pressure washer cleaning driveway with Shine Above Window & Gutter Cleaning logoPressure washing season is in full swing here in Edmonton. As homeowners and property owners begin to look for pressure washing in Edmonton, many questions arise. 

Although most homeowners understand that pressure washing is important, many wonder about the logistics of how it works, what can be done with it, and how much time and money it will cost them. 

Today, we’re going to take you through some of the most frequently asked questions about pressure washing in Edmonton and get you all the answers that you need! 

What is pressure washing? 

First and foremost, we’ll explain exactly what pressure washing is. Essentially, pressure washing is using a highly pressurized water stream to push away dirt, debris, and other materials from surfaces. The water is sourced from a regular exterior water source such as a hose. 

Pressure washing is only done outdoors because of the water damage that it could cause indoors. It can be highly effective for cleaning hard surfaces outdoors and has many uses. 

Why is it important? What are the benefits of pressure washing? 

There are actually many benefits of pressure washing in Edmonton. Especially because of the climate that we live in here, pressure washing becomes very necessary to the integrity and look of our homes. 

Check out this infographic for some of the main benefits: 

reasons to have a professional pressure wash your property infographic
Benefits of professional pressure washing

Pressure washing will get your home looking spiffy again after it has become covered in dirt, dust, and debris. Washing all of this off with pressure washing definitely restores the curb appeal that every homeowner and property owner desires. 

Pressure washing will also increase your property value by keeping your home in the best condition possible. But, professional pressure washing allows you to all of these benefits without spending a lot of time on it. The time investment will be ours to deal with, not yours. 

You’ll also be able to stay safe on the ground while the professionals take care of pressure washing the tough to reach areas, giving you an increased level of comfort and safety during the entire process. 

Last, but not least, getting professional pressure washing done in Edmonton can prevent a LOT of costly damage. We don’t want you to have to deal with this damage or the time and money that it requires to fix. 

Not pressure washing your home’s exterior on a regular basis can lead to fading and discoloration of your siding, dirt dust and debris buildup that can deteriorate your home’s materials, and damages to your roofline, gutters, and the foundation of your home. 

As we’re sure you can imagine, these damages definitely add up. Getting your home pressure washed regularly essentially eradicates the chances of these costly, time-consuming damages. 

What can you pressure wash? 

Here at Shine Above, we pressure practically all of your home’s exterior. From the front of your property to the back and from the top of your home to the foundation, we’ve got all your exterior house cleaning needs covered. 

Typically, we will pressure wash your siding, your garage, your deck, your driveway, your gutters, and your walkways. Essentially, if it’s a surface outdoors on your property, we can pressure wash it for you. If you have specific things that aren’t on this list that you want pressure washed, just chat with our team and we’ll see what we can do for you! 

Why is it better to hire a professional to do pressure washing? 

You might be wondering… ‘Why can’t I just do this myself? Why would I hire someone?’ First of all, good question! To be totally honest with you, you can do all of your pressure washing on your own at home. However, both the expertise that professional pressure washers offer and the time and hassle that it saves you to hire a professional make it very worth it. 

Firstly, as a DIY pressure washer, you don’t have the experience working with pressure washing machines. You haven’t had to clean surfaces with pressure washers for months or even years on end. In fact, it might even be your first time picking up a pressure washer. 

Although you would be able to figure it out eventually, it will take you a while to figure out the machine, the best methods, and how to make your pressure washing as efficient and effective as possible. 

Professionals do this every day. They know how to do it the best way and do it the fastest. They’ll save you so much time in the long run by coming with the expertise and knowledge, the proper equipment, and the proper safety measures in place. 

When pressure washing all of those tough to reach places up on ladders, the professionals will know what to do to keep themselves and your home safe whereas you may not. This is why it’s smarter to leave the pressure washing up to the professionals.

a pressure washing machine
One of our trusted pressure washers

What PSI do you use for pressure washing? 

As we provide our pressure washing services in Edmonton, we are very careful to adjust our PSI according to the surfaces that we are pressure washing. We determine our required PSI (or pounds per square inch) according to the durability of the surface. 

Tougher, more durable surfaces such as vinyl can withstand higher water pressure and require it for a thorough clean. Stucco, on the other hand, requires a much lower PSI to get it clean and to make sure it doesn’t break down. 

Generally speaking, we set our pressure washing machines to 2700 PSI for most house exterior pressure washing services. However, we’re careful to adjust this accordingly. 

What products do you use for the pressure washing? 

For our pressure washing services in Edmonton, we just use water. Although when using pressure washers for other cleaning tasks such as cleaning cars, people may mix the water with a cleaning solution, that isn’t the case with pressure washing the exterior of your home and property. 

The suds from and chemicals in extra cleaning solutions that can be added can be very harmful to parts of your property. If these solutions were to be added, the run off from pressure washing the exterior of your home or your driveway could damage your lawn. 

Adding extra solution while pressure washing the exterior of your home could also leave residue on surfaces that you pressure wash. By sticking to water, you can still maintain the quality of your cleaning while avoiding damage or residue. 

pressure washing brick wall
Look at the difference that pressure washing can make!

Will pressure washing break windows or gutters? 

Although pressure washing can break windows or gutters, the way that we do pressure washing won’t. Pressure washing does have that potential, but, when done correctly, it won’t damage your windows or gutters. 

With improper methods and extreme PSI, pressure washing could be damaging to windows or pull the gutters away from your roofline. However, here at Shine Above Window & Gutter Cleaning, we’re very careful with the PSI that we use on which surfaces. This allows us to completely avoid these risks and keep your home safe and in perfect condition. 

Will pressure washing scratch paint?

Again, this is possible. But, it won’t happen with Shine Above. When we are pressure washing a new surface, we’ll test out the PSI on a small, out of the way patch of the surface to see how it goes. If we’re unsure, we start with a lower pressure to ensure that we won’t damage what we’re washing. 

How long does it take to get my house and driveway pressure washed? 

Obviously the time that pressure washing will take is highly dependent on the size and cleanliness level of the surfaces and what you as the client want us to pressure wash! 

As a very generalized statement, pressure washing services typically take between one and three hours to complete. However, if you give our team a call, we’ll be able to provide you with a personalized estimate according to your specific pressure washing needs here in Edmonton. 

What is the best time of year to get pressure washing done in Edmonton?

According to the experts here at Shine Above Window & Gutter Cleaning, it’s best to get pressure washing done two times each year. Although this is general and some homes or properties may require more or less than two pressure washing cleanings a year, it will work for most. 

For those two yearly pressure washing services, it’s best to do one in the spring and one in the fall. This way, we can wash away the winter for you in time for the warmer months and then clean up after the summer before the cold sets in in the fall. 

With Edmonton’s unpredictable weather, we don’t like to suggest one specific month. However, for springtime cleanings, they should take place between March and May and for fall time cleanings, they should take place between September and October. We’ll keep weather in mind with these suggested timelines and so should you!

man pressure washing the side of a house
Your home will look brand new in no time!

How do you price pressure washing? 

Here at Shine Above, we price our pressure washing services according to a few factors. Rather than doing it on a per hour basis, we make sure to take into consideration the square footage and the cleanliness of what we’ll be pressure washing. 

By using these factors to determine pricing, rather than doing it by hour, we can provide our clients with much more reasonable pricing that is actually customized to their specific needs. 

On average, pressure washing services are typically $150-$350, however, this is just a generalized range and can vary outside of this range. 

What do I need to do to prepare for pressure washing?

The preparation for getting pressure washing services from us at Shine Above is very quick and easy. 

We only need two things from you: 

  • An exterior source of running water 
  • Clear access to the surfaces that we’ll be pressure washing for you

If you’ve got a source of water and have moved the cars off your driveway or the shelves away from your siding, you’re completely ready to go! 


If you are in need of pressure washing services in Edmonton, give our team of professional pressure washing experts a call at 780-651-1533 to get your FREE estimate!