People are always trying to get over on others in many different aspects of life and power washing isn’t any different. Here’s how to avoid power washing scams.

Scam #1:
“We will power wash any house for $99.” Drawing you in with super low pricing. Of course, consumers are attracted to low price because everyone likes a good deal and would like to work within a budget. But some power washing contractors use low prices as bait in order to land a job. They are hoping you are basing your buying decision on price alone and if they are the cheapest, they will get the job.

Unfortunately, once they get the job they have to take shortcuts in order to make a profit or tell you “that’ll be extra” for something that should be included. Make sure you are paying for the level of quality service you expect.

Scam #2:
“We specialize in hot water pressure washing.” You may read this in pressure washing ads. The fact is, hot water has little to no benefit in the residential pressure washing industry when it comes to cleaning the siding of your house. It may even warp the siding and can be detrimental to the plants in your landscape.

This claim is nothing more than attempt to gain your business.

Scam #3:
“We’ll power wash the deck and use an expensive sealer.” They want you to believe that using an expensive sealer will make all the difference in the world. The fact is, the reason a sealer or stain will fail, no matter how much the cost, is because the wood is not properly prepared. When using the proper cleaner the wood turns very dark and the pH level goes up. A neutralizing process is necessary to lower the wood to a more acidic level, so the sealer or stain will adhere.

With the wood prepared properly, it can then be sealed with a contractor grade sealer. If an old sealer is present, the deck will need to be stripped so the new sealer can adhere to the wood properly. A stripping agent needs to be used to remove the old sealer or stain, NOT high water pressure.

Scam #4:
Offering to pressure wash anything and everything under the sun. Someone who offers to pressure wash anything may look impressive but is usually a sign of not being established. There are a lot of “fly by night” companies that come and go, who will offer to wash anything for a dollar.