DIY pressure washing from a local pro Birmingham AL

So you wanna do a little DIY pressure washing around the house. Here’s some tips from a local pro in Birmingham AL.

First you need to figure out what all needs cleaned. The area, height, size, and severity of the job.

Once these are figured out you will need to find the proper equipment needed to handle this job. Lets start with the pressure washer. While there are many different sizes you’re going to need a fairly good amount of pressure to do concrete. To get the needed pressure you will need a gas or diesel powered machine. These machines start around 2000 psi and go up as high as 8000. Now for a DIY you should be good with around 3-4000 psi machine. There are a couple different options on obtaining a pressure washer and these are 1) purchase a machine – usually cost around 700-2000 dollars. You might be able to find one on facebook or craigslist cheaper. Or 2) rent from a local hardware box store usually 50-100 per day. Keep in mind you will need hose, wands, and possibly a surface cleaner. These all add to the cost of the job.

Now that you have your pressure washer lets go over the tips sizes. Usually you will receive 5 tips for the pressure washer wand. I will talk briefly about the uses and when you should need the different tips. First is the red tip – this has a narrow angle and is considered a zero degree tip. It is used to reach high areas. Second is the yellow tip – this is the most popular and is considered a 15 degree tip. It is used on concrete and pushing dirty water. The third is the green tip – it’s a 25 degree angle and is the multi tip. Its used for cleaning furniture, removing mildew, and pushing dirty water. The fourth is the white tip- It’s a 40 degree angle which is used on wood, windows, screens, and lite dirt removal. The fifth is the black tip – It’s a 65 degree angle that is used to disperse chemicals out of the wand using the venturi effect or suction. All have a purpose and need to be understood before using.

Next on the list is the other items you might need while pressure washing in the Birmingham area. You always need a good set of eye protection, hearing protection, and I always wear a hat to keep the dirt out of my hair. Are you going to be doing a two story house? Might need a ladder. Depending on the height you always need to have a ladder that is 2-4ft taller than the area you need to reach. Why you ask, well stability is important but you also don’t want to be stretched out trying to reach a certain spot. Rope is a good tool to have if you’re going to be in a precarious position. Always tie off to something other than the ladder, maybe a nearby tree or even the house. While it might not be feasible having another person on the job site it is really a safety necessity. Sometimes safety over profit is what you need.

So, we’ve got the equipment covered now it’s time to plan the job. Where is the water spigot, does the job drain and if so what direction, will there be any issues i.e. plants, cars, or old damage that needs to be moved or talked about? Once you have a game plan you will be ready to start the project.

Also, if you decide the jobs to big or to costly you can always get an estimate from a professional in the Birmingham AL area. Sometimes it’s cheaper to hire someone rather than renting or buying equipment. You also need to figure out if its worth your time. Some people would rather spend a couple hundred dollars paying someone to do the work than taking a few days of their time trying to complete a job that could be done in a few hours by a pro. The choice is yours but always run the numbers and get estimates to determine what you want to do.

For a free estimate please CONTACT US. No job is too big or small.