Pressure washing FSG

[P4dstar]

Did a gutter clearance this week for an customer, she didn't want them cleaned as the fascias are rotten old wood and due to be replaced next year. She checked that I don't pressure wash them. I laughed it off as I thought that no one would be that daft but it transpires her mum had someone come round and basically pressure wash the interior of the guttering, the moss went everywhere and actually caused damage to her roof tiles. She was chuffed with my service and recommended me on Facebook, had a few calls and they were all asking the same question. It seems there is a local guy going around pressure washing gutters ?

This got me to thinking, I know pressure washing the insides of gutters is a bad idea but once you have cleared them would there be any potential issues pressure washing the outside of them? Say with one of those pressure washer lance's? I reckon that could shave a lot of time off the fascia and soffit cleaning but I don't know enough about the physical make up of these to know if thats a good idea or not. It could potentially get in places the brush wouldn't without the need for ladders too I guess?

 

[Incheck]

Did a gutter clearance this week for an customer, she didn't want them cleaned as the fascias are rotten old wood and due to be replaced next year. She checked that I don't pressure wash them. I laughed it off as I thought that no one would be that daft but it transpires her mum had someone come round and basically pressure wash the interior of the guttering, the moss went everywhere and actually caused damage to her roof tiles. She was chuffed with my service and recommended me on Facebook, had a few calls and they were all asking the same question. It seems there is a local guy going around pressure washing gutters [emoji849]
 
This got me to thinking, I know pressure washing the insides of gutters is a bad idea but once you have cleared them would there be any potential issues pressure washing the outside of them? Say with one of those pressure washer lance's? I reckon that could shave a lot of time off the fascia and soffit cleaning but I don't know enough about the physical make up of these to know if thats a good idea or not. It could potentially get in places the brush wouldn't without the need for ladders too I guess?

Pressure washing gutters just isnt the way.
1. The outside tap situation- if they dont have one you’re stuffed.
2. I tried it once with the long pressure washer lance, on a ridiculously steep and partly concealed gutter that couldn’t possibly be done with a water fed pole, the results were poor at best. Never again. (I didnt use any degreaser as it was so hard to access it wasn’t possible to apply it) and i wont put chemicals through my pressure washer for fear of damaging it long term. Never found a use for that long lance since. Waste of money really.
3. The pressure could cause all sorts of leaks & potentially blast loose guttering joints out of place.
Its just “not the way its done” really [emoji53]


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[Brian Mullan]

Hi @P4dstar  If the fascias & soffits are made from wood which is in good strong condition then using a power washer carefully will do an acceptable job. It all depends on what you and the customer have agreed on price and finish for each particular job. However using a power washer on pvc fascias & soffits is not recommended. The pvc is very thin and if there's small cracks or holes which you can't see from the floor; the power washer will blow these out and cause damage. If there is an outside water tap with good working pressure then I get up scrub down the surface and then rinse off with a hose. 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Pressure washing gutters just isnt the way.
1. The outside tap situation- if they dont have one you’re stuffed.
2. I tried it once with the long pressure washer lance, on a ridiculously steep and partly concealed gutter that couldn’t possibly be done with a water fed pole, the results were poor at best. Never again. (I didnt use any degreaser as it was so hard to access it wasn’t possible to apply it) and i wont put chemicals through my pressure washer for fear of damaging it long term. Never found a use for that long lance since. Waste of money really.
3. The pressure could cause all sorts of leaks & potentially blast loose guttering joints out of place.
Its just “not the way its done” really

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Me being a joiner, then I will tell you why to never pressure wash FSG. A roof is designed to shed water that is its purpose. The roof like us needs to breathe with the aid of vents. We fit the vents where the rain wont get in which is generally under the eves in the soffit. By pressure washing one is forcing water under eves and into places where its not designed to go. You could say the same with WFP but doesn't have much pressure to penetrate into the vents. I wouldn't even pressure wash my van never mind a car, it could do some damage when up close. :1f609:

 

[P4dstar]

Pressure washing gutters just isnt the way.
1. The outside tap situation- if they dont have one you’re stuffed.
2. I tried it once with the long pressure washer lance, on a ridiculously steep and partly concealed gutter that couldn’t possibly be done with a water fed pole, the results were poor at best. Never again. (I didnt use any degreaser as it was so hard to access it wasn’t possible to apply it) and i wont put chemicals through my pressure washer for fear of damaging it long term. Never found a use for that long lance since. Waste of money really.
3. The pressure could cause all sorts of leaks & potentially blast loose guttering joints out of place.
Its just “not the way its done” really

I should have explained, I have a connection that plugs into my microbore hose. Even on the highest setting the pump doesn't supply enough power through the pressure washer to cause any damage (Through pressure)

Me being a joiner, then I will tell you why to never pressure wash FSG. A roof is designed to shed water that is its purpose. The roof like us needs to breathe with the aid of vents. We fit the vents where the rain wont get in which is generally under the eves in the soffit. By pressure washing one is forcing water under eves and into places where its not designed to go. You could say the same with WFP but doesn't have much pressure to penetrate into the vents. I wouldn't even pressure wash my van never mind a car, it could do some damage when up close. :1f609:

Thats what I was thinking Scottish, the damage potentially caused by water getting into the vents of the soffit etc.

I tried jet washing my friends conny roof once, didn't really provide a good clean. I blasted the main bit of the roof but used the brush to go over the struts and basically anywhere that had a seal. 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Yes and there's glasswool that loves to hold water in the eves.

Lets look at the Science (Sci is Latin for Know, that's where the word knowledge comes from) behind cleaning anything. Wash hands with just soap and get lather. Wash with just water and no dirt comes off. Wash hands with soap, sand and water and they will turn out the cleanest they have ever been. Learned that in my building site days, Swarfega, Bucket of sand was always in the toilets, now there's barrier cream which we should all use before work. In the end it all comes down to an agitator to agitate the dirt loose and that's where the brushing and scrubbing comes in, without the agitate the dirt wont come off. That's why cleaning is hard work, like brushing our teeth with toothpaste (salt & Mint to disguise the taste). Folk will always try and cut corners like just cleaning the glass but eventually the customer notices it. 

 

[Clarkus84]

I'd never even attempt pressure washing fascia,soffit or guttering although it's all a lot of the lads round my way do.same with roof cleaning,pictures on Facebook of them pressure washing the roofs.I always inform customers about the potential damage it can do.

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[P4dstar]

I'd never even attempt pressure washing fascia,soffit or guttering although it's all a lot of the lads round my way do.same with roof cleaning,pictures on Facebook of them pressure washing the roofs.I always inform customers about the potential damage it can do.

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Theres a guy round here that does that. One of the pro roof cleaners called him out on Facebook about it. He was proudly showing videos of his lads pressure washing a roof. The pro guy has done some top notch stuff round here.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I thought you would know someone round your way paddy. Its like a workers convention down there. :1f602:

 

[P4dstar]

I thought you would know someone round your way paddy. Its like a workers convention down there. :1f602:

Perhaps i'm just paying attention.... Particular post in question. It was only spotted that it is jet washed as he left it in the picture on the right hand side. Anyway, what did you have for tea Scottish ?