When it comes to keeping your grounds looking clean and tidy, hard surfaces can present a bit of a problem. Do you break out the scrubbing brush and bucket every month to keep them clean? Or do you leave them for months at a time before giving in and getting a professional to cave in and clean it? Or do you opt for a regular power wash to keep the surfaces sparkling dean? There are a lot of reasons you need to keep hard surfaces dean. Whether it’s a pathway or a carpark, a patio or a play space, your grounds should be kept clean and free of debris. But the big question is, how do you achieve that?
The Benefits of Power Washing
Improve Appearance: Any outdoor surface is going to take a lot of abuse from the elements. They are also breeding grounds for moss and weeds, which can leave mats on the surface over time. You could use chemicals to get rid of it, but this risks discolouration and even damage. Power washing removes all of that dirt and grime with just water and pressure, which means once the surface is dry you’re left with a beautiful, natural surface. In some cases, like stonework. power washing can actually enhance the colour and texture, making them look even better.
Make Hard Surfaces Safe: Hard surfaces of any kind get slippery over time, thanks to a layer of microbes, moss and general grime that builds up, on them. This makes them slippery, and a major hazard for anyone walking on them. Power washing can easily remove all of the built-up dirt and give from your hard surfaces, leaving their natural texture behind. It also means your meeting your health and safety requirements for staff and guests on your premises.
Free Flowing Drains: Regularly pressure washing the hard surfaces around your business property can help keep your drains flowing cleanly and freely. This is because the water pressure can unblock and descale surfaces, and remove debris that can build up and cause problems during heavy rains. It’s a great way to reduce the number of plumbing callouts you make over the year!
A Healthier Environment: Creating a safe and healthy environment for your employees can be difficult when there is a source of dust and mould on their way to work. It may seem small, but it can throw off spores that cause irritation to eyes, throats, noses and even skin. Pressure washing hard surfaces removes these harmful irritants that can make employees sick or distract them, providing a healthier and happier workplace.
Is There Anything You Shouldn’t Power Wash?
While most hard surfaces on your business premises can benefit from a good power wash, there are some exceptions. Certain surfaces are unsuitable for power washing, and doing it can do more harm than good. This includes:
Wooden Siding: Pressure washing wood siding can be done correctly, but it’s incredibly difficult to do. If the water pressure is even slightly too high, the water can be forced through the panels, damaging insulation and electrical wiring, and even encouraging mould growth. If there are sections of aluminium or vinyl on your sidings a pressure washer can also dent those, so its best avoided!
Mortared Surfaces: Specifically, any surface with older mortar, like the sides of buildings or old brick paving. The high power of a pressure washer can loosen and damage fragile water, blasting it away and leaving you with some expensive repair work to be done. Painted Surfaces: If you want them to stay painted. A pressure wash will easily chip paint off most surfaces, so you either need to use a lower pressure or an alternative method to clean the paint.
Living Things: We’d like to think this is obvious, but never pressure wash humans, animals or plants. The force of the water coming from the pressure washer can cause physical harm and will absolutely destroy your plants.
At Pod Landscapes power washing is Just one of the ways we can keep your grounds dean and in good condition. We use power washers appropriate on hard surfaces when and a unique no-pressure bristle wash system to clean more delicate surfaces. If you would like to know more, just get in touch with the team today.
