Tips & Tricks for Cleaning Exterior Walls Before Painting

You'll undoubtedly wish to paint your outside at some point if you're like most homeowners. The exterior of your house can be painted to give it a new look and raise its worth. However, the surface needs to be clean and clear of particles in order for the paint to cling to the wall correctly. To ensure that your project goes as easily as possible, we'll go over how to clean external walls before painting in this blog post.

Various Techniques for Cleaning Your Exterior Walls

Power Washer

Cleaning the walls is a prerequisite if you plan to do some exterior painting. A power washer, also referred to as a pressure washer, is a fantastic tool for accomplishing this swiftly and effectively.

When utilizing a power washer on the outside of your walls, bear the following in mind:

• Prior to cleaning, make sure to adjust the pressure setting to the type of surface. Brick and other fragile materials can be harmed by pressure washing done with too much power.
• Second, always begin at the base of the wall and climb it from there. This will stop streaks from forming when you pressure wash the surface and move across it.
• Finally, after using the power washer to clean the area, make sure to thoroughly rinse it. Any remaining dirt or debris that can cause issues when painting will be eliminated by doing this.

Scrubbing

Cleaning external walls using a scrubber removes dirt, mildew, and loose paint from the wall's surface. In order to ensure that the paint will adhere properly and to prepare the surface for painting, scrubbing is required.

Scrubbing can be divided into two categories: wet scrubbing and dry scrubbing.  With a brush that has been saturated in water, wet scrubbing is performed. More dirt, mildew, and loose paint can be removed with this kind of scrubbing. With a brush that is not wet, dry scrubbing is performed. While less successful in removing dirt, mildew, and loose paint, dry scrubbing is less likely to harm the wall's surface.

The state of the surface you are cleaning will determine the sort of scrubbing you should employ. Wet scrubbing is the ideal method if the surface is extremely unclean or if there is a lot of mildew. Dry scrubbing is the ideal method if the surface is just a little bit unclean or if there isn't much mildew.

Biological Cleaners

The most common method for cleaning external walls before painting is chemical cleaners. They are available at any hardware shop and are simple to use. The two most popular kinds of chemical cleaners are muriatic acid and trisodium phosphate (TSP).

TSP is a potent cleanser that will clear your external walls of any filth, grime, or stains. TSP can be toxic to your skin and lungs, therefore it's crucial to use it while wearing gloves and a mask.

Even though muriatic acid is a less common option, it is nevertheless useful for cleaning exterior walls. Muriatic acid may eat away at your skin and clothing, therefore it's crucial to use it with extreme caution.

Key Takeaway

It's always ideal to clean the walls before painting your home's exterior. This will make sure that your fresh coat of paint on easily and looks fantastic for many years. Feel free to visit this blog post by Harmony Painting Denver to  learn a few more tips for cleaning exterior walls before you start painting it.