Tiles can beautify any part of your home — from the roof to your outdoor and indoor spaces. Over time, these surfaces will accumulate dirt, dust, grime, mold, mildew, and other unwanted substances. These can be very difficult to remove. If other cleaning methods have been unsuccessful, maybe it’s time to try tile pressure washing.
What Is Tile Pressure Washing?
Tile pressure washing is the use of high-pressure water to remove dirt, dust, grime, mold, mildew, and other contaminants from your tile surfaces. Pressure washing is most commonly used to clean outdoor areas such as concrete driveways, wooden decks, and exterior walls.
It can also be used to pressure wash tiles found outside and inside your home. However, tile pressure washing requires more preparation and precaution.
Benefits of Tile Pressure Washing
The main advantage of pressure washing is that it can clean your tile surfaces quickly and effectively. Oftentimes, when unwanted substances accumulate on tiles, they become extremely difficult to remove.
Usual cleaning methods, such as manual scrubbing, are not only cumbersome but you can spend hours and hours trying to remove contaminants only to achieve unsatisfactory results.
With pressure washing, the high-velocity stream of water blasts away all the dirt, grime, soap residue, grease, mold, and mildew from surfaces effortlessly. While the use of cleaning solutions is still helpful, pressure washing is less reliant on these products.
Oftentimes, high-pressure water can be enough to restore the appearance of your surfaces. Instead of spending hours, days, or weeks trying to clean tile surfaces, pressure washing can get the job done in minutes.
The end result is a level of cleanliness that cannot be achieved by other methods. Pressure washing can restore the appearance of your tiles so that they help improve the aesthetic value of your property.
Pressure washing can be used on different tile surfaces. However, not all tiled surfaces are equal. Some areas such as the roof and bathroom will require more delicate cleaning methods compared to hardier areas such as the patio or the pool.
Should You Pressure Wash Roof Tiles?
Many homeowners immediately dismiss the idea of roof tile pressure washing because they are afraid of damaging their roof. And rightfully so because very high water pressure can indeed damage roof surfaces.
However, what many don’t realize is that pressure washing is multi-faceted. The pressure washing process can be easily adjusted to suit the needs of different surfaces. For instance, for pressure washing roof tiles, you can use a gentler approach called soft washing.
Soft washing combines low-pressure water with biodegradable cleaning solutions to achieve the same results as standard pressure washing. This cleaning method is ideal to use on more delicate surfaces such as tile and asphalt roofs, brick and stucco walls, and glass surfaces.
Soft washing produces just enough pressure to effectively clean your roof tiles without damaging the underlayment and flashings. The use of natural but effective cleaning solutions also addresses the roots of mold, mildew, and algae. Not only are these contaminants removed, but soft washing ensures that they don’t come back.
The professional pressure washing tile roof cost can range from $150 to $500. However, this is a worthwhile investment.
Attempting to pressure wash the roof by yourself can be dangerous. Improper pressure washing techniques can damage your roof tiles. If you are not used to dealing with high water pressure, you may end up falling and sustaining massive injuries.
As such, this is one task that is better left to the professionals. Apart from pressure washing, they will also know how to properly seal your roof for longer-lasting results.
Should You Pressure Wash Outdoor Tiles?
Thus, it is still important to clean your outdoor tiles regularly. Here are the most common tile materials:
- Ceramic
- Porcelain
- Quarry
- Travertine
- Limestone
- Slate
- Marble
- Sandstone
- Granite
Pressure washing is an ideal cleaning method because outdoor tiles are durable enough to withstand high water pressure. It can also clean large surface areas such as patios and pools in a matter of minutes. This is much more convenient than manually scrubbing tiles.
Pressure washing is preferred over soft washing because the use of chemicals can affect the quality of your tiles. For instance, marble and travertine tiles are vulnerable to etching and staining from chemicals. Chemicals can also chip away the coating of glazed tiles.
Despite the effectiveness of tile pressure washing for outdoor spaces, you still need to proceed with caution. Damage is always possible, especially if pressure washing is not done properly.
You need to adjust the water pressure, maintain a proper distance, and use the right attachments, among other things. If you want to avoid costly damage or risk your safety, have a professional pressure washing company clean your outdoor tiles.
Should You Pressure Wash Bathroom Tiles?
Unbeknownst to many, it’s also possible to pressure wash your indoor surfaces. There are many benefits to indoor tile pressure washing.
Because of the constant moisture, bathrooms have a higher likelihood of mold and mildew. There’s also soap residue buildup in your tub and shower areas.
Pressure washing can quickly and effectively address these issues. No need to spend hours manually scrubbing the surfaces.
However, bathroom tiles are perhaps the most difficult area to pressure wash. Since you’re working in a small, confined space, there are many adjustments that need to be made.
For instance, pressure washers produce a lot of overspray. You need a way to remove or drain the overspray when pressure washing bathroom tiles. You also want to avoid the overspray from soaking your walls, ceilings, and other surfaces. Otherwise, this will create a separate moisture issue.
Additional Precautions for Bathroom Tile Pressure Washing
- Do not use gas-powered pressure washers as they are prone to leaky water connections. Only use an electric-powered pressure washer.
- Pressure washing produces a fine mist that can add moisture and humidity to bathrooms. Make sure the extractor fan is open while tile pressure washing.
- Always set up a pressure washer outside. Have the hose run through a window.
- Use plastic sheeting to protect other surfaces from overspray. You can also set up the plastic sheeting to direct the overspray to the tub drain.
- Use towels, vacuums, or other similar equipment to deal with the excess water.
- Always start with low pressure. You shouldn’t need more than 500 to 1,000 PSI to clean bathroom tiles.
- Make sure the nozzle is at a safe distance to prevent damaging the tiles. Use a wide nozzle, such as a fan tip spray, to soften the water pressure.
- Start from top to bottom and then go left to right.
- Avoid pressure washing if you have glazed ceramic or porcelain tiles, as well as delicate or weak tile sections.
Most importantly, do not pressure wash bathroom tiles if your grout and caulk seams are not intact. Pressure washing will seep into the grout and water will get behind the tile.
Moisture underneath your tiles can lead to serious and costly damage. As such, always proceed with caution when pressure washing tile and grout, even if they are intact.
If you are doing this by yourself, research how professionals clean tile and grout. If you cannot apply the same standards, it might be wiser to have these professionals come in and handle your pressure washing needs.
There’s Always Time for Tile Pressure Washing
Many homeowners become dismayed when they cannot restore the appearance of their tiles, no matter how hard they scrub the surface. But no matter how dirty or grimy your tiles become, they will never be a lost cause.
Tile pressure washing can address all these issues and even provide a level of clean that you may have not seen before. With regular pressure washing, your tiles can look brand-new and thus, add aesthetic value to your home.
For professional tile pressure washing services in Charlotte, NC, do not hesitate to contact Washh today! Washh offers high-quality services at affordable prices to help you address all your pressure washing needs.
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