Pressure Cleaning Painted Pool Deck

Pressure washing a painted pool deck can be fun and easy as long as you do it the right way and don't use to powerful of a machine. It is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to turn an existing floor that has mold, mildew, dirt or just filth that has accumulated throughout the years into a nice floor that you will get complemented on as soon as others see the miraculous (but inexpensive) change. If you are looking to use the pressure washer to wash you painted pool deck or even siding on your house I recommend you go to your local Home Depot, Lowe’s, or even Wal-Mart and take a look at a pressure washer that is between 1600 to 2000 PSI (aprox. $135.00 - $225.00). They sell gas and electric pressure washers, I prefer the gas pressure washer because you don't have the extra cords that plug into the electrical outlet (they tend to get tangled and cause a hassle) and to be honest I don't like playing with water and electricity at the same time. They do make pressure washers that are much more powerful for commercial use or heavy duty use but you will not need one so strong if you are just working around the house. I have had a customer tell me they bought a 6,000 PSI pressure washer and ended up peeling paint off their patio floor and it cost them more money in the long run.

Once you have your pressure washer and you are ready to clean the painted patio floor it is important that you test the strength of the pressure washer in one of the filthier areas to see how much pressure you need. To adjust the strength of the pressure washer there is a nozzle at the front of the wand where the water comes out of and you can twist it to make a jet stream of water which is the most powerful or you can twist the nozzle the other way to for more of a fan spray that is less powerful, the wider the spray becomes the less pressure you are using. You want enough pressure to clean the surface but not peel any paint, the wider the stream of water the more area you will cover with each pass. You don't want a single jet stream of water because this will take you a long time to complete the job. I usually like to break the area down into sections and work one area at a time, if you look at the entire job it may seem overwhelming but it’s not as hard as it looks. If you have areas that have a lot of mildew and mold, I recommend using a product called Krud Kutter; it is a non toxic environmentally friendly product. It won't kill your plants or hurt your animals, here's the link http://www.krudkutter.com/ to see what the product looks like, it is sold at Home Depot or Lowes.
Good luck with your pressure washing project and keep checking back for more handy man tips.