The exterior of a commercial building speaks volumes to everyone who comes by, including customers and employees. When the outside of your building is not appealing and professional looking, you could lose customers and even reduce employee morale. Unfortunately, outdoor surfaces face harsh weather elements, which means that they take only a few months to accumulate dirt, debris, and grime. Extreme weather elements, from frequent rain and humidity to flooding and hurricanes, could cause further damage and debris build up around the building.
When pollutants, pollen, and everyday dirt accumulates, they can wreak havoc on the building, giving it a worn-down appearance. If left unattended, that can mean long-term structural damage or a significant impact on the health of those in the building.
What do you do when water, soap, and even heavy chemicals fail to do the job? Well, you roll out a pressure washer, or you hire a commercial pressure washing service near you. After all, the use of a powerful hose is proven to blast things clean with pressurized water jets – leaving those exterior walls, sidewalks and entrances looking brand new.
What Are Commercial Pressure Washing Services?
Pressure washing refers to the use of high-pressurized water jets to blast out dirt, dust, grime, mud, stains, mold, salt, and even chewing gum. Commercial pressure washing services help remove stuck-on grime that can build up on the exterior of a building over time. By using a commercial pressure washing service, many business owners find that they can make the exterior of the building look new again. This can, in turn, help boost curb appeal for the building.
Pressure washers often use regular-temperature water (unheated water) and thus may not perform well against mold, moss, or other tough-stuck-on substances. To remove such contaminants, including tough stains on concrete, you’re better off using a power washer that generates heated water. Commercial pressure washing services will often include those power washing services if needed. Make sure you talk to your contractor ahead of time to ensure that you get all the services you need.
The Benefits of Commercial Pressure Washing
Using a pressure washer is an effective way to give commercial facilities a face-lift at an affordable cost. When you use pressure washing services on a regular basis, you may find that it helps keep your business looking its best. There are a number of important benefits to scheduling regular pressure washing to help keep your business looking clean and professional.
Boosting Your Building’s Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is a powerful thing. When most people think of curb appeal, they think it applies to residential homes, especially during the selling process. However, curb appeal is just as important to commercial buildings.
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You only get one chance to make a first impression, and many customers will start to size up your business before they even step through the front door. By ensuring that your building is clean and professional looking, you can improve that curb appeal and help increase the odds that customers will come through your doors.
Pressure washing is also a great choice if you’re planning to sell your commercial property since it will ensure that the building looks its finest for potential buyers.
Building Trust and Professionalism
Having a clean commercial building is critical for both landlords and store owners. Customers have a higher overall level of trust in businesses that they perceive as “clean.” Trust declines when customers view the building as unkempt. Often, customers will choose to take their business elsewhere.
As a landlord, you may notice that a building that’s not taken care of can mean higher turnover among store owners who choose to set up their business in your building. Likewise, if you’re a store owner, you may find that you naturally see more business when your building looks well-managed and clean. There’s also a certain level of appeal in checking out a “new” business—and your business may seem to fit that category when you keep it looking its best.
Saving Time and Money
When you take the time to pressure wash your building before it starts to get dingy, you may find that your regular cleaning tasks are less time-consuming and more economical. Regular cleaning is an essential part of maintaining your business and your building. It helps reduce overall maintenance and repair costs, which can help save you money over time.
When you clean and pressure wash regularly, you’ll find that your building is exposed to fewer contaminants that can cause damage to it, which means lower maintenance costs and less time spent dealing with those challenges.
Maintaining a Healthy Environment
Working environments have an impact on people’s health. So when mold, salts, algae, moss, mildew, and other contaminants accumulate on a property, they create unhygienic conditions for the occupants. If not removed, these substances can interfere with the air quality, resulting in allergies and ailments like asthma. Reputable pressure washing services help eradicate those contaminants at an affordable cost.
The Cost of Commercial Pressure Washing Services
Commercial pressure washing service rates vary based on many factors, including:
- The area needed to be washed. Many commercial cleaners will base their charges on square footage.
- The extent of the grime built up on the building. Some buildings may have more contaminants than others, which means that it may take longer to get through the cleaning task.
- The materials needed to clean the building. The different cleaning products required for multiple surfaces may increase the cost of your commercial pressure washing services.
- The equipment needed for cleaning. For example, a high-rise building may require additional equipment to ensure that workers can reach the proper height, which may increase the cost.
In addition, consider the timing of your commercial pressure washing service (or any deep-cleaning task). Many commercial cleaners will be happy to expedite your cleaning services if you don’t have time to wait–for example, if you want to take care of pressure washing quickly before you put a property on the market–but you may pay a premium for those services.
Preparing For Pressure Washing Services
Before you have commercial pressure washing services come in, make sure you take the time to get everything prepared.
1. Schedule the Right Time
Consider the best time to pressure wash your building. Talk to your contractor about what will be required. For example, you may be able to schedule pressure washing around your normal high and low times when there will be fewer customers around. In other cases, you may need to plan to close your business for a day to take care of the job.
Discuss availability with your contractors. In some cases, you may be able to take care of pressure washing services after business hours. In other cases, you may be able to schedule it over the weekend. Consider the timing that best fits the needs of your business and your contractors’ availability.
2. Cover Windows, Doors, and Outlets
When your contractors come to clean the building, it can be helpful to cover any areas on the exterior of the building that could potentially get damaged or keep workers and their equipment from maneuvering. Cover electrical outlets and make sure that windows and doors are properly shut and covered. If they come open or are uncovered during the cleaning process, there is an increased risk of property damage.
3. Remove Signage and Decorative Items
Pressure washing can potentially cause damage to some types of signs or decorative items. Talk to your commercial pressure washing team about how to protect those items, including which ones you may need to remove in order to decrease the risk of damage to the property.
You may also want to move any items that sit directly outside the building, including outdoor displays, to prevent them from being damaged by the water. Putting those items away for the day can help keep them safe.
Choosing the Right Commercial Pressure Washing Service For Your Business
There are several steps that may go into choosing the ideal commercial pressure washing service for your business. We’ve put together a handy guide that can help you choose the right cleaner for your needs.
1. Compile a List
When it comes to hiring pressure washing services for your business, spend some time doing research and getting familiar with the companies in the area. Ask for referrals. Then put together a short list of your top three to five choices.
Was a company recommended to you by friends, family members, or another business? Put that company at the top of your list. You can expect quality services when you know others have had a good experience with that company. Getting personal reviews can also help you get some initial information about the company, including what it’s really like to work with them or even a ballpark estimate of their fees.
2. Read Online Reviews
Next, look closely at pressure washing services in Houston and what past clients thought about each company. This will give you an insider’s view of what to expect after hiring one of these companies. Don’t just settle for the reviews you find on the companies’ websites—though this is an excellent place to start. The feedback on these websites might be accurate, but they may also show only one side of the story. No company is going to post negative reviews on its homepage.
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Instead, head over to third-party sites, such as Yelp. Another good reference is the Better Business Bureau. A non-partisan organization will provide information on a pressure washing business’s track record and its commitment to integrity and customer service. These sites will show you both positive reviews and negative reviews.
Keep in mind that you likely won’t find a company that has no negative reviews at all. It’s hard to please everyone, and a few negative reviews are nothing to worry about. However, if a company has a lot of negative reviews, you should take that as a warning sign and remove them from your list. Otherwise, you might end up spending money on less-than-satisfactory services.
3. Check for Licensing and Insurance
When considering a pressure washing company, the company you choose needs to have insurance. Proper insurance covers any accidental damage to your property. It also covers the company for any damages to their equipment or to a worker for that company. If a company doesn’t have insurance, you could be responsible if any damages occur during the service.
Pressure washing companies also need to have specific licenses. In Houston, for example, pressure washing firms need to obtain a permit for pressure washing, and all of their equipment, such as booms, mats, and recovery systems, must be tested by the City of Houston.
These policies are in place so that all wastewater will be recovered and storm drains will be protected. In addition, all company names and telephone numbers must be on both sides of the firm’s vehicle in three-inch lettering. Companies that don’t have a license may not have the right tools or know-how for the job, and they can end up doing more harm than good.
A company should be willing to show you proof of its licensing and insurance. If they can’t, you should take your business somewhere else.
4. Schedule a Consultation
Now that your list of pressure washing options is more manageable, set up a consultation with each one of the commercial pressure washing services you’re considering. You’ll find that many of these companies will offer a free onsite consultation. During this time, the contractor usually conducts an onsite visit to perform a thorough examination and gives you an estimate, along with specifics about the job to be performed.
But you should also use this time to ask plenty of questions. If you aren’t sure what to ask, start with these:
- How long will the job take?
- How much experience do they have?
- How much will it cost?
- Do they have any referrals?
- Will there be any problems with this job?
- When are they available to work? (Can they work around your business’s hours?)
These questions and any others that reflect your priorities will ensure a company is the right fit for your business while avoiding surprises down the road.
5. Compare Prices and Shop Around
Now that you have a few different estimates, it’s time to compare prices between different press washing services. Put together a realistic budget and figure out which company matches the price you’re able to pay.
Make sure you’re comparing prices based on the full services the company has to offer. In many cases, you’ll find that a less expensive company might offer a better price upfront but may not provide all the services you need. It’s worth spending a bit more on a commercial pressure-washing company that is reputable, professional and experienced.
Get Started with an Experienced Pressure Washing Company
Pressure washing isn’t something you should leave to inexperienced companies. If they are not skilled and trained properly, they could accidentally cause a lot of damage to your business. Hiring professional pressure washing services is the smarter choice.
DTK Inc was founded in Houston in 1996 and has grown to become one of the largest and most reputable pressure-washing businesses in the area. It provides services at over 500 locations, employs over 1,515 people, and provides services for an estimated 30+ million square feet across four states. Contact us today to get a quote and see how our services can transform your commercial building.