Power washing your home is a smart move for many reasons. For one thing, it keeps your home clean and maintains its curb appeal. Also, licensed exterior painting contractors will tell you that power washing is a crucial part of preparing for a new paint job. If these two reasons weren’t enough to express the importance of power washing, consider this: properly power washing your home is the most efficient way to remove mold and mildew from its exterior. 

Mold growth isn’t just an eyesore. It can cause your surfaces to decay and rot over time. Not only that, the presence of mold spores can lead to respiratory health problems and trigger allergic responses. Removing mold and mildew should be a priority for every homeowner. However, tracking down these fungal foes isn’t always easy. Sometimes, they’re residing in hidden places. Here are some locations mold may be hiding on your home.

Underneath Your Siding

Mold can grow on just about any type of siding, but certain materials are more susceptible to mold growth than others.  Vinyl siding, for instance, contains crevices between the boards that are perfect locations for fungi to grow inconspicuously. Fortunately, mold won’t rot away vinyl, but it can certainly deteriorate wood, concrete, and brick exteriors.

Roof Shingles

Shingles also feature little gaps where mold spores can find a comfortable place to spread out. Unless you spend a lot of time on your roof for some reason, you probably won’t notice any mold or mildew up there. Licensed exterior painting services can check for you, but it’s best to power wash your roof regardless. If there is mold there, you can blast it away. If not, keeping your roof clean will help prevent mold from forming.

Behind Gutters

Mold and other types of fungi thrive in warm, wet conditions. Your home’s gutters help keep this moisture away from your home. That said, carrying all of this moisture can lead to mold growth inside and around your gutters, especially if there’s a leak somewhere. Mold might be hiding behind the gutters or between them and your siding, so make sure to carefully inspect these areas and don’t ignore them when home painting.

Disguised as Dirt

Mold can sometimes stare you right in the face without you knowing it. If you don’t know how to identify mold, you might mistake it for dirt or some kind of discoloration. Of course, no matter if it’s mold or not, you don’t want your home to be dirty or stained either. Fortunately, power washing can help take care of all these problems, clearing away any mold you may have as well as dirt, dust, and other debris. And doing so will prepare your home for exterior painting.

If you neglect to clean your home exterior on a regular basis, you increase your chances of finding mold or mildew somewhere on its surface. You might not come across every instance of mold infesting your home, but power washing it once or twice a year is a good way to ensure that you get rid of it all. If it’s time to hire a Reston VA house painter for your exterior, choose one that includes power washing in their exterior painting package like All American Painting Plus. To learn more about all that we can do for our clients in Northern Virginia, give us a call at (703)-620-5563!