“Our busiest time is spring. With winter over, people can get outside and will notice that their siding, deck or patio is dirty. It’s part of the ‘spring cleaning’ thing,” commented Shawn Bear, a partner in DavShaw Pressure Washing, Ephrata.

He noted that the company does residential pressure washing (siding, decks, patios), storefronts, and commercial buildings. They can also apply a water sealant to decks.

“In spring we’re most often doing a combination of siding and decks/patios. While we’re there, people often have us wash both the house and the deck or patio. If they want the deck sealed, it has to dry before the sealant can be applied so we come back in a day or two to do that,” Bear said.

DavShaw has been in the pressure washing business since 2002. During that time they've also washed several homes before they were put on the market to be sold. He also noted that there’s a misconception that pressure washing is more expensive that it really is-the cost of pressure washing the average two-story home is $200.

“We give free estimates, which are extremely accurate,” he said.

Another concern of homeowners is potential damage to landscaping through pressure washing.

“We don’t use chemicals; we use hot water to clean the siding. If there are some difficult spots, we’ll use a cleaner on that spot only. We realize that people spend a lot of money on their flowers and are concerned about the affect chemicals could have on them,” Bear explained.

DavShaw also recommends that clients have their windows closed during pressure washing.

“We do go over the windows - we don’t use full pressure but spray lightly,” he said. Pressure washing can also can eradicate bee or wasps nests from those hard to reach places such as behind shutters or on roof peaks.

They use a 2,000 to 3,000 psi pressure washing unit mounted on a trailer, and two of the three units they have will heat the water. (Pressure washers are rated by the pressure they put out, which is measured as psi.)

They also have an on-board 550-gallon water supply.

“When we give our clients our invoice, that’s the only bill they’ll be getting for the pressure washing. They won’t get a water bill a month or two down the road and pay for increased usage from the pressure washing,” Bear said.

Since DavShaw purchases water from a bulk supplier, they can still pressure wash during periods of drought.

Smaller pressure washer units also are becoming popular purchases for homeowners.

“Pressure washers have gained in popularity over the last 10 years. They’re available in a variety of sizes and prices - you can buy one for a little as $99,” said Phil Martin, a partner in Longenecker’s Hardware, Manheim.

He noted that consumers have a choice of electric or gasoline-powered pressure washers. The electric-powered pressure washers are more practical from a cost standpoint (they cost less), however the gasoline-powered are the most popular since they’re higher powered. Electric-powered units are usually 1500 psi or less.

They can be used to clean siding, decks and patios; remove old paint; and wash cars. “If you’re thinking of cleaning concrete or patios, you may want one with more pressure. You have to be careful using pressure washers - if you get too close to the decking and you’re using the full power, you could damage the decking,” he explained.

He recommends 2000 psi or stronger for cleaning decks. However is it’s larger than 2500 psi, there’s more need for caution since that kind of force could splinter wood. He also suggests that those in the market not only consider psi, but also water usage (gallons per minute).

Longenecker’s not only sells pressure washers, they rent them as well. Some of the higher powered rental units can be used with sand blasting attachments to clean stone on a stone house.

“People may rent a pressure washer if they’re only going to do a specific project like clean their siding, deck or patio. We find out what they’re going to use the washer for, and then we match them with the right size for the job,” Martin said.