Using a Pressure Washer for Deck Stripping
Here at Century Painting, we understand a lot of you out there want to renew the look of your deck but you don’t want to spend a ton of time and effort doing it. Everyone is busy these days and it seems that everyone is looking for the fastest way to do things. And while pressure washing is a viable option for stripping old paint off your deck, there are some things you should know before you haul off and start blasting away.
In today’s post, we are going to teach you the proper way to use a pressure washer for deck stripping in Charlotte NC and how to avoid causing permanent damage to the wood.
How Much Pressure do I Need?
We hear this question a lot from DIYers, and it’s an important one. Too much pressure can permanently damage the wood while too little won’t be enough to get the job done. In general, we would recommend getting a pressure washer that is capable of 1,200-2,000 psi. This is about the optimal range for getting old paint off of deck wood.
In certain cases (when there are too many coats of paint) you may need upwards of 3,000 psi but at that point, it is really more advisable to simply hire a professional because 3,000 psi pressure washers can easily damage deck wood.
What about Nozzle Tips?
If you own or have ever rented a pressure washer before, then you probably already know a thing or two about nozzle tips. The tip you choose to pressure wash the old paint off your deck is very important. In most cases, we would recommend using a 15 or 25 degree nozzle tip. Anything more would probably be too wide to get the paint off and anything less would most likely damage the wood.
And as a tip for tips (see what we did there?), you can start with the widest nozzle tip you have and work your way down to safely figure out which one will be most effective for your deck.
Proper Pressure Washing Technique
After you have properly prepped your deck for pressure washing (scraping chipping paint off, sweeping and/or applied your paint stripping agents) it’s time to pressure wash. But you should know the proper technique. It isn’t too hard so long as you keep a few things in mind:
- Try the fan spray setting on the nozzle first
- Never hold the nozzle tip closer than 16 inches above the surface of the deck
- Use a downward sweeping motion to remove paint
- Spray down one small-medium section (about 4-5 square feet) of your deck at a time
When in Doubt
If at any time you feel like you aren’t sure you can do the job safely, don’t hesitate. It is always best to hire professionals in order to avoid hundreds or thousands of dollars of damage to your deck. You can call on (704) 245-9409 us here at our painting company in Charlotte for professional and affordable deck stripping in Charlotte NC so get your project underway today!
