Author: Alberto R. Hayes

It’s very essential to keep your roof in its top condition. And you can do that if you’re regularly inspecting the condition of your roof and cleaning it when needed. With proper maintenance, your roof will remain durable and will last for a very long time.

One of the most practical methods of cleaning your roof is to pressure wash it. But before we talk about the benefits of pressure washing a roof, let’s answer one question first – is it safe to pressure wash your roof?

Generally, any roof can be cleaned with a pressure washer. You just have to select the most proper setting that will ascertain a clean roof. However, on your part, this could be a highly dangerous task. That’s why some homeowners choose to hire an expert to do this tedious job.

But if you’re the one who’s going to pressure wash your roof, you’ll have to follow these safety precautions:

• Make sure to climb on a very durable ladder that can effectively hold your weight. Some roof types can be more slippery when wet, so make sure to use boots with non-skid undersurface. Use a harness for added protection and peace of mind.
• To prevent your eyes from getting in contact with dust, dirt, or chemicals, it’s advisable to wear protective glasses or goggles.

 Wear very thick and heavy-duty gloves so you can prevent your hands from getting in contact with dirt and chemicals.

What are the Benefits of Pressure Washing Your Roof?

• It lengthens the longevity of the roof. Detritus, molds, algae, and dirt buildup can damage your roof. Fortunately, they can be eradicated by pressure washing your roof.
• It will help in improving the exterior appearance of your house. The accumulation of dangerous surface elements like molds, algae, and dirt can downgrade the value and appearance of your exterior design. Pressure washing your roof can make your house remain in its top condition.
• It helps in preventing infestations. The infestation of harmful elements and germs can make your house unsafe to live in. Mold and algae infestations are some of the things that might harm your family and your pets. Luckily, pressure washers can help get rid of them.

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We all want ultra-clear, dirt-free, and streak-free windows, right? But at some point, most of the household members, including ourselves, are likely to get so busy doing our work, school activities, and other tasks, while some of us are just too lazy to maintain the cleanliness of our windows. Even so, leaving the windows unclean will surely cause worse results.

Leaving them unclean and dusty could make things harder for you and your household members. As time goes by, windows will start to accumulate dirt, grime, molds, and stains, until they get thicker and more difficult to eradicate. That’s why proper and regular maintenance of your windows is a must.

However, if you entered the situation where thickened grime, dirt, and molds started to build upon your windows, you might begin to think of some of the most proper and effective ways on how to get rid of them. Well, obviously, you can’t just wipe them with a wet rug with some cleaning solution, that’s why you might come up with a much tougher cleaning hardware – pressure washers.

Pressure Washers Can Efficiently Clean Windows if Used the Right Way

Cleaning your windows with the assistance of a pressure washer can generate fast and desirable results. By using this powerful tool, you can just easily direct the wand onto the windows that are attached to the second floor of your house. However, if you’re not going to be careful, dangers might arise. If you won’t arrange the setting properly, too much-pressurized water could crack or misalign your windows.

As you read on, you’ll get some useful tips and reminders on how you can safely clean your windows with a pressure washer.

Step #1: Ascertain that your windows, especially the glass panes, are in good condition

Before planning on using a pressure washer, you should thoroughly check out first the condition of your windows. Ascertain that there are no cracks, otherwise, the pressurized water might worsen the cracks and break your windows. Just in case you observed that there are parts of the glass panes that you think are highly brittle, do not point the pressure washer onto those areas. You can just manually clean them with a rag and cleaning solution.

Pressure-washing the areas that aren’t in good condition will make things worse. If you think your windows require to be repaired first, then you can temporarily skip your cleaning task. On the other hand, if you think your windows are in good condition and only need cleaning, then you are safe to proceed to clean them with a pressure washer.

Moreover, there are different types of windows. Some of them are able to withstand pressurized water, but some aren’t. So it’s very crucial to take a closer look at your windows so you’ll be certain that you won’t break them.

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Benjamin Franklin thought that death and taxes are the only permanent things in life. We’re afraid the great statesman forgot about one thing: cleaning. 

Whatever we do and whatever the size of our house is, cleaning has always been a part of it all. There are brooms, vacuum cleaners, and mops for the interior, while soap and scrubbing tools take care of what’s outside. Fortunately, manufacturing companies have developed better tools for cleaning over the years. One such tool is the pressure washer.

There are several options in the market for pressure washers. For this article, we aim to make an in-depth review of two of the most popular models produced by the New Jersey-based company Sun Joe. That’s the Sun Joe SPX3000 and Sun Joe SPX3500.

Let’s look at each model thoroughly, and at the end, let us see which one is superior and is a better fit for your needs.

Sun Joe SPX3000: A Delightful Mix of Portability and Value

Look around Amazon and other similar websites, and the SPX3000 is easily one of the best-selling pressure washers there is. It’s not difficult to see why. 

Here are some of the Sun Joe SPX3000’s selling points:

• In a test of portability, the Sun Joe SPX3000 is up there in the list. Portability is a vital feature in a pressure washer, especially if you’re using it for various purposes. This determines if it can easily be loaded in a vehicle or carried around the property. It is ultra-light compared to other pressure washers and the SPX3500, weighing at a mere 28.2 pounds. Additionally, it has a set of 7.5-inch wheels to make it easier to roll around wherever you need it.
• No matter how powerful a pressure washer is, if it’s out of reach in terms of price, then it won’t sell. For the Sun Joe SPX3000, it’s not equipped with the most powerful motor, but at $150, it’s an affordable option for people who need it in lighter cleaning projects around the house.
• Another positive for the SPX3000 is it’s electric-powered, which means it doesn’t need gas or battery to function. It comes with a lot of accessories, including a 20-foot pressure hose, a spray wand, a garden hose adapter, five types of spray tips, and a 35-foot electric cord equipped with GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) for an added safety blanket. However, in using the electric cord’s safety feature, you need to plug it in a GFCI outlet.
• Most pressure washers come with four nozzles, but the SPX3000 comes with five. These are the 0-degree, 15-degree, 25-degree, and 40-degree nozzles and one soap nozzle. It also comes with two soap tanks (0.9 liters each) for different cleaning needs, perhaps loading one with a detergent solution and another with a rinsing agent. Talking about convenience! However, since it doesn’t have a soap dilution system, the user has to do the mixing beforehand.
• Its pump can generate 2,030 PSI while providing up to 1.76 gallons per minute of water flow. That’s much more than your typical garden hose provides.
• The unit is equipped with a total stop system (TTS) that disengages the washer as soon as you stop pushing the trigger. It is also virtually impossible to start accidentally with its trigger lock mechanism.
• It has a higher cleaning unit (CU) capacity than the SPX3500, which means it cleans more efficiently. Cleaning Unit can be calculated by multiplying the PSI and GPM.

Eventually, with its price point, you’d expect mediocrity to become a factor with the Sun Joe SPX3000. Here are some of its not-so-good features:

• Its setup is only for light to medium cleaning, while its cleaning power is nothing to write home about.
• If you stand beside the SPX3000, you’d hear over 80 decibels of noise. It’s not going to startle anyone, but it’s not the quietest either, which is surprising because it only has an average-powered motor.
• You better find a way to store the hose because the unit can only hold the wand. The electric cord is almost too long for the unit, so it tends to hang awkwardly, which is not aesthetically pleasing, to say the least.

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One of the best ways to clean and rejuvenate all types of surfaces throughout your home’s exterior is pressure washing. With the help of a pressure washer, you’ll be able to clean different kinds of hard surfaces and large areas instantly and more efficiently. 

You can use the best of the best pressure washer to take care of your patio, wooden deck, car, driveway, siding, and walkway. It can rid of gum, grease, wax, tar, rust, and other soils that are tough to deal with.

Nevertheless, there are still some basics you need to learn when hooking up your unit, which is not as complicated as most people think. Simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and your unit will be set up in no time. Also, we will provide you information on how you can easily hook up your pressure washer. Here’s everything you need to know to get started.

Difference Between The Two Types Of Pressure Washer

Before we go through the basics of how to hook up and start your pressure washer, you must first know the difference between its types. Generally, you have two main kinds to choose from, gas and electric-powered. Out of these two, the more powerful one is the gas-powered washer. Most experts highly recommend it as well. 

An electric pressure washer is excellent at cleaning as well. However, the pressure it produces is less in comparison to its gas counterpart. Hence, it works well at lighter tasks around the home, such as washing your car, tile or concrete patio, walkway, driveway, garage floors, fence, and so on. 

On the other hand, a gas pressure washer can provide you with higher water pressure. But that extra power comes with some drawbacks since this type is more costly to operate and tends to make a lot of noise. When deciding which one to buy, make sure to consider their pros and cons, as well as your cleaning needs.

Importance of Inspecting The Hose And Water Supply

It’s crucial to check and ensure that your hose has no cuts, leaks, and holes that have developed over time. The last thing you want is to work with a leaking hose since this will prevent it from producing the right amount of pressure to effectively clean. 

Your water source is another thing you want to check. Make sure that it will be able to provide a continuous and steady supply to your equipment. Also, determine the type of pressure your unit requires and ensure that your water source can generate the water volume needed.

Most users often overlook the holes and cuts of the hose they’re using, which makes doing a simple job take longer to accomplish. For this reason, it is important to inspect your hose thoroughly. Check to see if there are areas where water may be spilling out of it or leaks.

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You’ve seen many videos on YouTube showing you how useful a pressure washer is in cleaning homes and you want to try it yourself. But should you, or should you not? To answer this question, you first need to look into the possible dangers of using a pressure washer.

In 2014, around 6,000 people were hospitalized because of water pressure accidents. From this number, 14% needs to return to the hospital due to the complications from their initial injury.

With this figure, you might ask yourself what makes water pressure dangerous. To be clear, not all users who purchased this machine had a problem dealing with it. In most cases, the cluelessness and the carelessness of the user are the main culprits for the mishaps.

To understand why you need to take a pressure washer seriously, here are some risks that you should be aware of:

High-Pressure Water Causes Damage

Imagine a regular hose with a standard pressure of water coming out of its nozzle. Now, multiply that pressure 30-80 times, and that’s how strong the pressure coming from water pressure. That pressure is enough to destroy the bark of a tree, damage your skin, or knock-off your balance. Even if the pressure only causes minimal skin break, the water can penetrate deep into the tissue, causing skin infections.

Risk of Electric Shock

Water is a conductor of electricity. When water gets in the way of electric current, the result can be dangerous for anyone.

Many pressure washers come with 20 to 30 feet of power cable. With this length, the cord is susceptible to cork kinking and crackling. If you’re not careful, the water can get inside the cracks of the power cords. This can cause electrocution or fire. To reduce the risk of electric shock, you can use a grounded power source.

Damage to Property

The most common use of a pressure washer is to remove deep-seated dirt and stains in different parts of the house. It is a valuable tool when at the right hands. But when the machine is misused, it can damage the surface it intends to clean.

High-pressure can damage various surfaces it comes in contact with. It can chip away paint, destroy wood, or break a mortar. Also, if the nozzle is pointed aimlessly in the wrong direction, the water can hit and damage insulation and wiring.

Older windows and shingles may no longer withstand the water pressure coming from the machine. If you have old windows, it’s better if you use a regular hose to clean them rather than completely obliterating them using a pressure washer.

Chemical Exposure

If you use lead paint for your house, the pressure washer can easily break down the paint and distribute the lead particles in many parts of the house. Inhaling or ingesting lead is a potential health hazard.

A power washer also uses cleaning chemicals. When these chemicals penetrate a cut or a wound, they can cause health problems. The chemical can invite bacteria to thrive into the wound, which can lead to infections. There is also a possibility that the solution can get directly into the bloodstream, posing a serious health risk.

Tips to Avoid the Dangers of Pressure Washer

After reading the dangers of pressure, it’s easy to understand why many people are scared to use it by themselves.

If you need to use a pressure washer by yourself, you should know how it works. You have to handle the equipment with extreme caution. Do not treat it like any other cleaning machines. Never play with it or underestimate its destructive power. It’s advisable that you read power washers buying guide 2020 to understand how they work.

Here are some tips to minimize the risks in using a pressure washer:

• Make sure to read the product manual before doing anything else. Familiarize yourself with the parts of the machine, how to operate them, and proper maintenance. If you need an actual demo, you can go to the manufacturer’s website or social media to watch a how-to video.
• Always wear proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as long pants, working shoes, face shield, and gloves. All of these gears must be made from high-quality materials. Wear shoes with closed toe and made from leather with a metal sheet underneath.
• Always use a ground fault breaker for an electric washer.
• For a gas-powered machine, make sure you do the refueling outside with the engine turned off.
• DO NOT USE the ladder while pressure washing! You can’t hold the hose with one hand while your other hand is on the ladder. The pressure can off-balance you and make you fall from the ladder.
• Don’t leave the pressure unattended. Ask someone to look after it while you focus on aiming the trigger at the right spot. This is important so that in case you need to turn off the machine immediately, someone will be readily available to do it.
• Always engage the safety latches on the trigger when the machine is not in use.
• Determine the right pressure you need to apply on a specific surface. As much as possible, don’t set the regulator of the nozzle less than 15 degrees. The water pressure that comes less than this angle is extremely strong and can be very dangerous. If the nozzle has a zero-degree option, DO NOT use it.

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