Kevin
Answer
If you are asking if it's ok to use a pressure washer to clean concrete that has been stained and sealed without lifting the concrete stain, then yes, it should work well.
If you are asking if a pressure washer will lift out a stain caused by a leak or something accidentally poured onto the concrete causing an unsightly blemish, then the answer is maybe. It depends on what caused the stain and how old it is. There are products available that will help lift the stain by soaking into the concrete and displacing the stain, I've not had the best of luck in lifting old stain completely but if the stain is relatively new and not that deep you should have better luck.
If you are asking if it's ok to use a pressure washer to clean concrete that has been stained and sealed without lifting the concrete stain, then yes, it should work well.
If you are asking if a pressure washer will lift out a stain caused by a leak or something accidentally poured onto the concrete causing an unsightly blemish, then the answer is maybe. It depends on what caused the stain and how old it is. There are products available that will help lift the stain by soaking into the concrete and displacing the stain, I've not had the best of luck in lifting old stain completely but if the stain is relatively new and not that deep you should have better luck.
What size pressure washer is good for cleaning a deck?
BigRed
Hi i am looking at buying a pressure washer to clean my deck and to clean my house i found a 2600psi for $299 and a 3000psi for $399 both have a Honda motor. I was planing on using it to clean a couple other houses and decks is it better to get the bigger one or should i stick with the 2600psi?
Answer
The cleaning power is roughly proportional to the PSI rating multiplied by the GPM. While the higher pressure might not be necessary for the tasks you are considering, the added cleaning power means you'll get the job done faster with the more expensive unit. Keep in mind that you can always add distance to reduce pressure (back away from the surface), but you can't add pressure that the unit doesn't produce.
I have tried to use an old 1500 psi unit that I already had to clean a concrete driveway, but just purchased the 3000 psi machine from a home store, and the difference is amazing. My evaluation was that the extra $100 above the 2600 psi unit was well worth the hours saved. And the Honda engine gets very good reviews from most of what I've read.
I would suggest also getting the surface cleaning attachment, particularly for your wood deck. It's not really powerful enough for a really dirty concrete drive, but would surmise that it is sufficient for the wood (you don't want that high of pressure for the wood). For cleaning concrete surfaces, I highly recommend the Turbo nozzle; it takes the 0 deg pattern and spins it in a 15-25 deg (or so) pattern so that you get the dislodging pressure of the 0 degree, but in a pattern size that allows efficient cleaning.
The cleaning power is roughly proportional to the PSI rating multiplied by the GPM. While the higher pressure might not be necessary for the tasks you are considering, the added cleaning power means you'll get the job done faster with the more expensive unit. Keep in mind that you can always add distance to reduce pressure (back away from the surface), but you can't add pressure that the unit doesn't produce.
I have tried to use an old 1500 psi unit that I already had to clean a concrete driveway, but just purchased the 3000 psi machine from a home store, and the difference is amazing. My evaluation was that the extra $100 above the 2600 psi unit was well worth the hours saved. And the Honda engine gets very good reviews from most of what I've read.
I would suggest also getting the surface cleaning attachment, particularly for your wood deck. It's not really powerful enough for a really dirty concrete drive, but would surmise that it is sufficient for the wood (you don't want that high of pressure for the wood). For cleaning concrete surfaces, I highly recommend the Turbo nozzle; it takes the 0 deg pattern and spins it in a 15-25 deg (or so) pattern so that you get the dislodging pressure of the 0 degree, but in a pattern size that allows efficient cleaning.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
