Rolling Thunder Window Cleaning & Power Washing can help you get your home ready for winter
By Mimi Vanderhaven
Uh, oh. It’s already the middle of September and there is still so much to get done, including pressure washing the house and driveway and sealing the concrete. You’ve read a lot in the pages of Mimi Magazine about the importance of protecting your concrete from Northeast Ohio’s damaging freeze-thaw cycle, but you may not know that there’s a time limit.
Once the leaves fall, it’s too late.
“It’s important to get your driveway sealed before the cooler temperatures,” explains Rick Winrod, the founder of Rolling Thunder Window Cleaning & Pressure Washing. Rick’s been doing professional home maintenance since 1993, including house washing, driveway cleaning and sealing, gutter cleaning and—for a select few clients—installing holiday lights.
Power Washing
Rick uses professional-grade, top-of-the-line power washing equipment that is both effective and safe, but that, he says, is just the beginning. “One of the most important aspects of proper driveway maintenance is using the right sealer after it’s been cleaned,” Rick explains. “It’s absolutely critical. We use a professional-grade, water-based silicone water repellent made of a special hybrid of silane and siloxane. It features a mixture of different-size particles—some larger, some smaller—to fill different size voids in your concrete. This ensures good penetration, which results in better coverage and more durable water repellency.”
Although Rolling Thunder pressure washes all kinds of homes, Rick specializes in the popular vinyl-sided homes found throughout Westlake, Avon, Avon Lake and surrounding communities.
And unlike large firms, you’ll actually see the owner of the company—Rick.
He is either on every job or inspects every job himself.
“We’re a small, family-owned company and we have a 25-year reputation to protect,” he says. “We don’t take chances with quality or safety. This is difficult and dangerous work we do. I’m not going to send anybody on a job who’s not going to do it as properly and as safely as I would do it myself. And we’re fully insured, but—unfortunately—not every company is.”
Window Cleaning
When it comes to cleaning windows, Rick has one goal: he wants your window to look like it has no glass in it.
“I look at a dirty window in the moments before I clean it and imagine what it’s going to look like clean,” he says. “I also imagine how the client is going to feel when they see it. When you clean windows on a house that haven’t been cleaned in months or years, it can be an emotional experience. It changes everything.”
And right now, crystal clear windows mean you get a better view of fall colors and upcoming holiday lights.
Gutter Cleaning
“Gutter cleaning is essential,” Rick says.
“Overflowing gutters can cause very expensive problems to your foundation and your basement. That’s why we get in the nooks and crannies; we even clean the downspouts. I’ve been cleaning gutters for years and I know there is a true science behind it. If we clean your gutters, they’re going to be free flowing when we leave. Water will be diverted where it’s supposed to be, not into your basement, and you won’t have mulch washing onto your driveway.”
Holiday Lighting
It’s not too early to start thinking about holiday lights, and Rolling Thunder offers full installation. They climb on the roof so you don’t have to. But, Rick says, he is almost booked for the upcoming season, so get on his schedule now.
“We could handle a few more homes, especially if they’re in the Westlake, Avon and Avon Lake areas. But what we’re focused on right now is cleaning and sealing driveways. That’s not a luxury. It’s a necessity.”
The Rolling Thunder Window Cleaning offices are located at 33480 Liberty Parkway in North Ridgeville, but the company services homes throughout Northeast Ohio. For more information or to receive a free estimate, call 440-897-6317. The website is RollingThunderWC.com.