The craze began about the time QVC started selling pressure washers for $150. The hosts made it look so easy to pressure wash a deck. Unfortunately, things on TV are rarely as they are seen. Many well meaning homeowners have gouged, shred and damaged the wood on their decks by utilizing improper technique to pressure wash a deck. When using a machine to clean wood, here are some tips.
• A wood deck should not be hit with high pressure. The best way to lower a power washer’s operating pressure is by using the right size nozzle with the widest fan possible. Always use the white colored tip that came with your machine. Keep the spray at least 12” from the deck’s surface.
• Good quality deck cleaners will do the majority of the work allowing you to use lower pressure to clean the wood.
Other pressure washing tips include starting from one end of a deck board and moving smoothly with the grain to the other end. This will prevent lap marks that can show up when you stain. If you take your time and utilize the proper safety precautions when using your pressure washer, you can use these tips to make deck cleaning a more pleasant task.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
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