time to get it done.

What should I ask for when trying to find a provider? Thanks!

Torrey

The standards:
a) liability insurance- should be 300K-$1M (ask for current certificate)
b) If the company has employees ask for workman's comp cert

The job:
- What pressure will they use? If they answer anything over 800 psi (even that is very high) be skeptical. They are likely to cause damage or at the very least wand marks. Most pressure washers are 3500-4000 psi.
- What cleaners and chemicals will they use to kill mold and loosen pollution deposits for low pressure rinsing? (if they say "none", move on. Bleach kills mold and they should be using it)
- How will black streaks on the gutter be handled? (should be brushed with a specialty chemical)
- What procedures will they follow to protect plants and landscaping? (wetting everything down before, during and after chemical application is acceptable)
- Will they be using ladders? (ties into workman's comp and damamge to siding). A company with proper technique will not have to use ladders.

OR

Push the easy button, post where you are located and we'll find someone from our industry boards in your area for you. I think a guy named John Orr is in your area.

As always, Ken...I can count on you to give me great advice!

I live in NE Suffolk, VA. The nearby areas are:

Norfolk, VA
Newport News, VA
Hampton, VA
Chesapeake, VA
Yorktown, VA

and outlying areas are:

Virginia Beach, VA
Williamsburg, VA

I have a 2700 sq. ft. home. Not sure of the dimensions. What price range should I expect for a good cleaning and what should that include? I didn't even think about gutters.

Torr,

Check out my house washing page. It will give you an idea of available services a company can offer. We have three pricing plans from Silver (395.00 for your house) to Gold (approx $550) to Platinum (price would depend on how much stuff you have going on surrounding the home.) Every company prices differently of course.

Cool! Thanks Ken!

Luckily I still have a house. This was taken today during a major tornado in my neighborhood. I live in Burbage Grant.

More of funnel seen from Burbage Grant section of Northern Suffolk

Too bad the rain didn't wash all the dirt away!

Holy crap.