In Houston, we?re proud of our summer weather. When the sun shines here, it really shines and thanks to the Greater Houston Area, many families have the decks and backyard patios to enjoy that sunshine and grill on holidays. With the summer season in full swing, you might want to take this opportunity to get your back porch, deck, or patio prepared.
The name of the deck-cleaning game is pressure washing. Pressure washers work by taking in water from a garden hose or other water source and then pumping it with high pressure with internal springs and mechanisms. There are a number of different nozzles that can be fitted to the end of a wand and enables the pressure washer to adjust its spraying pressure.
Deciding which pressure to use for a job is a delicate process. Too hard and you not only pose a risk to whatever object you?re attempting to clean, but you risk injuring yourself in the process. Too soft and the washer won?t be able to properly do its job, only wetting the surface and requiring a much shorter distance to do any real cleaning of it. The shorter the distance between the wand and the surface that is being washed, the more dangerous and damaging the resulting spray can be, so it?s important to know where to start and where to stand beforehand.
Proper clothing and eye-protection should be worn at all times when operating a pressure washer to prevent errant rocks or debris bouncing back and causing irreparable harm. It?s also helpful to scope out the area before starting work so as to have some idea how to prevent washing yourself into a corner and be forcing yourself to step on your recently cleaned boards on the way out.
It is sometimes possible that a small application of wood lightener can give an even cleaner look to your deck or patio, if the wood of your deck is particularly old, then a trained professional will know when to apply the proper product to loosen and release the accumulated dirt on top of the deck. Spraying older and porous wood with high pressures can often result in the damaging of the wood itself, as well as its cleaning.
Care must also be taken to avoid leaving start-and-stop marks on your surface that occur from activating the wand too close to the deck. These zones of extreme force will be harder to remove after the job has been completed and could possibly cause light and dark zones that will lessen the impact of a beautifully clean deck.
If you?d like Pro Painters, a Houston painting company, to power wash your deck, give us a call at 281-949-4329 for a free quote. We?d love to work on your project.
