Power washing house siding is an excellent use of either a power washer that you purchase yourself or a pressure washing service. Many people are more comfortable hiring a service to do this job for them because any risk or damage would then by covered by the service. But you can do it quite easily yourself as long as you carefully avoid your windows and use a power washer that's not so powerful it can damage your siding.

A pressure washer with a PSI of about 2,000 to 2,500 is suitable for home use, where a higher-powered washer can actually gouge wood and dent siding. Leave the heavy duty equipment to professionals and industrial settings, and instead get a cheaper and less-powerful electric model which will work perfectly well for almost any job around your home.

Many people power wash house siding each spring, while others only do it when it appears to need it. Vinyl siding is a good candidate for pressure washing because it cleans easily, where power washing house siding that's made of aluminum requires a little more care.

Aluminum siding can dent fairly easily, especially if you have a unit that has an extremely high PSI. And some aluminum siding that's painted can be damage with a pressure washer, as the paint can actually be blasted off. Any type of siding that's manufactured with the color all the way through should be safe from this problem, which is why vinyl siding is ideal for pressure washing.

Often, vinyl siding, particularly white and light colors, can take on a green tinge as if it's molding and mildewing. While the siding itself can't mold or rot like wood can, the dirt trapped on the siding is an ideal place for mold and mildew to grow. This can account for the green tinge. Fortunately, this is easily removed by power washing house siding either with water alone, or a mild detergent.

You can damage vinyl siding if you use a machine with a PSI that's too high, but if you stick with 2,200 to 2,500 PSI you should be fine. Although you should remember to never power wash house siding that's cold. If the temperature outside is too low and you attempt to power wash the siding, you can actually break and crack it quite easily as it becomes brittle in cold weather. Wait for spring or summer to do this job.

You can, and should, power wash house siding that needs to be repainted. Not only does it lessen your time scraping and sanding by blasting away loose paint, it blasts away dirt and grime, making painting prep much easier. You can also power wash deck materials ranging from stone to wood. To power wash deck materials, use the same PSI as with house siding to avoid doing damage. This can brighten and freshen up a deck even if it's not noticeably dirty by removing hidden grime. And many people also power wash deck wood before staining and sealing for the best results.

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