Why You Need to Clean Your Gutters

Emma Miller on November 1, 2022

You may not think about them very much, but gutters are essential for diverting the flow of rainwater away from your home’s foundation. They’re especially important in areas with high rainfall. But what happens if you don’t clean your gutters? A lot of things, actually, and none of them are good. To learn why clean gutters are so important, here are six problems that can emerge when they’re dirty.

Gutter Damage

What happens if you don’t clean your gutters should be obvious: leaves, twigs, and other forms of debris will build up over time. However, beyond just appearing unkempt, this accumulation can potentially damage your gutter system. The increased weight of all the leaves may be too much for your gutters to withstand, causing them to break off and damage the fascia in the process.

In addition to preventing unwanted gutter damage, there are many long-term reasons why homeowners should clean gutters. Built-up debris can cause your gutters to experience rust and corrosion, ultimately reducing their lifespan. By keeping gutters cleaned regularly, you can help increase their longevity.

Ice Dams

Accumulated debris isn’t the only extra weight that can strain a gutter system. Ice damming can also cause some serious problems. Ice dams occur when the snow on your roof melts, flows into the gutters, and then freezes again because of the lower temperatures. Not only will it create icicles, but it can also impair your gutters’ drainage system. When combined with built-up debris, ice dams can worsen water drainage even more.

Extensive Water Damage

As you well know, blocked gutters don’t properly drain rainwater. This clogging can result in water overflow that will negatively affect any home. For example, with nowhere to flow, the water will start seeping into your roofing. It won’t just ruin the shingles but can leak into the attic and cause extensive water damage. 

Water overflowing because of a clogged gutter can also make its way into your siding, stain the walls of your home, and create mold. Your basement isn’t safe either, as rainwater can seep into your basement and flood it depending on the direction of your landscaping slopes. With so many potential water problems that can arise, it’s easy to see why clean gutters are so important.

Foundation and Structural Damage

Clogged gutters can also play a role in causing serious foundation damage to your home. Normally, gutters will help divert rainwater and melted snow away from a home’s foundation. However, when the gutters become too obstructed, water will drain directly below the drainage area. When the temperature drops below freezing during the winter, the water will expand and contract, causing damage. This erosion and leaking contributes to foundation problems over time, including wall cracks, uneven floors, and much more.

Pests

What happens if you don’t clean out gutters? Pests move in. Insects love the decomposing plant debris that builds up in gutters, which is the perfect breeding ground for them. Their presence can eventually lead to infestations and health problems, so if you don’t want pests to be attracted to your home, make sure to get your gutters cleaned.

Costly Repairs

Most of the damages discussed regarding what happens when you don’t clean your gutters have one trait in common: they’re incredibly expensive to repair. So why wait for there to be a problem when you can prevent them? By ensuring your gutters are cleaned thoroughly, you can avoid any damages and, in turn, the costs that come along with them.

If you want to avoid all the issues caused by clogged and dirty gutters, then you should have a professional perform a gutter cleanout. Anyone searching for professional gutter cleaning in DC and the surrounding areas can reach out to EcoTek Power Washing today. We offer numerous home services, including holiday lighting installation for the upcoming season. Contact EcoTek today and learn how we can help keep your home clean and looking great!

Why You Should Hire Professionals to Hang Holiday Lights

Emma Miller on November 1, 2022

When people imagine holiday season traditions, thoughts of family gatherings, festivities, and celebrations enter their minds. However, many would agree that decorative lighting is among one of the most familiar and well-known traditions out there. Despite this, many don’t have the experience, time, or energy to hang up the lights when the season rolls around — which is why it’s a good idea to hire someone to hang Christmas lights. To learn more, here are four of the major benefits of having a Christmas light professional handle the installation.

Hiring a Professional Is Much Safer

Unfortunately, a large number of people wind up in the emergency room throughout the holiday season — many of which suffer from falls. In fact, ladder accidents are among the leading causes of home injuries. However, homeowners won’t put themselves at risk when they hire someone to hang Christmas lights. Safety is one of the top reasons why it’s a good idea to ask a professional for help with holiday lighting. They have both the necessary equipment and the experience to stay safe while on the job.

Additionally, hiring a Christmas light professional won’t just be safe for you but for your home as well. From improperly removing staples to blowing fuses, there are plenty of ways light installations can damage a property. Thankfully, professionals will know how to avoid these potential issues and help keep a home safe while adding decorative illumination.

It Will Take Less Time

Hanging up holiday lights can take forever on your own and span multiple days. Nobody wants to spend their holiday season fiddling with cords, which is why it’s best to hire someone to hang Christmas lights — a professional installer can have them up in only a few hours. Trained and certified holiday light installers are perfect for those who want to get their seasonal decorations ready in a short amount of time. By using proven installation methods and their own firsthand experience, they know how to get lights up quickly and efficiently.

There’s Less Work for You

There’s a lot that homeowners need to prepare for during the holiday season, whether it’s shopping for presents, planning parties, baking, and other activities. So why spend time installing lights when a professional can lighten the load? They’ll take care of all the important installation tasks so you can devote time to holiday preparations.

The convenience of a Christmas light professional doesn’t end after they’re done with the installation. Once the holiday season has ended, they can help you take down and pack up the lights. In turn, you won’t have to worry about carefully removing every cord or breaking any bulbs by mistake.

You Can Have Custom, Professional Designs

When you hire someone to hang Christmas lights, they can lend a hand with more than just the installation. If you’re unsure how to decorate your property for the holidays, a professional designer can help you create a light arrangement that will bring your home to life during the season. Their custom-fit lighting designs can incorporate your roof, windows, branches, and tree trunks, among other features. With the guidance of a lighting pro, your entire home can undergo a festive transformation.

If you ever need professional holiday light installation, you can always count on the team at EcoTek for the job. In addition, we offer a wide range of other services, including gutter cleaning in Hartford County, MD, and the surrounding areas. To learn more about our holiday decorating and other services and schedule your appointment, give us a call today.

4 Benefits of Dryer Vent Cleaning

Emma Miller on April 23, 2022

Homeowners must dedicate time to cleaning the vents of their dryer once a year or more, depending on the number of occupants using it. The cleaner your dryer is, the more efficiently it will operate. However, there are far more advantages to maintaining a clean dryer than just cleanliness. If you neglect routine dryer duct cleaning, it can cause a variety of problems you may never have considered. Learn four of the most significant dryer vent cleaning advantages.

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Fact vs. Fiction — Debunking Common Pressure Washer Myths

Emma Miller on February 27, 2022

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EcoTek provides pressure washing services to residential and commercial clients in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. There are many myths in the world of power washing. So, we thought we would debunk them as well as spread the word about our legendary eco-friendly services, including high-speed pressure washing and soft washing for delicate surfaces.

Below, find common power washing myths and the actual facts that can help you hire a pressure washing service for your roof, home, or business.

Myth 1: Pressure washing only uses high water pressure to clean surfaces.

Fact: Pressure washing typically uses high water pressure to clean durable surfaces. However, we can also use soft washing on delicate areas such as vinyl siding. For example, soft washing can safely clean the delicate surfaces of roof shingles to preserve the structure while washing away fungus, dirt, and mildew. Please call us for house washing services, and we’ll use the appropriate pressure to protect and clean your home’s exterior.

Myth 2: Pressure washing is only useful for large buildings or homes.

Fact: Power washing is safe for nearly every external surface, including brick, pavers, fencing, sidewalks, and driveways. In fact, we offer a two-year limited warranty on house and building cleanings and a five-year warranty on roof cleanings. Additionally, our pressure washers can clean any structure, no matter how large or small.

Myth 3: Pressure washing is an easy DIY project.

Fact: It’s not as easy as it looks to operate a power washer without the proper training. Without the right technique, you could leave behind etchings and sensitive surfaces at your home or business. We highly recommend hiring a professional with years of experience and the appropriate personal protective gear.

Protect yourself and your family from injuries due to high water pressure by calling EcoTek. Our qualified technicians professionally clean the designated surfaces with environmentally friendly pressure and soft washing services.

Myth 4: Every surface is safe for power washing.

Fact: pressure washing works for many exterior surfaces. However, some surfaces are not suitable for high water pressure or even softer water pressure. It’s important to hire a professional to determine which surfaces are safe for power washing. Trying to figure that out on your own could result in costly damage to your driveway, roof, home, or business.

Myth 5: Pressure washing detergent isn’t safe for your home exterior.

Fact: EcoTek has specially formulated detergents for our power washers. We believe in reducing our total carbon footprint as much as possible. So, our technicians use just enough environmentally friendly soaps and solvents to minimize the impact of our services. Of course, we look out for our clients too. The detergent we use won’t harm children or pets and leaves your home or business sparkling clean without damaging brickwork, siding, or concrete surfaces.

EcoTek stands out among pressure washing companies for our attention to detail and 100% satisfaction guarantee. From vinyl siding to brick pavers, we can help you come clean with 

professional soft washing or power washing services.

The power washing pros at EcoTek will provide an upfront estimate and help you determine which services are viable for our highly effective cleaning methods. We stand out among other power washing companies for our customer care and service. If you’re interested in power washing services for a Baltimore home or power washing a Norfolk, VA commercial location, our team has the experience, knowledge, and resources to get the job done right.

Call EcoTek today for power washing services in Maryland, Virginia and DC.

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What Are the Black Streaks on My Roof? Can Soft Washing Remove Them?

Emma Miller on December 28, 2021

Black streaks on your roof are a harbinger of bad news, unfortunately. There’s nothing good to say about Gloeocapsa Magma, a hardy blue-green algae species that easily multiplies and spreads. Detrimental to your roof from any way you look at it, black streaks caused by Gloeocapsa Magma can really cause some damage to your shingles—and if left unchecked, it can reduce the expected lifespan of your whole roof.

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Should I Soft Wash My Commercial Building or Property?

Emma Miller on October 25, 2021

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You only get one chance to make a first impression, and this includes the impression your business (and the commercial building housing it) makes on customers, clients, vendors, and even members of the community. That’s reason enough in itself to keep your exterior clean through commercial soft washing.

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What’s the Difference Between Power Washing, Pressure Washing, and Soft Washing?

Emma Miller on August 18, 2021

If you’ve looked into getting your roof or other areas of your home’s exterior cleaned by a professional, then you may have heard the terms “power washing,” “pressure washing,” and “soft washing” tossed around. While they may all sound fairly similar, they aren’t all the same thing. Each of these is used to describe a specific type of power cleaning technique useful in different situations — each with its own distinct advantages.

What Is Power Washing?

Power washing is not the same as pressure washing, although the wash equipment used for each looks very alike. The most significant difference between power washing and pressure washing is heat; power washing requires heated water — usually warm but sometimes hot. Power washing equipment allows the cleaning professional to change water temps as they work. A power washing machine includes pumps for pressurizing and heating the water used for cleaning. As you might imagine, hot water can be a more effective cleaning medium than cold, but it can also damage vinyl siding and some other exterior surfaces.

Power washing is best for:

  • Stubborn stains, such as from oil and grease
  • Removing gum from surfaces
  • Removing mold and mildew when heat is required
  • Cleaning durable surfaces
  • Getting rid of stuck-on grime and debris

What Is Pressure Washing?

Like power washing, pressure washing relies on high-pressure water to remove dirt, grime, and other gunk from surfaces — save for the heat. Pressure washing is an excellent option for many home exteriors, but pressure can be too much for some of the more delicate surfaces you may need cleaned. This includes those that are fragile or porous, such as wicker or bamboo. Professional pressure washers are more powerful than their hardware-store counterparts.

Pressure washing is best for:

  • Hard, solid surfaces
  • Stone, tile, fencing, and concrete
  • Some types of roof cleaning

What Is Soft Washing?

Soft washing is a type of cleaning method that uses a soft spray with a low PSI and a soft washing nozzle that reduces the force of typical pressure washing. Additionally, soft washing involves using special chemical agents in the water to help provide a thorough clean by breaking down biological materials such as moss, algae, and mold. Soft washing methods are usually recommended for delicate surfaces, including asphalt roofs where black streaks resulting from algae develop. The lowered pressure (and special cleaning agents) remove these invasive algae without damaging the granular surface of the shingles or causing harm to plants in the yard, masonry, and painted surfaces.

Soft washing is best for:

  • Painted, aluminum, and vinyl sidings
  • Brick, stone, masonry, or stucco
  • Fiberboard
  • Glass and windows

Contact Us for Professional Power Washing, Pressure Washing, and Soft Washing

Ready for professional cleaning solutions for your home’s exterior? Count on EcoTek Power Wash for all of your pressure, soft, and power washing needs. For more information about our services or the best time of the year to power wash a house, reach out to us today!

Power Washing Commercial Facilities

Emma Miller on January 30, 2020

Power washing isn’t just for residential customers. It can be used for many different facilities, including construction sites and commercial facilities. Places where the public frequents often or a lot of work is done tend to get pretty dirty pretty quickly. Keeping these areas clean is not only good for aesthetics and business, it’s good for the environment and the health of its patrons and employees as well. 

So how is this done?

Power washing a commercial facility works very similar to pressure washing a residential home. The only part that can be different is not having a water source. This is especially true in areas away from the main water source, like parking garages and large parking lots.

Professional power washing companies are equipped to handle situations like this by having their own water source. A pressure washer water tank allows companies to use a pressure washer in any location. 

How often should commercial areas be cleaned?

Every commercial property has different cleaning needs but there are some instances where power washing is necessary.

After storms – Storms can bring in a ton of debris that make it unsightly and sometimes even hazardous for a business to be in operation with the public coming by. Wind and heavy rains can cause dirt build-up on sidewalks and siding. Having pressure washing done after major storms can help protect your property.

After Spills – Some businesses work with machinery and/or chemicals. For example, elements like oil create tough stains. Over time, oil and other chemicals can seep into concrete and not only stain the surface but weaken it as well. 

After Outdoor Events – When commercial facilities host gatherings they tend to get a lot of debris and stains from food and drinks. After an event, power washing can prevent stains from setting in and can even prevent rodent problems. 

Seasonally – In the winter, salt and sand used for melting snow can wreak havoc on concrete and other surfaces. In the spring and summer, pollen and dust can cause allergy upsets, staining, and discoloration. Fall leaves and debris can also affect outside surfaces. Having your commercial property cleaned seasonally is very much recommended. 

If it’s been a while since your commercial facility was cleaned, give us a call! We do free estimates!