Everyone loves a good pressure wash. There’s something about the high-powered stream of water that makes everything feel much cleaner. But as with any cleaning method, there are some things that you should never pressure wash.
So what can you pressure wash? Before blasting away at your dirt and grime, you should ask yourself a few questions.
Examples include: Can you power wash your house? Or can you power wash wood?
While pressure washing is a powerful tool that can quickly remove dirt and grime, it can damage fragile surfaces and cause problems if used incorrectly. If you don’t know what you can pressure wash, you could damage your siding, deck, and windows, or worse, injure yourself.
So before you grab that pressure washer, let’s take a look at some of the things you can and should never pressure wash.
Things You Should Never Pressure Wash
Since pressure washing can leave your surfaces looking as good as new within minutes, it’s easy to get carried away and start using it on everything in sight. But there are some things that you should never pressure wash, no matter how tempting it may be. These include:
Electrical Meters and Panels
The high-pressure stream of water from a pressure washer can damage electrical meters and panels. Water can get into the panels through small crevices and cracks and cause a short circuit.
This poses safety risks as short circuits could lead to fires. You might also incur costly repairs to your entire electrical system.
Asphalt Shingles
Do you have asphalt shingles as your roofing material? If so, you should never pressure wash your roof, no matter how dirty it is. Pressure washing can damage the shingles by stripping away the granules that hold your roof in place. This can cause your roof to break, crumble, or come loose.
It will be more susceptible to leaks, mold, and mildew. Furthermore, it’s not safe for you to use a pressure washer on a high place, like a roof. When you squeeze the washer’s trigger, the powerful spray wand’s recoil could cause you to fall and injure yourself.
Air Conditioners
You might think that pressure washing your air conditioner will remove all the dirt and debris that has built up over time. But this is not the case because pressure washing can damage your air conditioner by forcing water into delicate parts of the unit. This could cause it to malfunction or break down completely.
The intense water flow from the pressure washer could crush or bend the fins in the air conditioner because they are weak. Bending these fins will restrict airflow, thereby shortening the life span of your air conditioning unit.
Painted Surfaces
Pressure washing can damage the paint on your walls by stripping it away. If you must pressure wash painted surfaces, use a low-pressure setting and hold the nozzle at least 12 inches away from the surface. You should also use a wide-angle spray tip to avoid stripping the paint.
Power washing can also damage any sealants you may have applied to your painted surfaces. These include waterproofing sealers and mildew-resistant coatings.
You should completely avoid pressure washing your surfaces if they contain lead paint. The high-pressure water can release lead particles into the air, which can be harmful if inhaled.
Brick Surfaces
If your home’s brick siding looks a little dirty, you might wonder if you can power wash it. You might be searching the web for answers to questions like, “Can you pressure wash brick?” The answer is no; you should never pressure wash bricks.
Brick is a porous material, which means it can absorb water. When the brick absorbs too much water, it expands and then contracts as it dries. This can cause the brick to crack and crumble.
The water from a pressure washer can strip away the mortar holding the bricks in place. This will leave your home’s brick siding vulnerable to weather damage and potential collapse.
Windows
Because each season brings its fair share of pollen, dust, and dirt, your windows can become quite dirty. Of course, you’ll be tempted to pressure wash since you can’t wait to get rid of all that grime in one go. But can you pressure wash windows?
The answer is no. The water can break the windows. You’ll be left to deal with the costly repairs or replacement of your windows.
The pressure can also damage the seals around your windows. This will allow water to seep in and cause problems like fogging, streaking, and condensation. The force of the water can cause the window frames to warp and crack.
There are better ways to clean your windows. You can use a garden hose with a nozzle attachment to gently rinse away any dirt or debris. Or, you can use a glass cleaner and a soft cloth to clean your windows without causing damage.
Plants, Flowers & Trees
You might think that pressure washing your plants and trees will remove all the dirt, pollen, and debris that have accumulated on them. But this is not the case. Pressure washing can damage your plants and trees.
The high-pressure stream of water can strip away the tree bark, leaving it vulnerable to disease and pests. In addition, the water can wash away the topsoil around your plants, exposing their roots. This can damage or kill your plants.
You should also never pressure wash your pets or humans. The high-pressure water can cause injuries like cuts, bruises, and abrasions. The force of the water can knock people and animals down.
Vehicles
You’ve probably seen people pressure washing their cars and trucks. But is this a good idea? Unfortunately, it’s not.
While you might be able to remove some of the dirt and grime, you can also cause damage. The water can strip away the paint, leaving your vehicle susceptible to rust and corrosion.
Water can also get into the electrical components of your vehicle and cause problems. If you want to wash your vehicle, use a garden hose and a soft sponge.
Gutters
Your gutters can get pretty dirty, especially if you live in an area with a lot of trees. But before grabbing the pressure washer, you should know this is not a good idea.
The high-pressure water can damage your gutters and cause them to leak. The water can wash away the mortar holding the gutters in place, making it vulnerable to collapse. If you need to clean your gutters, pick the debris up by hand and rinse the gutters using a garden hose.
What Can You Pressure Wash?
At this point, you probably think there’s nothing left that you can pressure wash. But there are actually a few things that can withstand the high-pressure stream of water. In most cases, these things require you to use low PSI or hire a professional to avoid damage.
Some of the things you can pressure wash include:
Driveways
Your driveway takes a beating from all elements, including leaking automotive fluids, dust from nearby roads, sticky shoes, and pounding rain. Over time, all of this can leave your driveway stained and grimy.
Fortunately, you can use a pressure washer to clean your concrete driveway. Just be sure to use low PSI and keep the pressure washer tip at least 12 inches from the driveway’s surface. You should also avoid using high pressure on cracks or joints, as this could cause further damage.
Siding
The siding on your home can become stained and dingy over time. Fortunately, a good pressure washing session can make your wood, aluminum, or vinyl siding look new. Just ensure that you use low PSI to avoid damaging your siding.
Too much pressure on your wood siding can cause the boards to splinter or chip, while excess pressure on aluminum siding may dent the material.
Garage Floor
Your garage floor is susceptible to oil stains and dirt that can build up over time. It’s okay to use a pressure washer to remove the stubborn stains as long as you set it at a low PSI.
It’s advisable to use low pressure when applying your degreasing solution to the garage floor. Once the solution sits for a while, you can increase the pressure and rinse off the degreasing solution.
Decks
If dirt, debris, and dust are diminishing your deck’s aesthetic appeal, do not shy away from using a pressure washer. Whether or not you can pressure wash your deck depends on the wood used to make it. For instance, your deck will hold up pretty well to pressure washing if it’s made of hardwoods like ipe, tigerwood, and cumaru.
If the deck is made of softer wood, you should be careful with the pressure setting and avoid holding the tip too close to the deck. A good practice is to use low pressure and start by testing the pressure washer on an inconspicuous area to see if the wood can handle it. After finding the right pressure setting and the tip distance from the deck, start pressure washing along the board’s length and follow the wood’s grain.
Outdoor Furniture
Your outdoor furniture can become stained and grimy over time. But you can use a pressure washer to clean it without damaging the material.
The key is to use low PSI and keep the tip at least 12 inches away from the furniture. You should also avoid using high pressure on cracks or joints, as this could cause further damage. Start by testing the pressure washer in an inconspicuous area to see if the material can handle it.
Fences
Your fence is constantly bombarded by the elements, including wind, rain, snow, and sun. As a result, it can become dull and discolored over time due to mildew, algae, and mold. You can use a pressure washer to spruce up your fence.
But as with decks, the type of wood will determine the amount of pressure to use when cleaning your fence. You should use a low-pressure setting for softer woods to avoid damage like splintering.
Garden Paths
Your garden path might begin to look uninviting if dirt, algae, and moss start to accumulate. You can use a pressure washer to clean your garden path without damaging the material.
However, before you start pressure washing, you should protect the nearby plants using a tarp or other appropriate covering. Use the right pressure setting, especially on joints, to avoid cracks.
What Can You Pressure Wash? Professionals Know Better
Now that you know everything you can and can’t pressure wash, it’s time to get out there and start power washing your home. If you need some help or want to make sure the job is done right, contact our pressure-washing pros at Advantage Pro Services.
Our team of experts will restore your home’s beauty by cleaning your siding, deck, fence, and other areas needing a little TLC. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
