Power Washing Wood Siding Bad Idea

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.

Power washing wood siding bad idea.

The jet of a pressure washer can actually damage the wood. I can assume there is instant dissent with the title of this story. From there water can damage insulation electrical wiring and can spur mold growth. Consumer reports experts share pressure washer cleaning advice for your deck roof siding car and more.

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. Pressure washing can also remove many stains but care must be taken. The grit can cause damage as the wood moves with the wind and the changes in temperature. But there is good reason not to powerwash a wood sided exterior.

Wood siding cleaner plastic sheeting. 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. 1st cedar is a relatively soft wood. 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. The mortar on brick houses can be blasted away as well if the user doesn t know what he or she is doing. Wood siding can benefit from a pressure wash as the grit that accumulates can be totally removed. 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.

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. Wood isn t the only decking material that can be permanently damaged by power washing. Starting low and gently working your way up is the safest bet. Softer materials such as pvc can essentially be engraved by a power washer if the pressure is set too high.

How to safely clean wood siding on a house. When done incorrectly a pressure washer can damage siding even knocking it loose.