Pressure washers, which rely on high-pressure water spray with or without a cleaning solution, can be an amazingly effective way to deep clean surfaces. While pressure washers designed for home use may have a psi (that’s pounds per square inch — describing how potent the pressure is) of as low as 750 to 1,200, some commercial pressure washers can deliver upward of 30,000 psi.
If you’re wondering if pressure washing your home’s exterior will strip the paint off, the answer is that it can. Depending on whether that was the answer you were looking for, here are some other things you need to know about pressure washing the outside of your house:
Are you looking to simply clean your home’s exterior? Using pressures of 1,200 to 1,500 will prevent damage to your home’s paint in most cases. The farther away you stand from the wall, the less pressure is directly targeted at the house.
Are you hoping to strip off the old paint before repainting, or trying to remove graffiti? While professional painters do that all the time, you will want to be careful to use the lowest pressure that effectively removes your paint — or you risk damaging underlying structures, ranging from stucco to wood and even concrete.
Pressure washing can be so effective it’s almost scary, so when in doubt, consult a professional!