Do you own your own pressure washer? If you're a home owner, you probably do. We find that at most homes we go to, the homeowner has their own pressure washer. Oh yeah, it may be a small electric one, but they've got one. So when and why might you still want to hire a professional?

Reason #1: Safety. I've seen countless homeowners up on a ladder, using a power washer, trying to blast off some mildew up under the eaves of the home. Now, I applaud the courage and valor. . . but. . . is that really safe? Let's walk through this together. What happens when you pull the trigger on a power washer wand? There can be some serious kickback from the water pressure. And you're standing on a ladder 20' or more in the air when you pull that trigger! Please, for the love of your family, don't ever do this. The reason the homeowner is up on a ladder doing this in the first place is because he's (or she) is trying to 'power' wash the house. A true pro, using the soft wash method, has no need for, or use for, ladders. Everything is done from the safety of good ol' terra firma. 

Now if you've just got a little dirt on the siding down at eye-level, then knock yourself out and go for it. Of course, please use low pressure (like garden hose level pressure) and clean the siding. But if you've got mildew, severe buildup, and/or hard to reach areas and heights, it is likely time to call in the pros so you're not tempted to do something unsafe. 

Hold on. Let me find my soapbox so I can get on it. . . Okay, found it. I'm ready! So it REALLY drives my crazy when I see homeowners get taken advantage of. All too often a homeowner hires someone that they believe is a professional and will take good care of their home only to find that the following happens: 1. They don't show up when they say they will, 2. They never call to let them know why (probably because they just didn't feel like it), 3. When they do show up, they are a little scary (not judging) 4. Even if they inspire confidence, that feeling doesn't last long when the homeowner sees that they did a poor job and finally, 5. They end up charging the homeowner 30% more than quoted because they ran into "unexpected" problems (NOTE: Everything is "unexpected" to the non-professional).

So how do you find an honest, communicative, legitimate, legal, insured, reputable, professional to take care of your home? I can't say that I can speak for every kind of business you may want to hire to work on your home, but I can certainly comment from my perspective in the industry we work in and which principles undoubtedly apply to other professions. So, let's say you want to hire a company to clean your windows, wash your home, clean your roof, or clean your gutters. No matter what part of the country you live in, how would you go about locating the "right" company for you? Let's get started. . .

1. Google them! Yes, I know, you saw that one coming. But, this is what anyone should do. (So for example, if you wanted to find out more about our company, you would Google 'Epic View Window Cleaning') When you Google them, what do you find? What should you look for? Firstly, do they even show up? Do they have an online presence? They should.

2. Do they have a website? It is so amazingly easy to have a website now that there really is no excuse for not having one. Look through their website. Do they have pictures of their work? I'm not talking about the generic photos they downloaded online and put on their website. I mean photos of their owners, employees, work, before and after photos, etc. What do they say on their website? Do they just say a bunch of generic mumbo jumbo that could have been copied and pasted from anywhere? Try to see if they have a unique voice or message. What makes them tick so to speak? If their pictures and message is generic, vanilla if you will, then that's probably how they treat their customers. . .at best. 

3. Reviews! On the Google results for your search, do you find that they have reviews on sites such as Facebook, Yelp, Google Local, Angie's List, or other review sites? They should have at least five to ten reviews across a few sites (Really they should have more, but I'm talking bare minimums here). Do they look like planted reviews? (e.g. 'They are the best ever and Mikey is such a cute boy!' Gee, thanks mom.) If the reviews are plentiful and appear legit (the more there are, the more likely that most if not all are legit reviews), read through them to get a feel for the company and what they're all about. Do they appear to align with your values and what you are looking for in a service company?

4. Ask for a reference. Ah yes, they could be giving you their grandmother's number for all you know. So how can you make sure they are giving you a legit reference. Here's a little trick (it's actually pretty awesome). Let's say that you are thinking of hiring a company to do a roof cleaning and you ask for a reference. Now you know that this company also does house washing. When you call the person given as a ROOF CLEANING reference, you say: "Company ABC gave me your number as a reference because I'm thinking of hiring them and they said that THEY WASHED YOUR HOUSE, IS THAT RIGHT?" Now if this is not a real reference, they will say: 'Oh yes, they washed my house and they did such a wonderful job.' If it's a real reference, they should say something like: "Oh, actually, they cleaned my roof. They didn't wash my house." Bingo! This person is a legitimate reference. (I know what you're thinking. What if the company washed their roof AND their house? When they say that they washed their house and did a great job you ask them what else the company did for them. If they don't bring up the roof, then once again you know that this is not a real roof cleaning reference). With a little savvy you can fish out the bogus references.

5. When you speak with them, at the very end of your phone call, you throw in this line just before hanging up: "Okay, that sounds great. One last thing. If you can just shoot me over a copy of your certificate of insurance for our records." This is a BIG one because far too many service providers and other contractors are not properly insured. You as the homeowner need to understand that this puts you at great risk. Is a copy of a certificate of insurance a guarantee that the company is properly covered? No. Any document can be forged. But it is a good sign if, when you ask for the copy of their certificate of insurance, you hear an immediate: 'Absolutely, I will email that to you right now.' That is what you should hear. If you hear: 'Ah, well, let me see what I can do. You know, right now we're trying to find a new insurer. . .blah, blah, blah.' If you hear that, RUN! What should the certificate of insurance list for coverage? It should list at least the following: 1. General liability insurance, 2. Workers Compensation insurance, and 3, Commercial Auto insurance. This is extremely important. Many businesses say 'we are fully insured' but they only have general liability insurance (and even then their coverage amount is extremely low such as $100,000). They need workers comp and a commercial vehicle policy. I cannot stress this enough. This is for YOUR protection!

This is not an exhaustive list (e.g. I didn't even talk about guarantees and warranties), but I think that it covers some of the basics. There are no guarantees, but by considering the above, you will greatly increase your chances of hiring a business that you will be very happy with. Admittedly, for every 1 great business there seems to be 20 horrible ones, but with a little work on the vetting process you can find a great one!

NO! Okay, maybe that was a little too "short and sweet." Perhaps I should back up and dive into a little more detail on this.

Frankly, many people wonder if they can use a power washer to blast the snow or ice off their roof. After all, at first glance, it makes some sense. Doesn't water melt away snow? Yes it does. And hot water does it even faster! And wouldn't the high pressure break up ice and get that off my roof? Yes it would. So a homeowner may think of using their little power washer to eliminate the snow or ice on their roof. Or, they may think of hiring a "professional" power washer to come and do it for them. Is it possible to use a power washer to get the snow or ice off your roof? Yes. You can certainly find videos on YouTube of those that have done it without damage to their home. But is it a good idea to do so? Not really. Why not?

There are a few reasons. One of them is weight. Water is very heavy. Every gallon of water weighs 8.34 lbs. A small homeowner's power or pressure washer may pump out 2.5 gallons of water per minute. A professional's power washer will pump out 5, 8, or more gallons per minute. Let's take the small 2.5 gallon/minute power washer as an example. For every minute, you are potentially adding about 20 lbs. of weight on your roof as the snow absorbs the water. You will also find videos on YouTube of roofs collapsing under all that weight. Is this going to be the likely scenario? No. But it can and does happen.

Let's say you are very careful that the water is not accumulating on the roof and the weight will not be an issue. The next problem is that a power washer can easily damage your roof. Let's say you're using high pressure with a zero degree tip to blast off ice from your roof. Suddenly the ice breaks away and you hit your asphalt shingles with that high pressure water. Now you'll be calling a local roofer to come fix your roof. Hopefully he's willing to come in the middle of the winter!

There are other concerns which I'll likely cover at another time, but I at least wanted to touch on these main ones. Bear in mind that there are safe and effective ways to get the snow and ice off your roof, but a power washer is not one of them.

Most homes in New England have gutters. Admittedly, there are some residential structures and roof types that do not have them, but they are the exception and not the rule in the northeast. So why do you need to get your gutters cleaned regularly? In order to first answer that question, it's important to first understand what purpose gutters serve. I mean, what exactly do they do?

​The purpose of your gutters is to direct water away from the foundation of your home. If you did not have them, all of the rain running down your roof would fall and accumulate right at the base of your home's foundation. This can cause very serious moisture problems, including mold, in your home. Gutters are there to collect all that water and direct it AWAY from the house thereby preventing moisture problems. But, if they are clogged, then you may as well not have them. When your gutters or downspouts are clogged, the water will just overflow the gutter and pour down at the base of the foundation, with the very real potential of causing moisture problems.

​How often should you get your gutters cleaned? Well, that all depends on how quickly they fill up with debris. If you live in a wooded area with many trees around your roofline, you may need to do it a couple times a year. In the case of most, once a year is usually sufficient. And if you happen to live in a very open area with no trees around the home, the gutters may stay free of debris for longer. Whatever the case may be, don't wait until your gutters are overflowing with water to address the situation. Being proactive rather than reactive with gutter cleaning is the way to go. When moving into a new home, you will quickly learn how quickly they get clogged. Then it's a matter of scheduling it accordingly.

​What about gutter guards? This is more of a personal rather than professional question. Why do I say that? Well, those that sell. or install, gutter guards will tell you that you will never need to clean your gutters again. That is unlikely. I clean gutters for customers all the time that have gutter guards. Although gutter guards may keep out larger debris, like leaves, smaller debris will find it's way in there. Could gutter guards at least result in needing to clean your gutters less often? Yes. So why do I personally not like them? Wait until you have to clean them : )  You will have to pop off every section of gutter guard, clean the gutter, and then reinstall the gutter guard. It is extremely time-consuming, and if low-quality guards were installed, you run the risk of damaging them. And if you decide to hire a professional to clean your gutters, he is likely to charge you significantly more due to all the additional time to remove and reinstall the gutter guards. However, as I stated at the outset of this paragraph, it is a very personal preference which has its pros and cons to each.

​Last but certainly not least, always remember safety. Whether doing it yourself or hiring a professional, safety is priority #1 when cleaning gutters.

I get a LOT of questions from potential customers on roof cleaning or roof washing. Here are a few of the most commonly asked ones: What's growing on our roof? Will the "stuff" on my roof damage it or does it just look ugly? What's the best process or method to clean our roof? Will the roof cleaning get rid of all the black streaks, moss, and lichens? In other words, what can I expect my roof to look like when you're done? I'm going to answer these questions from the perspective of an asphalt shingle roof since that is by far the most common roofing material in the northeast. However, most of the information below is applicable to various roof types and materials.

1. What's actually growing on our roof?
Living in the northeast, what's growing on your roof is likely one of three things: Algae, moss, or lichens. We frequently find that all three will be present on the same roof. The most common algae that causes roof discoloration, such as the black streaking, is called Gloeocapsa Magma. You may have never heard of lichens so I've included a picture below of what lichens will look like on your roof. Bear in mind that lichens vary greatly in color and may be much more prevalent on your roof than you realize if their color is similar to your actual roof color.

 2. Will algae, moss, or lichens damage my roof or does it just look ugly?
Firstly, they definitely affect the aesthetics of your home. Secondly, they can damage your roof although not in the same way or to the same degree. For example, according to ARMA (Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association), there is no scientific evidence to suggest that the algae which causes the roof discoloration is damaging to the roof itself. However, the dark discoloration would certainly negatively impact a highly-reflective "cool" roof. For most home owners, the algae which causes the black/brown streaking and discoloration is generally only a cosmetic or aesthetic issue.

Lichens and moss can be much more detrimental to your roof as they will cause the roof to retain excessive moisture.  ARMA states: "Moss can be detrimental to asphalt shingle performance. Moss can cause the leading edges of the shingles to lift or curl, which increases the risk of shingle blow-off during wind events. In severe cases, moss build-up can cause lateral water movement resulting in moisture damage to the roof deck or may even cause leaks." No one wants to replace their roof any sooner than needed and we certainly don't want water damage to our home. Thus, if you notice that moss or lichens are growing on your roof, it is best to address it immediately rather than wait. Since the environment on your roof is conducive to the growth, the moss and lichens will only continue to spread if left untreated.

3. What's the best process or method to clean our roof?
If you want to know how to clean your Ninja blender, do you take out your George Foreman grill owner's manual? If you want to know what the warning light means on your 2016 Audi, do you grab the 1997 Honda Accord owner's manual you've got from your first car when you were 16 years old? Of course not! Maybe it is silly or just obvious, but when we want to know how to maintain, fix, or clean something, we go to the person or company who made the product so they can tell us how to do it, right? I've referenced ARMA a couple times already. Why? ARMA stands for the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association. You can find their Website at this URL: http://www.asphaltroofing.org/. They are an association made up of companies that actually make asphalt shingles, companies such as Owens Corning, Atlas, and GAF. ARMA has issued technical bulletins on how to properly clean asphalt shingle roofs. I've included links to two of them at the end of this post. The bottom line is, the method outlined by ARMA is the method a professional roof cleaner should be using to clean your roof. Never assume that this is the case. Always ask, always! Below is a short video of an Epic View roof cleaning in progress.

4. Will the roof cleaning get rid of all the black streaks, moss, and lichens? In other words, what can I expect my roof to look like when you're done?
When following the process as outlined by ARMA you will find that the black/brown discoloration and streaking will be gone by the time the roof cleaning pro leaves your home. The lichens and moss are killed by the cleaning solution and will turn white, light grey, or brown depending on the organic matter being dealt with. This means that the lichens and moss are dead. However, the lichens and moss will not be removed right away? Why not, you're wondering. Because we want to remove them in the gentlest manner possible for your roof's well-being. Removing them right away would require scraping them off, power washing them off, or some other 'not-so-gentle' method. Mother Nature is a gentle mother and the one best to care for getting all the dead moss and lichens off your roof. How long will she take to do that? Usually she takes 3 to 6 months, although it can be less, and in some cases more. Take courage! Your roof will continue to look better! Just a bit of patience is needed.

Well that's it. Hopefully I was able to cover the basics with enough supporting detail without completely boring you to death!

As mentioned above, here I've included links to two of ARMA's technical bulletins on cleaning roofs.
Algae discoloration:
http://www.asphaltroofing.org/algae-discoloration-roofs
Algae and Moss Prevention and Cleaning
http://www.asphaltroofing.org/press-room/press-releases/algae-moss-prevention-and-cleaning-asphalt-roofing-systems

Often we think of the term "curb appeal" in conjunction with selling a home. All you have to do is turn on one of those TV programs about selling or buying a home and you'll hear the term "curb appeal" a hundred times. But don't ALL of us want our home to have curb appeal? Don't we want to pull in the driveway of OUR home and find it 'appealing', attractive, beautiful, and inviting? Don't we want our friends and family to pull up to our home and say: 'Wow. . . looks great'? Of course we do! And it doesn't matter if it's a 1,200 square foot ranch or a 10,000 square foot mansion. Our home, however small or large, and regardless of location deserves to look as amazing as possible. So what can we do to boost that curb appeal?

Now, I'm going to stay within my "wheelhouse" here (sorry for the baseball reference). I'm not going to get into painting or buying a new front door, shrubbery, flowers, mulch, new siding etc., etc. I'm going to hit four services (DISCLAIMER: Yes, our company does all of the following. Sorry for the shameless plug). Here they are:
1. House Washing or Power Washing
2. Roof Cleaning
3. Gutter Whitening
4. Window Cleaning

​All of the above are obvious, but they make a tremendous difference. I'll comment briefly on the four of them.

​Power Washing or House Washing: Your home is simply going to look better once the mildew, mold, bird droppings (yuk!) are cleaned away.
​Roof Cleaning: Does your home's roof have lichens, moss, or dark algae streaks? A professional roof cleaning (no pressure used on roof) will make it literally look like it is brand new.
​Gutter Whitening: This is a great idea, and one which most have not thought of having done. Look at your gutters, especially if you have white aluminum ones such as are common in the northeast. See all those vertical black streaks? They are very hard to remove, but once a professional does, you will be amazed what a difference it will make in your home's appearance.
​Window Cleaning: Dirty windows kill your home's curb appeal. They're not enjoyable to look at or out of.

​The great thing about this is that the few companies that do all of these services will usually offer bundles so that home-owners wanting multiple services done at the same time can get a nice discount. And even if they don't offer it up-front, don't be afraid to ask.

What are the benefits of power washing your home? There are many benefits to power washing or pressure washing your home so why don't we cover at least a couple of them.

Reason #1. The very first reason is the one that probably comes to mind first for most people. Quite simply, your beautiful home looks. . . well, just MORE beautiful when it's super clean. When you go to a party or a wedding you make sure your tux, suit, or dress is clean and pressed. For you to look amazing, the clothes have to be clean and pressed. In a similar fashion (no pun intended), your home is simply going to look amazing when it's professionally cleaned. Heck, it's even going to SMELL fresh and clean! So there you have it, reason #1 to get your home professionally power washed or pressure washed. By the way, whichever professional you hire should be soft washing your home even though he is using what we call a power washer or pressure washer (I commented on that in a previous post and our Web site has additional details on the subject).

​Reason #2. Maintenance. What do I mean? Let's take that suit/dress illustration again. Imagine you are wearing your favorite suit or dress and then you get an amazing red wine sauce on it. Oh no! What is the first thing you try to do? Grab a napkin and some water and dab it out. Why? Because you and I know that if it "sets in" then the stain becomes that much harder to remove. That same principle applies to your home, especially if it has stone, brick, stucco, or other similar materials. Leaving any staining for too long can make it that much more difficult to restore to it's original condition. Also, if you happen to have cedar shingle siding or other type of wood siding, algae and mildew growth can literally and permanently damage the wood if left untreated.

​So there are two reasons to get your home cleaned with power washing or pressure washing (please, please, please refer to my comments on soft washing. I know the terminology can be confusing, but a power washer in the hands of the wrong person can do tremendous damage to your home).

I was at a networking event recently and a lot of people were asking me about house washing and roof cleaning. They were well aware of the potential disaster a power washer could cause and I have to say that I was very impressed with their level of knowledge. Personally, I think there is nothing better than a well-informed customer. Their questions, however, made me realize that MANY others must have the same questions. The purpose of this post is to talk about the difference between power washing and soft washing.

One of the main reasons we say we do power washing or pressure washing is because when a potential customer is looking to get their home washed or their roof cleaned, oftentimes, they will search for someone that does "power washing." Power washing and pressure washing have become everyday household words. For example, how often have you heard a friend or family member say: "I've been looking for someone to soft wash my home"? You don't generally. In the end, "power washing" and "pressure washing" are general terms which cover a wide variety of washing and cleaning services which we perform.

​​Now let's think of the machine itself, which is generally called a power washer or pressure washer. Although it's capable of shooting water at very high pressure, most of the time we aren't using it that way. It's like an accelerator on a car. For example, have you ever been to NYC and seen someone  driving a Ferrari through downtown Manhattan? Here is a car capable of driving over 200 MPH and yet it is crawling at a snails pace from stoplight to stoplight. So again, the power washing machine (Ferrari) is capable of great power, but when we are using it to "soft wash" it's like we're driving in Manhattan. . , nice and slow.

Now I don't want you to think that we use a power washing machine to only do soft washing. There are times when you need higher pressure, although this is done mostly in commercial and industrial settings. So the term 'power washing' covers everything from soft washing (low power or pressure) to high-pressure washing where appropriate.

​OK. . . let's get to the point; what is soft washing then? It involves using low pressure and eco-friendly detergents to loosen the dirt and wash it away. How low is the pressure? There is no industry standard, but the way I like to explain it is like this: The pressure is so low that you can safely place your hand in front of the stream of water coming out of the nozzle. If it's safe for your hand, then it's safe for your home. The real key to soft washing is knowledge, training, and technique NOT high-pressure water. Remember, a customer well educated on this subject is a good customer, so keep on asking those great questions!

Admittedly, my customers don't usually (never really) ask me how to clean windows like a pro. I do however get asked by neighbors walking by a home where I'm cleaning the windows or while I'm chatting with someone in line at one of my favorite coffee shops and I'm more than happy to share some basics with them. Bear in mind, there is a LOT more to professional window cleaning than what I outline below, but for a homeowner looking for a 'short and sweet' outline of what to do, here it is. Let's get started.
Step One: What tools do you need? (You can find all these tools at a 'big box' store)

• Small Bucket with water
• Dish Soap
• Strip Washer
• Squeegee
• Lint-Free Cloth (Microfiber will work)

Step Two: Put a quarter-sized amount of dish soap in the bucket and mix the soap well in the water.
Step Three: Wet the strip washer in the bucket and then ring it out so that it is not sopping wet and then scrub the entire window thoroughly.

Step Five: Using a lint-free cloth, soak up all that dirty water that's sitting at the bottom of the window and dry any excess water on the edges of the glass.

But wait! "I have divided-lite (french panes) and the strip washer and squeegee I bought from the big box store don't fit in the little panes" you say. No problem. Use a sponge instead of the strip washer and then use a hacksaw to cut the squeegee 1/4" smaller than the width of the window panes. Then use a sharp knife to cut the squeegee rubber to the exact width of the window panes. Now you're all set to tackle those little guys.

That's it, you're done! Now many of you may have divided-lite windows (french panes), storm windows, high transom windows, large picture windows, difficult-access windows, skylights in addition to stubborn mineral deposits, hard water stains, and other challenges that the pro window cleaner encounters everyday. If that's the case, then it would probably be best to bring in a professional. Now get out there with your squeegee and have fun!