The Three Elements of Pressure Washing
a guest post by Kurt Doman
To get the most out of your pressure washing jobs around the home, always remember that power washing is made up of three very separate elements; water pressure, temperature, and detergents or chemicals. By changing the level and intensity of either three, you greatly affect the overall washing process. Moreover, if not controlled you risk damaging the very surface you’re trying to clean and/or protect.
Depending on the type of surface, you’ll almost always want to use some type of pressure washer detergent. For wood, particularly that which you’re trying to get rid of the green mildew or mold, simple oxygen bleach and water combination works pretty well. You can also add laundry detergent to the mix as well if there’s a lot of mud and dirt on the wood surface. A good general mixture is ¼ cup bleach, ¼ detergent and the rest water in a small or medium sized bucket. I use one of those three gallon buckets that our pool chlorine comes in and the mixture works fine.
The amount of pressure you’ll want to use depends on the surface in which you’re washing (obviously). The type of fan or spray tip you use will help dissipate the pressure giving you the best spray width for the job. For wood, a tip of 40-60 degree’s is usually preferred as you don’t want to splinter the wood. With concrete you can use thinner fan width but always want to be cautious of cracks and broken areas of concrete. If the pressure is too high you risk making the cracks worse. It’s always best to error on the side of caution. Personally I use a 40 degree tip for just about everything.
There are many ways in which pressure washing can be dangerous also, not only to the materials and surfaces you’re cleaning but to human skin as well. Never point the spray nozzle directly at anyone. Always start the sprayer pointing away from any surface and move it in slowly to the desired angle. It’s also recommended to start cleaning or spraying on a little area to see how the surface will react. I had a co-worker whose husband completely ruined their 3 year old deck when he did a pressure wash on the entire thing to only realize a few days later after it dried that it was totally splintered.
What I like to do with wood such as decks and fences, is apply the detergent in a small area around 4 to 5 sq feet in a corner or someplace not real noticeable, wait the recommended time (usually 10-15 minutes) then rinse. Basically I do the entire process in an area not visible. Then I let it sit for two or three days to dry out. So if I want to do my entire fence or deck on the weekend I’ll do this on Tuesday or Wednesday. That way I can tell if it’s doing any damage before I treat the entire surface.
If you are concerned about doing a good job, you may want to consider hiring a pressure washing business to do the job for you. Most have pretty reasonable prices, so it’s worth making a few phone calls to find out. This is one job that it’s really best to skip over if you’re not 100% comfortable with the idea of doing it, so make sure that you are familiar with your pressure washing equipment before getting started, and that you are fully aware of all the steps involved.
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