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Pressure Washing Decks?

Written by Scott Paul
User Rating: / 27
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Pressure washing your exterior wood or decks. Is it safe for the wood? Will it damage the wood cell structure? The answer is Yes and No! Taking the proper steps can save your wood from being permanently damaged!

 

It is never safe and/or recommended to pressure wash a deck while using just the water pressure. Pressure washers can have a range of PSI (pound square inch) from 1600 to 4500 PSI! If using just water the pressure can tear at the wood fibers and destroy the Lignin. Lignin is found in all vascular plants, mostly between the cells, but also within the cells, and in the cell walls. In wood it is very resistant to degradation, being held together with strong chemical bonds. By using an excess amount of pressure though, damage to the lignin happens and it is separated from the wood fibers.

Pressure washing as a rinsing tool is a different matter. When using the appropriate deck cleaner or deck stripper, you are able to use the pressure washer  for rinsing or light washing. The deck cleaners and deck strippers "soften" the layer of dirt, grime, mildew, and or previous coatings. By softening the bond between the wood and "grime" you are able to use your pressure washer at a reduced amount of pressure. You can either dial down your pressure or wash from a distance of 8-12" away. When you are at that distance you are using about half of the amount of pressure that your system is rated for. Some extra tips when washing:

  • Washing with a pendulum motion. Similar to sweeping a broom. Over exaggerate until you get the hang of it.
  • Use a fan tip. Usually the 25(green) or 40(white) degree tip. Never the red, zero point tip!
  • Never stop and reverse direction when directly above the wood. This can cause a "stop" line, which is a small dent.

There isn't any reason why you shouldn't use a pressure washer when cleaning your deck or exterior wood. Just make sure that you use the correct deck cleaner or stripper. This will make your project easier and safer for your wood!

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Anonymous |Y-m-d H:i:s
Too bad my brother didn't read this article :!: He destroyed his deck trting to
remove a stain. It had splinters all over the wood. He ended up sanding the
entire deck done with a belt sander! It took him 2 months. <img src=illy:' title=':silly:' class='postemoticon' />
DeckRestAdmin |Y-m-d H:i:s
:idea: That is a common issue when you put a pressure washer in the hands of a
home owner who has no experience. Always use deck cleaners and wash at a low pressure!
iwiz |Y-m-d H:i:s
Rightly mentioned as many home owners do damage their deck while doing cleaning
of the deck by using pressure washer on their own. Sometime back when I called
up an engineer to clean the deck, I tried to put my hand on the pressure washer
and it's a terrible experience by damaging in the starting place itself. I had
to shell out few more bucks to get it done.
prasanth5 |Y-m-d H:i:s
It is understood from the article that pressure washing is detrimental if the
wood is of inferior quality though the washing removes grime and dirt.
Machida |Y-m-d H:i:s

For those who are not that familiar with pressure washer, I believe that they
are not going to use it since it might destroy the decks. Could the deck stain
be removed without the use of pressure washer?
DeckRestAdmin |Y-m-d H:i:s

Could the deck stain be removed without the use of pressure washer?
DeckRestAdmin |Y-m-d H:i:s
Yes, but with a lot of scrubbing! Using a pressure washer as a rinsing tool is
the fastest way. No more then 1200 psi.
prasanth5 |Y-m-d H:i:s
What are the other advantages of the half of the amount of the pressure which we
execute on the deck from a distance of 10"?
DeckRestAdmin |Y-m-d H:i:s
What is advantage of the half of the amount of the pressure which we execute on
the deck from a distance of 10"?
DeckRestAdmin  - re: |Y-m-d H:i:s
DeckRestAdmin wrote:
What is advantage of the half of the amount of the pressure which we execute on
the deck from a distance of 10"?
The advantage is that you will not damage the wood. If you are too close to the
wood when washing, it will damage the cellular structure of the wood.
prasanth5 |Y-m-d H:i:s
Washing with pendulum motion or the sweeping motion ensures that the pressure is
also spread evenly. Pendulum motion is so important in pressure washing I
suppose.
iwiz |Y-m-d H:i:s
I am personally advised to use a 15 degree tip when I pressure wash decks and
informed that tips wear down the more we use them. Its not uncommon to put five
hundred hours on a cleaning tip in a season and a tip that's has a little wear
is great for pressure washing softer wood such as cedar. Is the advise great
enough to proceed?
DeckRestAdmin |Y-m-d H:i:s
No a pressure washing tip will not wear enough to allow softer washing on wood.
You are better off backing away from the wood, which uses less pressure.
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