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By Pamela Hill


It is clear that most people associate pressure washers with cleaning. However, only a few people think of it as a surface preparation tool. A pressure washer can be used to clean a surface before it is painted. It is especially effective against chalking residue. It scours off all dirt and grime ensuring that a good bonding surface for the new coat is left behind. This is worth knowing about Pressure washing decks and wood preservation.

When latex paints or old oil wears, it forms a powdery substance known as chalking. When a pressure washer is used to clean surfaces with chalking, it is so effective such that a cleanser will not be needed. On the other hand, a cleanser is usually necessary after a surface with chalking has been hand-washed. This is necessary before new paint is applied. One must ensure that they check for dirt under the soffits.

Availability of chalking can be identified by having the painted surface rubbed. If the surface was coated using one hundred percent acrylic latex paints, there are minimal chances for chalking to be observed. Surfaces that are in a good state demand little washing to ensure proper adherence of new paint. Old paint should never be removed using pressure washers. This method should strictly be utilized to get rid of chalking.

A low-pressure stream of water should be used when working close to wood siding or brick walls. This is because high-pressure stream of water can easily knock the mortar from between bricks or gouge wood. The other disadvantage of using this method to prepare surfaces is that it does scraping job haphazardly. As such, a person has to handle the scraping job separately which means that it may not save on time that much.

Pressure washing works well on nearly all surfaces with the exclusion of vinyl, masonry, wood and aluminum siding. Because of its susceptibility to moisture, hardboard siding needs to be exempted too. In addition, should it be gouged accidentally, hardboard siding is difficult to repair.

Pressure washing can also be used for removing mildew before painting is done. During cleaning, one should establish whether they are dealing with mildew or blackened dirt. This can be quite confusing since both mildew and dirt have a dark appearance. Mildew on the other hand lightens in a few minutes when bleach is applied. If the surface turns out to have dirt, power washing can be used.

This cleaning method may be an effective paint preparation method but it is not advisable to use it on surfaces with lead paint. Houses built before 1978 in the US have exterior paints that are lead-based. This is because during that time, lead paint was still legal. In case one is not sure of the type of paint is present, it is advisable to have it tested.

In the event that the test yields positive results for lead paint, one should consult their local health department for safe removal. Pressure washing such paint only spreads the risk of lead contamination. Lead is known to be toxic to human beings, the environment, animals, and plants.




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