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Remove Paint with Pressure Washing Using These Tips

Pressure washing can remove paint from concrete, metal, wood, and other exterior surfaces around your home. Learn how in our cleaning guide.

If you’ve been planning a large paint project, how you prepare is critical to doing the job right and meeting your expectations. Such preparation typically means stripping old paint from whatever surface needs fresh paint. Getting rid of old paint, however, is a tedious and time-consuming chore if you have to do the job by hand. Thankfully, pressure washing is a good alternative to manual labor and will often take less time and offer better results.

Pressure washing can remove paint from concrete, metal, wood, and other exterior surfaces around your home. Because of the high-pressure levels, it can be very efficient and can drastically cut the time to complete this task. Our Levittown power washers recommend using a pressure washer with a range of 2,000 PSI to 4,000 PSI for the most effective power when you’re tasked with removing peeling paint.

Tips to Keep in Mind

Follow these tips as you begin planning for your paint removal project.

Know the Type of Surface You’re Working With

Before you start pressure washing, make sure you know what kind of surface you’re dealing with. Typical projects most appropriate for using a pressure washer are wood decks, vinyl or aluminum siding, or sidewalk or other hard surfaces which may have been splashed or otherwise coated with paint. The high-pressure stream works on concrete, decks, stucco, wood, many types of masonry, and even fences.

Using power washing on a home’s exterior surfaces is a great way remove paint but isn’t something we recommend for window cleaning. Several factors, including safety, play a role when deciding to power wash for paint removal from exterior surfaces in Huntington and nearby Long Island areas. We recommend that if you do the job yourself, you wear protective goggles and clothing when using a power washer.

Know the Type of Paint You Want to Remove

If you know the kind of paint you want to remove, then you can work appropriately. The vast majority of exterior house projects use latex- or water-based paint. Luckily, this kind of paint isn’t as tough as oil-based paint and is easier to remove. But how do you identify the kind of paint if your home was painted by the previous owner? Most of the time, water-based paint appears thinner when dry and could even show the textures underneath. Oil-based paint is less transparent and doesn’t easily peel away when you flick at it.

Select the Correct Pressure Washer

Long Island pressure washing of exterior paint needs a stronger pressure stream than soft washing jobs like cleaning a roof. This means you want to rent a pressure washer that meets such needs. To correctly strip old paint, you should work with a power washer with a psi of 2000 or higher. Even starting out at 2000 probably won’t do the trick and you’ll need to set the psi closer to 3,000 for effective paint stripping.

Also important is choosing the right spray nozzle for the jobs. Most rental machines offer different nozzles ranging from 0 degrees to 65 degrees, but the 0-degree nozzle is rarely used because of the extreme pressure of water pushed through such a narrow spray field. Instead, a 15-degree nozzle is recommended for paint stripping as it sprays water in a broader arc which is strong enough to remove the paint but not powerful enough to damage the surface you’re working on.

Monitor the Pressure

This is especially important if you’re going the DIY route. Before you get started, you should make sure you have the right pressure to remove the paint. If you’re able, it might be a good idea to test an initial pressure setting on somewhere innocuous, like a lower corner or anywhere else not readily noticeable. Mistakes can happen, which is why you might want to begin with a lower pressure washer setting. With the paint and type of material beneath it identified, you can measure the pressure accordingly to make sure it removes the paint but keeps the siding intact. Keep in mind that oil-based paint will require higher pressure than most latex house paints.

Never Forget About Safety

Pressure or power washers are incredibly powerful tools that should be handled with extreme caution. Some experienced DIY enthusiasts may be able to handle small jobs around their home, but for larger more complex pressure cleaning, it’s recommended you work with a reputable professional. That being said, if you want to use a pressure washer to remove paint, here are safety-related tips to keep in mind.

  • Always keep the wand directed downward until you’re at ease with the strength of pressure.
  • Everyday clothing won’t protect you from a pressure washer mishap. A large number of power washer injuries are preventable by wearing the right safety gear: Boots, gloves, long pants, safety glasses, and hearing protection.
  • Gas-powered pressure washers should never be used in an enclosed space.
  • Stay away from ladders or stools when using a pressure washer. Instead, use extension lances, wands, and attachments to remove paint higher up.
  • Be aware of your surroundings, and avoid working in the presence of children, pets, or casual passersbys.

Work With a Trusted Professional

Majestic Windows & Exterior Cleaning is your preferred Long Island Power Washing company. We’ve served hundreds of satisfied New York customers in South Huntington, Merrick and nearby communities – offering the highest quality services at the best prices. Call our team today at 631-421-2295 for more information.