Pre-Winter Pressure Washing in KW: The Surfaces to Clean Before the Cold Hits

A fall wash is less about looks than about what happens once frost, salt and snow arrive. Read on for the surfaces worth cleaning before winter in Kitchener-Waterloo, how to handle the clash between leaf drop and the first freeze, and the weather rules and winterizing steps that follow.

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Why a fall wash earns its place

• Slip hazards. Algae and a film of wet leaves are slick on their own. Add the first frost and steps become a rink.
• Stains that set. Leaves left on concrete release brown tannin, and oil drips settle in before salted slush arrives on top of them.
• A clear view of problems. Once a slab is clean, cracks, heaved pavers and loose boards show up while you can still fix them in mild weather.
• Preparation. A clean, dry surface is the starting point for sealing or staining before the cold.

Winter itself is the worst time to wash, since wet surfaces keep refreezing through the freeze-thaw cycles that are common from November to April. Fall is your window.

The surfaces worth cleaning, and why

• Front steps, porch and walkway. A wash removes algae and leaf film before frost makes them slippery. Watch for loose or cracked treads and a wobbly railing.
• Driveway. It lifts tannin, oil and grit before salt season. Watch for cracks that need filling, and for scaling that calls for a gentler method.
• Garage apron. It clears the dirt where salted slush will collect all winter. Oil marks are hard to see under slush, so deal with them now.
• Deck and railings. Cleaning removes mildew before snow sits on damp boards. Watch for loose boards, worn stain and soft spots.
• Patio and interlock. A wash clears moss and leaf stains. Watch for heaved pavers and joint sand that needs topping up.
• Fence and retaining walls. Cleaning removes mildew and algae ahead of painting or staining. Watch for leaning posts and crumbling mortar.
• Patio furniture and the barbecue. Clean them before storage, so mould does not grow under a cover. Use low pressure only, and dry everything before covering.

Leaf drop versus the first freeze

Here is the fall dilemma. Wash too early and the maples drop a fresh blanket on the clean driveway. Wash too late and nights approach zero. A sensible order handles both.

1. Do the steps, porch and walkway first, since they are safety-critical, and sweep them through leaf season.
2. Clear eavestroughs and downspouts once the maples and oaks are mostly bare, usually late October into November, so that runoff does not re-dirty clean surfaces. See gutter cleaning.
3. Wash the driveway and patio after the main leaf drop, on a mild day, and sweep any stragglers.
4. If the forecast turns cold before the leaves finish, sweep and skip the wash until spring.

What to leave for a gentler method

Not everything belongs under a pressure washer in fall. House siding, stucco and roofs call for a low-pressure soft wash, and early fall suits it while nights are still mild. Windows are a separate job, best done once the leaves are down so the glass stays clear into winter. Do not blast old paint, loose caulk or aging mortar either, since water forced into gaps can freeze and widen them.

Weather rules for a fall wash

• Stay comfortably above freezing during the wash and for a full day afterwards, since runoff refreezes on slabs and steps.
• Choose a dry, calm day with time to spare. Autumn days are short and surfaces dry slowly, so start in the morning.
• Skip any day when overnight lows are near zero, even if the afternoon feels mild.
• Leave time for the surface to dry completely if a sealer or stain is planned, and follow the product's minimum temperature.

Sealing before winter is a common follow-up, and the guide to why to seal a driveway before winter explains the timing.

Wash, then winterize

• Disconnect hoses, drain them and store them indoors.
• Close the indoor shut-off valve to the outdoor tap, if there is one, then open the tap to drain the line. Frozen taps split pipes.
• Drain a pressure washer's hose and wand, and store the machine where it stays above freezing.
• Bring furniture and cushions in, or cover them once they are dry.
• Top up joint sand, and extend downspouts away from walkways so meltwater does not freeze on them.
• Check the fall home exterior checklist for the rest of the list.

Prefer to hand it over? Ask D&D for a written quote: pressure washing is priced from $350 at a typical Kitchener-Waterloo home, and the quote is free.

Devon Moore, Operations Lead Co-Founder & Operations Lead, D&D Home Services

Devon Moore is the co-founder and Operations Lead at D&D Home Services, with hands-on experience cleaning hundreds of homes across Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph.