Pressure washing is a quick and straightforward way to increase your home’s curb appeal and make your exteriors sparkle.
Here are a few pressure washing tips on how to adapt your pressure washing technique to different surfaces.
Brick and Mortar
Brick and mortar can be a little touchy to clean with a pressure washer. If you have any damaged joints, you should patch them first and let the patches dry for a minimum of one week before you break out the pressure washer. Soak the brick with a low pressure spray and then apply detergent to keep the detergent from soaking into the brick. Once the detergent is applied, stand back and move the spray back and forth in a smooth pattern, heading upward. If you see any residue afterward, you can gently scrub it off with a dry wire brush followed by water and a soft bristle brush.
Siding
Always deal with any siding repair before you even consider pressure washing. When you start spraying, avoid gaps, overlaps and trim around doors and windows. You should also spray perpendicular to your siding to avoid forcing spray under the bottom edges of your siding panels. This can cause damage and even leak water into your house.
Stucco
Like brick and mortar, you should always do any patching at least a week before you attempt to pressure wash your stucco. Angle your wand at a 45 degree angle to keep from destroying the texture, and make sure your nozzle is no closer than 24 inches from the surface. You can clean off any detergent with a garden hose.
Gutters and Windows
You can perform gutter cleaning with your pressure washer as well. Use a high pressure spray pattern and rinse the surface using water afterward to clean off any streaks and leftover detergent. Window cleaning is another story. Because windows are delicate and pressure washers are powerful, residential window cleaning is often best left to the professionals. Don’t attempt window cleaning with a pressure washer unless you’re absolutely sure what you’re doing.
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