I am working on my chemicals and pressure on different things, using my own deck, fence, house as lab rats. The vinyl siding is in nasty shape. Lots of holes and cracks and stains here and there, but it does look significantly better after being washed. Things dont appear to have ever been cleaned around here. The concrete up front was black. Literally, black. Covered in algae and mold/mildew. The deck was pretty dark and had lots of algae on it too, altho it wasnt 1/4" thick like it has been on the fence and concrete. The entire place has not been maintained you can tell. I just moved here a few months ago so I am getting it cleaned up.
However. Even using low pressure on the house, it has cleaned up well, Ive tried several things and bleach seems to be the best, although about a cup of bleach and a cup of "knock out" HD cleaner from KO Pressure Supply, Inc. (local company) to a gallon of water works well also. Now then. There are greasy spots on the west side of the house, I'm not sure why. It looks like some Vaseline or something. Bleach didn't seem to touch it, so that will have to be wiped off.
There are also some spots on the east side that seem to be glitter and glue or something. How it got splattered on the house is also beyond me. But the bleach/knock out mixture didn't work on that either. It takes the mold mildew and algae tho. There are some light stains that i don't expect anything to take off especially in the condition that this siding is in.
Also on the front, everything cleaned up well. However when I'm done no matter how much i rinse (with low pressure) mud or something runs out from behind or underneath the lip on the siding in spots and leaves a nasty spot. Does this happen to everyone or is it just due to the lack of maintainence on my house? The only way to stop it will be to wait for it to stop dripping and then wipe it up with a damp rag. It rinses away really easy, even when dry but it comes back, so wiping it up is the only option. Just wanted to know if other people have that problem or not.
Also, on the fence and deck ive tried many things, a lil bleach in a gallon of water, oxiclean outdoors in a gallon of water (quite a bit i might add), purple power, simple green, and now, knock out/bleach mix. No matter what i use, i use a size 8 nozzle which with my 4gpm pump give 1000 psi, i get white fur. Even if I'm no where near the surface with the nozzle. I suspect the lack of maintainece, the cheap wood and the fact that is so freggin old alot of the posts are rotten and the last owner of the place didnt bother to remove the old posts they just put new ones up beside the old ones if that tells you anything about the age and condition of things. The newer sections of fence seem to turn out pretty well with little or fur. The brand new tip i am using is causing some streaking, so i need to get a new one.. again. (THATS why it looked like it had been used before! I brushed it off thinking someone just got the wrong size). I've attached pics.
You can see some of it needs to be gone over again.
One more thing. What do you do when you come to a power meter on the side of the house like in the pic? If you get the lines wet is it gonna fry you or what. Just try not to touch anything?
Thanks ahead of time guys. Im preparing to get started with my own PW biz
James Knight
X-Stream Clean Pressure Washing
Springfield, MO
However. Even using low pressure on the house, it has cleaned up well, Ive tried several things and bleach seems to be the best, although about a cup of bleach and a cup of "knock out" HD cleaner from KO Pressure Supply, Inc. (local company) to a gallon of water works well also. Now then. There are greasy spots on the west side of the house, I'm not sure why. It looks like some Vaseline or something. Bleach didn't seem to touch it, so that will have to be wiped off.
There are also some spots on the east side that seem to be glitter and glue or something. How it got splattered on the house is also beyond me. But the bleach/knock out mixture didn't work on that either. It takes the mold mildew and algae tho. There are some light stains that i don't expect anything to take off especially in the condition that this siding is in.
Also on the front, everything cleaned up well. However when I'm done no matter how much i rinse (with low pressure) mud or something runs out from behind or underneath the lip on the siding in spots and leaves a nasty spot. Does this happen to everyone or is it just due to the lack of maintainence on my house? The only way to stop it will be to wait for it to stop dripping and then wipe it up with a damp rag. It rinses away really easy, even when dry but it comes back, so wiping it up is the only option. Just wanted to know if other people have that problem or not.
Also, on the fence and deck ive tried many things, a lil bleach in a gallon of water, oxiclean outdoors in a gallon of water (quite a bit i might add), purple power, simple green, and now, knock out/bleach mix. No matter what i use, i use a size 8 nozzle which with my 4gpm pump give 1000 psi, i get white fur. Even if I'm no where near the surface with the nozzle. I suspect the lack of maintainece, the cheap wood and the fact that is so freggin old alot of the posts are rotten and the last owner of the place didnt bother to remove the old posts they just put new ones up beside the old ones if that tells you anything about the age and condition of things. The newer sections of fence seem to turn out pretty well with little or fur. The brand new tip i am using is causing some streaking, so i need to get a new one.. again. (THATS why it looked like it had been used before! I brushed it off thinking someone just got the wrong size). I've attached pics.
You can see some of it needs to be gone over again. One more thing. What do you do when you come to a power meter on the side of the house like in the pic? If you get the lines wet is it gonna fry you or what. Just try not to touch anything?
Thanks ahead of time guys. Im preparing to get started with my own PW biz
James Knight
X-Stream Clean Pressure Washing
Springfield, MO
