HOW TO dO IT YOURSELF

DO NOT SKIP THE COMMON SENSE THINGS WE ALL WOULD RATHER IGNORE TO JUST "GET TO IT"  :

- PAY ATTENTION TO THE SPECS:

How much PSI do you have? You ONLY NEED 1500 to 2800 PSI for most projects. A 3000 PSI machine or higher is fine for house washing, deck, and fence washing, and SOME concrete. It may take longer than you think - a higher PSI and GPM means it'll get cleaner quicker, but too high and you'll cause some damage.

-  KNOW YOUR SPECIFICS, KNOW YOUR SURFACE, KNOW THE PRODUCTS:

Make sure you know what your surface is made out of, sidings are different, gutters are different, wood species are different, so on and so forth. You can use trial and error, but LOOK at the MSDS for the products to understand the active chemicals and how strong they are. Then you've got to use some basic chemistry and RESEARCH to determine which is best for the task at hand. There are HUNDREDS of cleaners for outdoor projects. Pressure washing alone can look nice, but not totally clean without a little help. Some decks may need to be stripped to dissolve old stain, then a pressure wash to remove it, then a brightener, for proper prep. However, a deck may only need the brightener product to prep prior to staining. Maybe it's just a cleaning that it needs, not a staining; in this case you could use a bleach based product (if you're okay with it, I never use bleach on wood, but some products have it as their primary active agent) or maybe a mild Dawn soap if you have a Trex or Apex deck. Maybe a different cleaner for a nice re-wash before the spring season kicks off? Some products may react and oxidize your siding or gutters, some may even remove paint. Some will be perfectly fine. ALWAYS FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURERS GUIDELINES and ALWAYS READ INSTRUCTIONS.

- CHOOSE YOUR MACHINE TIP:

Most will have you use the pattern/method. I would say to keep it simple, use the White Tip - 40 Degree. This has a nice, easy fan pattern. Yellow is 15 Degree and CAN be more effective, but also a LOT less forgiving. The Red Tip is STRICTLY for those who know what they're doing, because those that don't are destined to cause damage and hurt themselves or someone else- it is a 0 degree and has ball bearings that sometimes jet the water into a spiral pattern for an even greater PSI. 

Homework done so far? GOOD. Let's put it all together! 

You've done your research, chosen your products, read the guidelines and instructions, and set up your washer. Using the white tip, you can simply keep the pressure washer wand and tip pointed towards your deck, fence, siding, gutters, concrete, and wash. Do NOT spray directly down, but aim for about 60 degrees, (90 being directly straight down). To find a comfortable distance, start 2 feet away from your project and gradually step closer until you feel you're cleaning the surface and not damaging it. With wood, it is always important to have the fan of water perpendicular to the wood grain. If you hold the fan of water parallel to the wood it will rip the wood fibers, causing them to lift up. If you do get too close to the wood, you will notice many little fuzzy fibers uplifted. These will need to be sanded down before staining. Finally, keep a constant sweeping motion without stopping, slowing down, or speeding up, to wash across your project.

Still not seeing the answers you're looking for? Contact us! Please reach out at jbdecks@yahoo.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.