Damage From Egging a House
Table of Contents
Pranksters who egg houses usually hit cars, windows and patios or porches as well as the residence’s exterior. The act of throwing either raw or hard-boiled eggs can cause significant damage that requires costly cleanup and repair on the part of the homeowner.
This is particularly true if the egg material has hardened before you can remove it.
Windows
Depending on the age and condition of the windows, the force with which the eggs are thrown and whether they are hard-boiled or raw, egging a home can crack or break windows. Often these windows must be replaced at the expense of the homeowner.
Paint
Egging a home can chip or scratch painted surfaces, such as siding, porches and mailboxes, and the egg whites are corrosive and can degrade some paints, causing discoloration or peeling. Even if the egg has not damaged the paint, if it has dried on the surface, the paint may be removed with the dried egg during cleaning efforts.
Siding
Eggs thrown at vinyl or aluminum siding can leave a dent in the surface of the material, which may be impossible to remove. Furthermore, once egg whites and yolks have dried on siding, they can be extremely difficult to remove without vigorous scrubbing. The homeowner’s efforts to clean the egg from these surfaces can result in scratches or gouges. The shells themselves can also scratch the surface of some siding materials.
Vehicles
Egging a house can also cause damage to vehicles and other items that are stored outside the home. Eggs can scratch and dent vehicles, and they can break windshields. Just as with the paint on your siding, eggs can corrode or degrade the finish of a vehicle as well.
Cleaning Egg
Cleaning egg from the siding, windows and other exterior surfaces of your home is more difficult once it has dried, so it’s best to clean these surfaces as soon as possible. Use your garden hose to remove as much loose material as possible before you attempt to scrub the egg. To clean siding, use an enzyme-based cleaner, which will help break down the egg and soften it. Typically a solution of 1 teaspoon of cleaner to 1 cup of water is effective. Use a soft brush to apply the cleaner and scrub gently until the egg dissolves. Vinyl and aluminum siding generally clean up well after an egging. If you have wood siding, however, you may need to repaint it after cleaning because the paint may peel away. Contact a masonry restoration professional if your home is sided in brick or stucco to determine the best and safest cleaning method to use. On concrete surfaces, such as driveways and foundations, spraying with a power washer will remove most of the egg. You can also use a stiff brush and a gritty cleaning product such as mechanic's hand cleaner to scrub egg from the concrete.
The Drip Cap
- Pranksters who egg houses usually hit cars, windows and patios or porches as well as the residence’s exterior.
- This is particularly true if the egg material has hardened before you can remove it.
- Egging a home can chip or scratch painted surfaces, such as siding, porches and mailboxes, and the egg whites are corrosive and can degrade some paints, causing discoloration or peeling.
- The homeowner’s efforts to clean the egg from these surfaces can result in scratches or gouges.
- The shells themselves can also scratch the surface of some siding materials.
References
Writer Bio
Renee Miller began writing professionally in 2008, contributing to websites and the "Community Press" newspaper. She is co-founder of On Fiction Writing, a website for writers. Miller holds a diploma in social services from Clarke College in Belleville, Ontario.
Photo Credits
- Darrin Klimek/Photodisc/Getty Images
- Darrin Klimek/Photodisc/Getty Images
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