Direct answer
What should you know first?
For a Cleveland-area home, pressure wash durable concrete, pavers, and sound masonry; soft wash siding and roofing; use lower pressure on wood and weathered surfaces; and clean exterior windows last. Grouping related work into one visit can simplify preparation while keeping each material on the right method.
Make a surface-by-surface list
Walk the home and list the driveway, front walk, patio, deck, siding, roof, masonry, and windows separately. Note shaded areas, visible growth, leaf staining, weak mortar, loose trim, or damaged concrete. This produces a more accurate conversation than simply asking to wash everything.
Use pressure selectively
Concrete and many paver surfaces can be pressure washed. Siding and roofing are normally soft washed. Wood, old mortar, painted surfaces, and damaged materials require caution. The method should follow the surface rather than the strongest equipment available.
Prepare the property
Close windows and doors, move vehicles and portable furniture, identify delicate plants or fixtures, and make sure pets stay inside. Ask what needs to be moved versus protected in place.
Choose the order
Roof or upper-wall work comes before lower surfaces. Flatwork follows, and exterior windows are completed last. That sequence keeps runoff from undoing finished areas.
- Inspect and document surfaces
- Wash from upper areas downward
- Match pressure to material
- Finish with exterior glass