At Ultimate Power Wash in Northern Virginia, we want to help keep your exterior shining year-round. While there’s a limited amount of power washing that we can do in the winter seasons, that doesn’t mean you should let your exterior fall to the wayside. If you want your decks, patios, siding, and concrete to look its best after a spring power washing, then there are some things you can do now so your features make it safely through the winter.

Snow, ice, and moisture are constant threats throughout the winter. Without proper care, your exterior features could start to break down. If you take the steps we outline below, you can help slow the breakdown of your exterior and assure there aren’t any repairs to be made before your spring power washing. When the weather starts to heat up again, take care of your exterior with a power wash from Ultimate Power Wash. We serve areas all along I-95 in Virginia, from Fredericksburg to North Springfield and those along Highway 236, from Fairfax to Alexandria.

Preparing Your Exterior For A Spring Power Washing

Since power washing machines are so high powered, damage to your exterior can be magnified once the machine starts working, taking these steps before winter can help make sure that there’s nothing unsightly to uncover, no wood that will start to chip away, and nothing too delicate to be power washed.

Decks and Patios — Taking care of your deck and patio through the winter months is really all about protecting your wood from the effects of freezing. Even if your deck or patio is finished in order to seal out water, protecting moisture from getting in and preventing freezing wood from expanding, it doesn’t mean that ice can’t cause damage in other ways. Here are a few things you can do to prevent that:

  • Trim back branches and shrubbery — Overhanging trees and branches aren’t just a threat because they could drop debris onto your deck or patio. Branches that are too close to your deck or patio can freeze to them. This could cause chipping to your wood, taking off its moisture-proof layer and exposing it to further damage from moisture and freezing as well as further chipping.
  • Remove Any Patio Furniture — Patio furniture and grilling equipment are some of the things that help make decks and patios great, but if you leave them out over the winter, not only will they likely get damaged, but there could be discoloration where they were sitting all winter long. There could also be damage to your wood if anyone moves them while they’re frozen to it. To prevent bringing out any discoloration or further chipping to your wood during a power wash, it’s important to move patio furniture into a garage or shed before winter sets in.
  • Treat Your Wood — If this isn’t something you’ve done already, you should review your wood for any damage such as splinters, insect damage, or any other kind of decay and then go over it with a layer of water-proof deck sealant to make sure it doesn’t get any worse through the winter.
  • Secure Handrails and Balusters — Even if you have treated your wood already, there will still be places where moisture could get in, expand, and warp your wood. This is why it’s a good idea to secure the handrails and balusters (the series of columns that support railings) before winter. Those are the areas least likely to be coated in sealant and perhaps the most important ones in maintaining the structural integrity of your deck or patio. You will undoubtedly find a few places that need screws tightened in order to make sure your planks are flush and moisture resistant.
  • Cover Everything — While it won’t solve every potential problem, one of the best protection for your deck or patio is covering it completely. Remember not to pull off your cover while it is frozen and to clean the patio or deck off beforehand, but in general, this will protect your deck or patio from most cold weather issues. In the spring you can just pull the cover back and get it power washed, without any worries through the winter or excessive work on your part.

Siding — Siding provides a protective layering to some of the more crucial structural components of your home. Warped, cracked, or misplaced siding is an invitation for mold, termites, and other things that can cause decay in a home’s structure. If you take the right steps to protect your siding throughout the winter, then you can rest easy knowing these are unlikely outcomes. Here are a few things that can protect your siding through the winter so it can be easily and safely power washed in the spring.

  • Check For Warped or Missing Siding — This is a problem that should be easy to identify, and leaving it as it is until winter could cause serious damage to the surrounding area. Repair the siding yourself or call a professional if the damage is excessive. 
  • Caulk Any Cracking — Your siding may be damaged, but not enough to warrant full replacement. In this scenario, you should repair any siding with waterproof caulking or another durable and waterproof sealing adhesive. This will help prevent moisture from getting in, expanding the damage, and eventually allowing mold or insects to move in. It will also allow us to power wash in the spring without the risk of further damage.

Driveways and Walkways — When it comes to concrete, it may seem like the last thing you have to protect, but over time it can start to crack, chip, and wear away. Constant freezing and unfreezing doesn’t help matters. If you want to protect your driveway or sidewalk through the winter and prepare it for power washing in the spring, then you should apply a concrete sealant on a day that’s over 50 degrees.

Use Ultimate Power Washing This Spring

When spring finally does roll around and you’ve protected your home’s exterior throughout the winter, Ultimate Power Washing is there for Springfield, Fredricksburg, Fairfax, Alexandria, and the rest of Northern Virginia with the best power washing services around. Visit our homepage to see the difference we make, and contact us when you’re ready to make your house, deck, fence, or patio shiny and clean.