Home builders and decorators often opt to use stucco for the exteriors of houses and other structures since it looks beautiful and appealing, and resistant to weather conditions. However, being made of cement plaster, stucco is a very porous material and easily accumulates dirt, dust, and grime. Further, if the climate is warm and humid, stucco can also prove to be an excellent breeding ground for mold and mildew both of which can leave ugly brown, black, orange, and sometimes, even red spots. Pressure cleaning is the ideal method that can be used to remove the residue and mold, and have the house clean and looking fresh as new. It can blast away the dirt effectively from any kind of textured finish the stucco might have.
Equipment Needed
Here is the equipment you’ll need to clean the house of dirt, grime, mold, and mildew.
- Pressure Washer: Stucco needs to be cleaned with care since it can erode easily. You need a pressure washer that can give you medium power.
- Nozzles: Choose nozzles with 25° to 45° angles. Alternatively, you can get an adjustable nozzle and change the angles according to the section you’re working on. Also, have a soaping nozzle on site.
- Pump Sprayers: Get a tank that can hold 1 to 2 gallons or 3.78 to 7.57 liters.
- Other Items: Safety goggles to protect your eyes and gloves for a better grip. If you’re cleaning mold and mildew, take care to wear a full-sleeved shirt, long pants, and a facemask to avoid getting the particles on your skin or breathing them in.
- Get a ladder for cleaning off mold from the higher surfaces of two-storey houses. For the pressure cleaning, you can use a telescopic wand. If you need to reach higher surfaces, opt for scaffolding.
Prepping the House
By taking the proper care to prep the surfaces, you can ensure that there is no possibility of damage to the stucco.
- Choose a warm sunny day for the pressure cleaning job.
- Examine the entire surface carefully for chips and cracks. When you pressure clean the stucco, water can seep into the cracks and damage the entire exterior over time.
- Fill the cracks and give the wall at least a week’s time to dry out completely. If the cracks are wider than 1/16 of an inch, pick out a high-quality siliconized acrylic or all-acrylic caulk.
Cleaning Off Mold
If you see mold, you’ll have to use the appropriate cleaners to remove it before the pressure cleaning. Here are the steps to follow:
- Empty the mold removing solution into a bucket. Following the manufacturer’s directions, dilute it as needed. Use a paint stick to stir the solution gently to avoid splashing.
- You can also choose to make your own mold remover by combining 2 gallons of hot water with ½-cup borax and two tablespoons of liquid dish wash. Stir well.
- Spray the wall with a garden hose to remove as much as dirt and dust as possible.
- Use a sponge to apply the mold removing solution. Dip it in the solution and dab it all over the mold. Work on small sections of the wall using a ladder to get to the higher surfaces.
- Alternatively, you can fill the detergent container on the pressure washer and use the pump spray nozzle to apply the solution on the mold.
- If the stains have had time to settle it, you can use a brush with soft bristles to clean the stains. However, you must take to be gentle or you risk damaging the stucco.
- Give the solution about 30 minutes to work before rinsing off with the pressure washer.
Cleaning Off Rust Stains
Rust stains can be tackled with the help of a rust cleaning solution and a soft brush. Scrape the stains away gently without using too much pressure.
Pressure Washing Process
Here are the steps to follow to clean stucco efficiently and thoroughly.
- When removing dust, grime, and other residue, you can use a rotating scrub brush to loosen it before spraying with clean water using the pressure cleaner. You can also combine the brush with a detergent dispenser that soaps the area as you go along.
- Choose a specific section of the exterior and complete cleaning before moving on to the next.
- Soap the stucco using horizontal strokes, working from the bottom of the wall and moving to the top.
- Give the soap about 10 minutes to work, but you’ll have to dampen it because stucco tends to absorb some of the moisture.
- Switch the soaping nozzle to a 25° to 45° angled tip and turn on the water to begin rinsing. Always start with a small area and a distance of three feet to test the pressure of the water and ensure that the stucco is not damaged.
- Take care to use the fan pattern and hold the sprayer at 2 feet from the surface. Work with horizontal strokes beginning at the top of the wall and moving to the bottom.
- Never spray at a single spot for too long or you risk punching a hole in the stucco.
- Having cleared the wall of all stains, give it at least 24 hours to dry off completely.
To protect the stucco exteriors from future mold, mildew, and grime, you can talk to your clients about getting fog coating cement applied as a preventive measure. This compound is available in powder form and can be mixed on the worksite with clean water. Using a sprayer, it can be uniformly applied to maintain the effects of the pressure cleaning for a long while.
References:
1.“Cleaning Stucco With A Pressure Washer.”PressureWasherCritcs .com. n.d. Web. 1 Sept. 2016.
2. Teitelbaum, Brian. “Unstuck the Yuck – How to Pressure Wash a Stucco Surface.”Pressure Washer Direct. n.d. Web. 1 Sept. 2016.
3. Bloomfield, Laurie. “Removing Mold and Stains from Stucco.”doityourself. n.d. Web. 1 Sept. 2016.
4. Burnett, Bill and Burnett, Kevin. “Pressure-wash stucco exterior before repainting.”SFGate. n.d. Web. 1 Sept. 2016.
5.“Pressure Wash Your Home Exterior.”Lowe’s. N.d. Web. 1 Sept. 2016.