Should You Rent a Pressure Washer or Call a Pro?
We hear this question a lot, usually from someone standing in a tool rental aisle on a Saturday morning. Our answer is that some jobs are fine to do yourself. Others can end up costing a lot more than our bill would have.
We've been cleaning homes and businesses around Kansas City since 1987, and we've seen both sides. Here's how we'd think it through.
Jobs that are usually fine to DIY
- A concrete patio or a few steps with everyday dirt
- Plastic patio furniture, trash cans and outdoor toys
- A short concrete walkway in good shape
Concrete is forgiving. Start with a wide fan tip, keep the wand moving, and hold it a foot or two off the surface. If you start seeing stripes in the concrete, slow down and overlap your passes.
Where homeowners get into trouble
Siding. Water under pressure works its way behind vinyl and lap siding and into the wall, where it can't dry out. That's why we soft wash houses: low pressure and the right cleaning solution do the work, not a hard stream of water.
Wood decks and fences. Too much pressure raises the grain and leaves the wood fuzzy and gouged. It looks clean for a week, then looks worse than before.
Dryvit, stucco and painted trim. These finishes can be cut, stripped or soaked by a home machine with the wrong tip.
Oil on driveways and garage floors. Cold water mostly pushes grease around. We use hot water equipment for oil stains, and most rental machines run cold.
Ladders. A pressure washer kicks back when you pull the trigger. Holding a wand at the top of a ladder is a good way to end up at the bottom of it.
Your skin. The narrow 0-degree tip can cut skin. Keep it pointed at the ground, not at your sandals.
What DIY really costs
The rental fee is only part of it. Add detergent, a surface cleaner attachment, and anywhere from half a day to a full weekend while you learn the machine. If something goes wrong, like water behind the siding, etched concrete or stripped paint, the repair often costs more than the cleaning would have.
That said, if you own a machine and enjoy the work, go for it on the right surfaces. We won't be offended.
When it makes sense to call us
- Two-story homes, or anything that needs a ladder
- Siding, stucco, Dryvit or painted surfaces
- Oil stains, rust or graffiti
- Commercial properties, parking areas and storefronts
- When you'd rather spend your Saturday doing almost anything else
We'll tell you straight if a job is simple enough to handle yourself. Call us at (913) 562-8677, or request a free quote. No pressure.
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