Cleaning Wood Siding

Cleaning wood siding is not as simple and straight forward as some would lead you to believe. There are many factors that will determine the out come of the total job. The fact is that there are a lot of products on the market that are effective for cleaning wood siding. But the fist things that you need to identify is the type of dirt on your wood siding, as this will allow you to select the correct chemical to remove it. Listed below are few steps to take before you begin the actual cleaning job :

• Turn off all power to the outside area that you will be cleaning.
• Ensure the area is cleared of objects that may get wet.
• Windows and doors should be closed when spraying take special care not to spray windows.
• Cover shrubs with plastic if they will be affected by cleaning agents.
• Always work from the top down and rinse before solution dries.

Now in beginning the actual cleaning you will need a power washer that can deliver pressurized water for an effective clean. It is generally recommended that the equipment delivering the water does so at a PSI not less that 2200 and not greater than 3000. If you use too high a water pressure you run the risk of damaging the wood and removing excess paint form the wood siding.

In cleaning wood siding you will need the correct chemicals; for homes that have mildew diluted bleach may be applied to the water to remove them effectively as power washing alone will not accomplish this. General recommendation are 1 bleach to 3 or for water this is only for cases where there is a lot of mold present after power washing you will need to naturalize the ph that was created by the bleach, so rinsing the house with some tide and water will do the trick (recommended 1 cup of tide to five gallons of water).

For cases where the mold is excessive you may apply diluted bleach directly to the area and then power wash as this will prevent you from having to hold the power wash on the area for excessive periods, thus preventing damage to the wood.