Can I Power Wash Brick?
When it comes to power washing your home, you may be wondering if you can power wash brick. Power washing brick is slightly different from power washing other materials, mainly because if you do not do it quite right, brick can easily become damaged from power washing. There is a proper procedure to do it, and you must ensure that you do it like this; otherwise, your brick home will begin to deteriorate if you power wash it regularly.
If you are ready to learn if you can power wash brick, grab your computer, set aside your power washer, and let’s get started on this!
The Risks That Can Come From Power Washing Brick
When you are power washing brick, there are some risks that come with doing that, and if you do not know about these risks, you will not be able to avoid damaging your brick in the long run. So make sure you keep these risks in mind whenever you are power washing your brick, whether it is your home that is brick or even just a walkway.
- Power washing brick can damage the natural waterproofing that brick comes with, making it more likely your brick will over time become worn down from water damage, meaning you will have to replace it more often.
- Power washing brick can just straight up damage the brick. Unfortunately, brick is one of the few types of homes that can easily be damaged by power washing, so you will need to be careful when pressure washing to ensure your brick is not damaged.
- Another risk that can come from power washing brick is that it can blast away the brick mortar, which keeps the bricks together. This also means that your wall will more easily be damaged, and water can seep into the walls causing lasting water damage.
- Power washing brick can also cause water to seep into your walls no matter what, making them an ideal location for fungus and mold to breed. You will need to keep an eye on your walls for this to ensure you can clean up all mold and fungus before it spreads throughout your walls.
Minimizing Damage To Your Brick By Using The Right Pressure And Nozzle Tip
When you are power washing your brick, it is important you are using the right pressure and the right nozzle tip to decrease the amount of long-term damage that is dealt to your brick wall. No matter what, though, when you are power washing your brick, you need to ensure you are using a lighter level of pressure because of how susceptible brick is to being damaged from power washers.
You will want to have a wide and soft spray with your power washer, which means you should get a 40-degree nozzle tip and keep your pressure to no higher than 1000 psi. Any higher than this, and you risk serious damage to your brick in the long term. You also do not want to have a directed stream because that can lead to brick mortar being damaged and allowing water to seep, causing the spread of fungus and mold.
In addition to this, you may in fact want to consider hiring a commercial cleaner near you to do the power washing job. Many cleaning companies offer pressure washing services and it might be the best for you to just hire one.
Scrub Tough Stains Rather Than Blasting Them Longer
When your brick has tough stains on it, it is important you are focusing on scrubbing them out rather than upping the pressure of your pressure washer or just standing there focusing on that one spot. It is inevitable to get a few stains on your brick, and you will notice if you try blasting them for longer, you will begin to wear into the brick and damage the overall structure of your brick.
When you notice a stain, you should first go over it with the pressure washer and get as much of it as you can off right away. After that, you should take the time to get some soap and hot water and then scrub away at the stain. This takes more back work, but it allows you to properly clean your brick and not deal damage to your brick in the long run.
Hiring A Professional Can Be A Good Idea
It can be a good idea when it comes to power washing your brick to hire a professional cleaning service to do the task for you. Power washing brick is a difficult task to get just right, but a professional will have all the tools and experience necessary to perform an excellent task for you. If you are worried about damaging your brick, you should hire a professional power washing company and have them do it for you.
Conclusion:
Power washing brick is something you can do, but if you do not take the proper precautions, you can do more damage than good in the long run. Ensure you take the necessary time to thoroughly understand what you need to do, and you should be good in the long run. You know that you can power wash brick.
