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As fall is well upon us the mornings are cooler and it seems that it takes forever for it to warm up outside especially in the more northern states. As colder air is only a month or so away people are rushing to get their homes cleaned before it is too late. One thing some pressure washing companies market is that they use hot water. On cooler days warming up the water a little can be very beneficial. It helps the chemicals work better and cleans more efficiently but there is some risk involved that you should be aware of. Vinyl siding is meant to expand and contract with temperature changes. Ask any vinyl siding installer and he’ll agree. This is why vinyl siding is not nailed tight when it is installed, it is actually “hung” on the house instead of tacked or nailed. The nails are left out an 1/8 inch or so to allow for movement. This is also why there are long slots for the nail holes, again to allow for movement and flexibility. With that in mind, there can be a bit of a risk of warping the siding on a cold day if you wash it with extremely hot water. It may not look as bad as siding that has been overheated by having your gas grill too close to it, but it can definitely warp the siding to where it does not lock into place correctly or tends to sag a bit. Unfortunately, too many contractors depend on their hot water and are uneducated about the risk involved. I have actually witnessed a vinyl sided home being washed with super hot water in the middle of January in northern Indiana. Steam was flying everywhere as this fly by night company was going to town melting ice and cleaning mold off the siding. This is not something you want to have done on your home. Even cooler days in the 50’s or 60’s can warrant risk if the contractor is not careful. At best the water should be heated up a little bit just to aid in warming the surface a little and helping the chemicals. Normally around 80-100 degrees is more than efficient when it is cool outside. The water is that temperature coming out of the gun and will be even a little cooler before it hits the siding. Some hot water washers will go up to 300 degrees or more and it only takes one time for one unethical contractor to mess up your siding, hopefully they are insured for your sake. This is not to say a home cannot be washed during cooler months, but simply that care needs to be taken and if hot water is going to be used it should be just slightly warm and that’s it. Ask your contractor this time of year if he is going to use hot water and just how hot he plans on making it. Let them know you are aware of the risks and that you just want the water warmed up a bit and that’s all. If he is using the right house washing soaps like he should be, then he will not need super hot water to clean vinyl siding.
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