GFWC Indiana - Cleaning & Home Improvement

As the old saying goes; you get what you pay for. I’m sure you’ve heard this before or how about this one; you can’t get a Cadillac for a Volkswagen price? These are two factual statements when it comes to hiring a contractor for services. The cheapest guy is not always the best option and many have been burned by the ridiculously low priced contractor. Every industry has a slew of unethical contractors that show up every year only to disappear the next. The pressure washing industry is no different, and in the opinion of many, it is often times one of the worst industries when dealing with fly by night companies.

It is a shame but these fly by night type of contractors have always plagued the pressure washing industry, mostly due to somewhat low start up costs. To start a professional pressure washing company with the right equipment, chemicals, insurance, and all the proper requirements it can be a substantial amount just like any business venture. But it is possible to go buy a pressure washer, a few chemicals, and some other equipment for just a couple thousand dollars and call yourself a pressure washing contractor. It is this type of company that ruins the pressure washing industry.

Most of these unethical companies have no insurance, no clue about what they are doing, the wrong chemicals (if any), and cheap equipment. They have no capitol to invest in advertising so when they do get a call they bid it cheap to be sure they get the job. They are then forced to take shortcuts in order to turn a profit. This leaves a wake of unhappy customers but once they have the check in hand they don’t care, and they seem to disappear. Most go out of business within a year, but unfortunately the following spring a new wave of them is ready to start up again.

It is a vicious cycle and if you have hired a cheap painter, handyman, or jack of all trades type of company that just happened to offer pressure washing services, you know what I’m talking about. The best way to combat this is to hire a contractor that specializes in pressure washing, or better yet, someone who does it full time. A professional pressure washing company that does nothing but pressure washing can be your best bet for a quality cleaning job done right. A full time pressure washer that is insured, does it full time, has been in business for a few years, has customer testimonials, and pictures of their past jobs will give you the results you expect when it comes to exterior cleaning. There are professional pressure washing companies like this in most areas. Search the Internet for local terms to see which pressure washing company keeps popping up.

There are many types of wood to choose from when building a deck. There are also composite materials that have become increasingly popular in recent years. Mahogany, ipe, and cedar are a few of the woods that can make beautiful decks. Different hardwoods and exotic woods can be quite expensive but if protected, can last for many years. The most popular choice for a wooden deck is pressure treated wood. It is less expensive than some of the other woods but still makes for a durable and beautiful deck. Pressure treated wood will also last a very long time if correctly maintained and protected. Cleaning decks and waterproofing them with a deck sealer is important to the longevity of the deck no matter what type of wood it is.

Contrary to what a lot of people think, pressure treated lumber does need to be protected with a deck sealer. There is some confusion because it is called pressure “treated” lumber. Many people believe  that it is already treated or protected from the elements. The chemical that pressure treated lumber is treated with at the lumber mill is to deter bugs and insects from eating the wood.  The chemical treatment does not protect against the sun or water damage, it is still necessary to protect the wood with a sealer.

 Another popular choice for decks in recent years is composite man-made material. This material can make a nice deck but it also needs to be maintained on a regular basis. Many companies actually sell this composite material as “maintenance free” and have homeowners that are sick of maintaining their wooden decks buying into it. Many homeowners have actually had their wooden decks tore down to have a composite deck built in its place. Unfortunately, this material is not maintenance free and there are many lawsuits and cases of homeowners suing these companies because of it.

Composite decking is about 50% plastic and 50% wood. Both of these materials are susceptible to the elements. Because of the wood that is present, this material will turn grey just like a wooden deck, and the plastic will collect mold, mildew, and algae just like vinyl siding, and vinyl fencing. Composite deck cleaning and maintenance is not as involved as cleaning wood decks, but it is still necessary. There are even composite deck sealers on the market to protect the material. The fact that these materials are sold as maintenance free is a shame and should be considered false advertising. Many of these companies have filed bankruptcy and closed the doors only to start up under a different name.  This isn’t to say that composite material does not make a nice deck because it does, just do not be fooled into thinking it does not have to be maintained as does a wooden deck.

As mentioned earlier, plastic will also collect green mold and mildew, so a 100% vinyl deck or fence is not going to get you away from maintenance either. The vinyl will not have to be sealed but it will need to be cleaned and maintained in order to keep it free of mold and mildew.