If you plan to repaint the outside of your home soon, you may choose to wash down the exterior yourself. Exterior walls can build up with mold, mildew, and a host of other debris over time. If you use the wrong cleaning methods to clean your home, it may cause more problems than you expect. The information below can help you choose the best way to clean and paint your home today.

Is It Safe to Clean Your Home's Exterior Yourself?

If it's been a long time since you last painted your home, the exterior may contain a lot of stuck-on debris, including mold and mildew. Mold, mildew, and dirt can discolor the exterior surfaces of your home. Not only is the debris unsightly, but it can also actually harm the siding and wood covering your home.

Mold and mildew grow well on damp surfaces. If you saturate the exterior of your home with more water, you may accelerate the growth of mold and mildew on it. The water may also penetrate your siding or wood and damage the surfaces beneath it. Your new paint may not adhere to your damp home properly. In some cases, the paint will bubble or peel away from the siding or wood.

Rather than clean your home's exterior yourself, allow a painting company to do it for you.

Who Can Clean and Paint Your Home for You?

A painting company will use safe and effective cleansers to remove the mold and mildew from your home. The cleansers may contain fungicides or other chemicals that safely destroy fungi spores. In addition, a company will use just the right amount of water to clean your home's exterior. After a company cleans your home, its painters will allow the home ample time to dry.

After your house dries, a painting company will scrape away any debris stuck on it. Dirt, tiny pieces of gravel, and other debris can stick to old paint over time. The debris can make your new paint appear bumpy after it dries.

If your exterior walls or siding contains any other imperfections, a company will address them immediately. Gaps and other issues can keep paint from adhering to the surfaces of your home properly. A company will generally apply caulk to the gaps before they paint your house.

Don't attempt to remove mold, mildew, and other debris from your home before you paint it. Contact a painting company for the services you need today.

For more information on residential exterior painting, contact a company like Bill Schneeberger Painting & Decorating, LLC.