Pressure Washing Old Wood Siding

A pressure washer can quickly ruin vinyl siding by cracking it with the high pressure stream of water so it s necessary to know which pressure level and nozzle to use.

Pressure washing old wood siding.

Starting low and gently working your way up is the safest bet. From there water can damage insulation electrical wiring and can spur mold growth. A pressure washer can be used on any type of exterior wood siding including cedar shake or rough sawn cedar siding and t1 11 wood siding. Pressure washing can also remove many stains but care must be taken.

Use a lower strength washer some commercial pressure washers are way too powerful to be used on an old wood house. A high powered pressure washer can also dent aluminum and vinyl siding. If you have a wood frame house with any kind of wood siding clapboards shiplap board and batten shingles etc there is an excellent chance that washing your house with a high pressure washer will shoot water up under the siding potentially soaking wall cavities insulation wiring flooring plaster etc. Don t pressure wash shingle siding the pressure can knock the shingles loose.

Master the proper technique and you can use a pressure washer to clean the wood siding on your home safely without incurring damage to the material. Pressure washer damaged wood photo by jon chapman. They may be perfect for cleaning driveways but they will blast right through wood siding especially if there is any wood rot. I prefer a 1500 psi pressure washer.

How to safely clean wood siding on a house. The grit can cause damage as the wood moves with the wind and the changes in temperature. The exact procedures you will use depend on the condition of the old stain and the type of new stain that will be applied. There are several considerations before getting started.

If the wood is badly darkened or stained with mildew washing with a deck cleaning solution that includes sodium hydroxide can help brighten it. The jet of a pressure washer can actually damage the wood. Wood siding can benefit from a pressure wash as the grit that accumulates can be totally removed. Bob vila interviews a contractor in the process of using a pressure washer to remove paint from exterior wood siding.

While it s possible to wash wood siding correctly there s also a good chance that water will find its way up and under the exterior surface if you use high pressure.