When you’re managing a busy commercial facility, you’re responsible for many things. There’s the regular upkeep and maintenance of the facility to keep your assets working properly. There are safety and security protocols you must put in place and reinforce regularly. And then there’s the aesthetic piece—keeping up with landscaping, exterior cleaning, and overall curb appeal. As you assess what projects need to be completed at your facility this year, you might be considering hiring a facilities maintenance team to complete pressure washing at your property. Here’s what you can expect from this service, why it’s important, and how best to plan this project.

What to Know About Pressure Washing

What Is Pressure Washing?

Pres­sure wash­ing is a professional service that pre­vents the spread of harm­ful pol­lu­tants, aller­gens, algae, mold, and bac­te­ria from dete­ri­o­rat­ing struc­tures and caus­ing health issues. It also keeps properties in tip-top shape, removing aesthetically displeasing debris from your surfaces and leaving structures looking brand new. Pressure washing may include things like park­ing lot cleaning, side­walk or dri­ve­way cleaning, win­dow wash­ing services, com­mer­cial exte­ri­or cleaning, roof and gut­ter cleaning, inte­ri­or clean­ing, and garage floor cleaning.

Using high-tech pressure washing machinery, a team will be able to utilize a high-pressure water spray to remove many types of debris from your surfaces and objects, including dirt, dust, grime, mold, mud, and loose paint. Unlike power washing, pressure washing does not typically utilize heated water. The powerful and steady stream of water is enough to blast away the debris you no longer desire at your facility.

How Often Should You Get Pressure Washing Done?

You might be wondering just how often you should receive commercial pressure washing services at your facility. The truth is, there’s no hard and fast rule for this, as every facility is unique and exists within different circumstances. For example, most commercial facilities should receive this service at least every six months or so. But if you live in a climate that sees a higher amount of debris from the elements (like dust and dirt, snow and ice, or pollen), you may need to receive pressure washing more often.

The benefits of pressure washing are many. Keeping up with regular pressure washing can help you maintain appearances at your facility, which is an important aspect of curb appeal. In fact, having a space that’s sparkling clean on the inside but filthy on the outside could easily turn away customers, residents, students, staff, parents, and patients. Your building’s exterior is the “first impression” that potential clients and customers see, so ensure it accurately portrays the level of service and care they can expect from your business.

Additionally, pressure washing can help to prevent exterior damage to the property. Often, mold, mildew, and other hazards present themselves through slow growth and accumulation. Taking care of these threats by nipping them in the bud—before they become widespread—can help keep your facility clean and its tenants or occupants safe. Finally, anytime you’re preparing for exterior painting, a thorough pressure washing service can help fully prepare your property to have a clean, smooth canvas on which to work. The last thing you want is to be painting over dirt, grime, or other debris. Trust us, you’ll want these things removed before you shell out the cash to repaint your property.

Challenges of Pressure Washing

Appropriate scheduling is one key element of hiring commercial pressure washing services, as these types of projects do include downtime. Your building’s occupants may not be able to access the building, or a section of the building, while pressure washing is taking place. They may need to park their vehicles offsite. And this could cause disruption to your operations, impacting productivity and profitability. Keep in mind that downtime may also include the time you take preparing and securing the property for pressure washing—if doors and windows are sealed and electronics are unplugged, occupants may have limited access to their regular tasks and overall operations.

Additionally, sorting out the costs associated with this project should always be top of mind. It can be helpful to include a line item for regular six-month pressure washing services in your facility maintenance budget so that the project costs don’t catch you off guard twice a year. And there is always some risk associated with damage when it comes to pressure washing, as this service relies on a powerful jet of water to thoroughly clean the building. Windows or other fragile structures may get damaged, and unsealed places may mean moisture seeps into the building. If your facility is old or outdated, any places currently in disrepair may be at risk of further deterioration during a pressure washing service.

Planning Your Pressure Washing Project

With all of the challenges of tackling such a large project in your high-traffic facility, you’ll want to ensure you do the best job you can planning and preparing for your commercial pressure washing service. Creating a pressure washer business plan is an excellent way to make sure you get the job done safely, on time, and with the best results. You’ll want to include items like the commercial pressure washing service you’ve hired, any ways that you will be responsible for preparing your property beforehand, the exact schedule of the project, any cleanup efforts associated with the project, and the overall cost of the project, with a detailed cost breakdown.

Anything can potentially get damaged during pressure washing, so make sure you have the right materials on hand to prepare and prevent this, and know who is responsible for overseeing which task. Doors and windows will need to be locked and secured. Sealing the cracks and edges is crucial, and weather stripping should be secured. You’ll need to unplug electronics and cover electrical outlets. You’ll need to keep people and animals out of the way, as well as vehicles, plants, or any other items you do not want to get damaged or wet. Repair any cracks or crumbling spots in the building’s structure to prevent damage.

You should have your eyes on exactly how many team members you can expect to be working on this project, the days and times they’ll be on-site, and the equipment they’ll be using. Ensure you have the materials you’ll need to prep your property—think about securing windows and doors, relocating flora that could get damaged, covering electrical outlets and sources, and more. Then, put together a communications plan for your facility’s occupants. Even one vehicle left in the parking lot could throw off the whole project timeline, so make sure you communicate early, often, and in multiple methods. You might include details about the upcoming pressure washing project in your newsletters or email blasts, post signage, and verbally communicate timelines during team meetings.

What to Expect From a Commercial Pressure Washing Service

As you’re Googling “pressure washing near me,” consider your many options. Sure, you could go it alone by purchasing or renting out pressure washing equipment. But if you take that route, you may very well risk damage to your property. You should never attempt to pressure wash your commercial facility alone, without the aid of a knowledgeable team of subject matter experts who will take great care in completing the service and be mindful of more fragile or at-risk areas of your property or building. This is especially true for aging or historic buildings that may see damage like cracks or crumbling easily done through a powerful pressure washing service. You’ll want to ensure that the team you hire knows how to handle your commercial property with the utmost care to prevent damage.

The team should also be able to complete the project on time and on budget, with no hidden fees or ulterior motives. After all, your entire facility’s operations hinge on a smooth and seamless project that limits disruption to your productivity. If the project is not completed efficiently, you could be seeing more downtime, with your occupants facing limited access to your building. And you should never be charged additional fees for a lag in work—it’s up to a responsible commercial pressure washing service to complete the project according to the agreed-upon budget you’ve allotted.

Hire The Budd Group for Your Next Pressure Washing Service

The Budd Group offers proac­tive commercial pres­sure wash­ing ser­vices for greater safe­ty and cleanliness. We’re a family-owned and operated company that has provided exceptional services and solutions to facility managers across many verticals for 60 years. Serving clients spanning the Southeast United States, The Budd Group offers a comprehensive suite of facilities management solutions—including pressure washing. We use industry-leading equipment and employ a team of subject matter experts to get the job done thoroughly, causing the least amount of disruption to your facility’s operations.

With more than 4,000 highly trained service associates, we are well-versed in pressure washing for facilities of all types and have the people power to appropriately staff your project so that there are no delays. You’ll love our “Make It Right Guarantee”—a promise to meet or exceed your expectations in the delivery of high-quality facility support solutions. If we do not deliver the contracted services to your satisfaction, we will make it right! Contact us today to discuss your facility’s next pressure washing project and how we can help.