Contractor Tips Blog

Jun
23

Cleaning Your Roof? Be Careful!

Your roof is essential to the protection of your home and one of the most expensive components to replace. Planning annual cleanings can help protect your roof from damage from mold, moss and debris, while keeping it looking great. However, there are some safety and damage factors to consider before you try doing this chore yourself. If done incorrectly, a roof cleaning could cost you much more than just calling in a professional to do it for you.

Safety Concerns

First and foremost, never try cleaning your roof on your own. It only takes a slip on a wet leaf or a slippery shingle to lose your footing. Trying to clean your roof and keep your balance can be very dangerous, which is why you should always have a partner. Using a safety harness is recommended to ensure you are supported. A fall off your roof could break a bone or worse, costing you medical expenses, pain and time off work.

Damage Concerns

Are you planning on pressure washing your roof? While this is a great way to clean your roof, it can also damage your shingles if done incorrectly. Too much water pressure can strip asphalt shingles and even loosen them, doing more damage than good.

A better solution is hiring a professional pressure washing company that uses low water pressure to carefully and effectively clean your roof. A reputable service will have trained experts that have the right equipment to safely clean your roof, with insurance to cover any damage or injuries. It is worth the investment to keep your roof well-maintained without the possible injury or damage by doing it on your own.

Posted on behalf of:
Impact Pressure Washing
105 Commerce Drive
Fayetteville, GA 30214
(678) 697-7127

Mar
13

Damage From Improper Pressure Washing

Pressure washers can be a great tool to have around the home. When your car needs to be washed or the front driveway is dirty, a pressure washer can quickly do the job. But high pressured water can also damage surfaces if not used properly. Even though professional pressure washing services may clean roofs, home exteriors and decks, you may do damage to these areas if you try this yourself.

Roofs

For asphalt shingled roofs, pressure washing can be damaging if not done correctly. The high pressure can strip shingles of their protective coating and loosen shingles, causing hundreds if not thousands of dollars in repairs. Many roofs need low pressure to be cleaned and must be carefully washed to not lift or damage the shingles. It is best to have a professional service that is licensed and insured perform this task.

Home Exteriors

Pressure washing is a great way to make your home look new again. However, if your home is painted, you have stucco or brick, you need to be very careful using a pressure washer to clean the exterior. Painted houses can be stripped of their paint, stucco can be ruined and bricks can be damaged. Once again, a professional pressure washing company should perform these projects.

Decks

Wood decks do need regular pressure washing to clean off mildew and grime, keeping the wood looking great. However, certain woods can be damaged by too high of pressure. If you try this yourself, be very careful and watch for signs of damage. Or, just hire a professional.

Cleaning cement, pavement or the family car are great uses for your home pressure washer, but when it comes to the big or delicate jobs, hire a local pressure washer service to get the job done right.

Posted on behalf of:
Impact Pressure Washing
105 Commerce Drive
Fayetteville, GA 30214
(678) 697-7127

Apr
27

Tips For Finding A Good Contractor

If you are contemplating any large home improvement project like remodeling, roofing, painting, or pressure washing, you will need a good contractor.  A great contractor can make the job go smoothly and will make sure you are happy with the results.  A bad contractor can be an endless source of headaches. 

To find a good Alpharetta pressure washing contractor, start out by asking friends, neighbors, co-workers and family members if they can recommend a contractor they were happy with, or warn you away from a contractor they had a bad experience with. 

Other potential sources of contractors are online ratings sites such as Angie’s list and Yahoo.  Remember that anyone can post on some of these sites, so read the reviews critically. Your local home improvement warehouse will also have contractors that they can recommend. 

Once you have a list of candidates, interview each contractor.  Explain the job and ask if they have experience in this type of work.  Ask to see proof of liability insurance and workman’s compensation insurance.  Find out if they have a permanent business address and telephone number and be sure to ask for a few references from recent clients.  During the interview, you should get a sense of whether this contractor is someone you can work with. 

Call each of the references and ask if they were happy with the work done and if they would use the contractor again.  With all of this information in hand you are ready to choose the contractor who meets your requirements.

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