Tag: Pressure Washer

Stain Removal from Fences and Decks

pressure washerUsing a pressure washer to remove stain or paint from a deck is a great time saver and does a fantastic job if completed properly. A pressure washer can reduce the job to hours instead of days. You may have to do some sanding after you have finished removing the old stain to ensure a smooth surface, however this is much easier compared to sanding to remove the old stain. In addition you can also remove stain out of the nooks and crannies which sanding will never be able to remove.

Operators need to be careful that they do not remove the wood or cut holes in the wood if the water pressure is too high and the stream of water too tight. Practice on some areas that are out of the way and not seen or on a separate piece of wood to get the hang of it before you use it on the real thing.

Stain removal from the deck made easy

We suggest that you set the nozzle of the pressure washer to its widest adjustment. This will provide you with a 1 inch to 3 inch spray of water that will not damage your deck while at the same time lifting off any loose paint or stain from the wood of your deck. Consumers need to be careful that they do not remove any of the actual wood.

We suggest that you begin in an area that is not visible at the back of the deck to experiment and learn to use the pressure washer. You will find that you may have to vary the distance of the end of the wand from the deck to vary the actual force of the water. The closer and tighter the spray, the more damage you can do to your wood. Start from a distance of at least two feet and determine from how much closer you need to go to get the results you are looking for.

Safety is always a concern with using a pressure washer

Consumers using a pressure washer should always use safety goggles to avoid any debris from getting into your eyes. Be very careful where you point the water jet to avoid damage to your person, other people or inanimate things that could be damaged by the high pressure of the water. If you follow these steps and those above, stain removal can be very easy.

Never ever point the pressure washer wand in the direction of another person or pet. This high density high speed stream of water can easily damage and hurt someone very badly. Flying debris can also damage eyes and hurt small children, so be very careful when you are using a pressure washer around the home or on a work site.

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How to Use a Pressure Washer

Pressure WasherA Pressure Washer can be a very useful tool around the home when used properly. It can also be an extremely dangerous tool if not used properly. We believe in safety first and urge readers to also read their instruction manuals. Pay particular attention to the safety aspect of the instruction booklet. We are not encouraging readers to purchase any particular type of Pressure Washer. However, we do encourage consumers to use them carefully. I was originally against buying one of these tools. I thought it was kind of frivolous and just a gimmick until I borrowed a neighbors. Then I realized just how useful a tool it actually was. Since we purchased it, we have used it for many different projects, that have been made much easier than it would have been otherwise. If you are considering purchasing one, just do it. They are really quite good.

Pressure Washer – Safety

The basic rule is never to point the wand at anything that you do not want to be damaged. This includes other people, yourself, and anything that could be damaged by a high-pressure stream of water. We have seen a jet of water cut right through the wood, cut plants in half, pierce the skin, and remove paint from a car.  Used incorrectly they can be both dangerous and cause a lot of expensive damage. Read all of the instructions and experiment first on something that you do not mind damaging to get used to using a pressure washer.

Pressure Washer – Adjust the Water Jet

The wand is designed to allow operators to adjust the concentration of water exiting from the wand. It can deliver a really tight stream of water. This is useful to cut things with, get at hard to remove paint on a cement wall, and remove stain from wood in hard to get to places. Adjusting the wand so that the stream is wider is also convenient. This adjustment will reduce the pressure of the stream which can be used to remove paint from walls or stain from wood. We found that it was excellent for removing loose paint and stain from wood.

When we wash the car, the wand is set to deliver as wide a stream of water as possible. Make sure you stand well back to make sure that there is little chance of removing any paint from your car. If your car is rusty or has loose paint, it is going to come off. This may some damage to your car that you may not be expecting. Standing back about six feet so that the wand is at least three feet from the car is usually enough. This distance should ensure that the paint will not be damaged by the pressure washer. If there is loose paint or rust on the car, even at this distance it is probably going to come off.

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