Power Washing Wood Siding Bad Idea

How to safely clean wood siding on a house.

Power washing wood siding bad idea.

Consumer reports experts share pressure washer cleaning advice for your deck roof siding car and more. From there water can damage insulation electrical wiring and can spur mold growth. Wood siding cleaner plastic sheeting. When done incorrectly a pressure washer can damage siding even knocking it loose.

The mortar on brick houses can be blasted away as well if the user doesn t know what he or she is doing. The power of pressure washers can be too much of a good thing. A high powered pressure washer can also dent aluminum and vinyl siding. 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.

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. Step 1 though far gentler than a pressure washer pivotpro is broadly similar in the sense that it releases a steady directed stream of water. The jet of a pressure washer can actually damage the wood. 1st cedar is a relatively soft wood.

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. But there is good reason not to powerwash a wood sided exterior. I can assume there is instant dissent with the title of this story. Starting low and gently working your way up is the safest bet.

Pressure washing can also remove many stains but care must be taken. Whether it is white or red cedar or clapboard or even alaskan yellow cedar it is still wood has longitudinal pores running its length from butt to feathered edge on a shingle as well as on cedar clapboard. It s also a bad idea to use a power washer on a composite deck because the power washer can actually take chips out of the composite material. Softer materials such as pvc can essentially be engraved by a power washer if the pressure is set too high.

Wood isn t the only decking material that can be permanently damaged by power washing. The grit can cause damage as the wood moves with the wind and the changes in temperature.