Removing the paint from your home can be a day-long task that is full of preparations prior to removal. This is especially true when you are going to be pressure washing your home. Before you turn on the pressure washer and start stripping off paint left and right, there are several precautions you have to take.
What Is Your House Made of?
This is the most common problem when it comes to pressure washing a home. Most people think the siding on their home is made of natural wood or vinyl wood. Both of these types of wood require different levels of pressure to remove the paint—and to prevent damage.
Additionally, vinyl does not absorb paint like wood does, so the paint will be easier to remove. For wood, the best you can do is to remove as much paint as possible with the pressure washer, but not all of it will come off.
What Kind of Paint Are You Removing?
If you can identify the type of paint that you are removing, then you can work accordingly. The most common type of paint used on houses is latex-based paint, also known as water-based. Luckily, water-based paint is not as durable as oil-based paint and, therefore, will be easier to remove.
The best way to tell the type of paint on your house, if you don’t know, is by examining the existing paint. Most of the time, water-based paint will look thinner when dry and might even show the textures beneath. Oil-based paint dries more opaque and does not readily peel away when you chip at it.
Pay Close Attention to the Pressure
Before you get started, you should make sure you have the right pressure to remove the paint. Once you have identified the type of material beneath the paint, you can measure the pressure accordingly to make sure it removes the paint but keeps the siding intact.
The pressure you use also depends on the type of paint you are removing. Oil-based paint will require higher pressure than latex house paint.
Protect Your Surfaces
Removing paint with a pressure washer is an easy process with relatively simple steps to take to remove the paint. However, you should be careful not to get carried away, as you can damage the other surfaces around the paint. The best way to prevent excess damage is by protecting those surfaces that are not going to be pressure washed.
Common surfaces that you need to protect are windows and outside doors. The garage may need to be protected as well if it is close to painted surfaces.
Pressure washing is great for removing the paint from your house quickly and efficiently. However, you have to take the necessary precautions before going all out and washing the whole house. Additionally, you should make sure you wear the proper safety equipment and read the pressure washer instructions before starting.
Removing the paint from your home can be a day-long task that is full of preparations prior to removal. This is especially true when you are going to be pressure washing your home. Before you turn on the pressure washer and start stripping off paint left and right, there are several precautions you have to take.
What Is Your House Made of?
This is the most common problem when it comes to pressure washing a home. Most people think the siding on their home is made of natural wood or vinyl wood. Both of these types of wood require different levels of pressure to remove the paint—and to prevent damage.
Additionally, vinyl does not absorb paint like wood does, so the paint will be easier to remove. For wood, the best you can do is to remove as much paint as possible with the pressure washer, but not all of it will come off.
What Kind of Paint Are You Removing?
If you can identify the type of paint that you are removing, then you can work accordingly. The most common type of paint used on houses is latex-based paint, also known as water-based. Luckily, water-based paint is not as durable as oil-based paint and, therefore, will be easier to remove.
The best way to tell the type of paint on your house, if you don’t know, is by examining the existing paint. Most of the time, water-based paint will look thinner when dry and might even show the textures beneath. Oil-based paint dries more opaque and does not readily peel away when you chip at it.
Pay Close Attention to the Pressure
Before you get started, you should make sure you have the right pressure to remove the paint. Once you have identified the type of material beneath the paint, you can measure the pressure accordingly to make sure it removes the paint but keeps the siding intact.
The pressure you use also depends on the type of paint you are removing. Oil-based paint will require higher pressure than latex house paint.
Protect Your Surfaces
Removing paint with a pressure washer is an easy process with relatively simple steps to take to remove the paint. However, you should be careful not to get carried away, as you can damage the other surfaces around the paint. The best way to prevent excess damage is by protecting those surfaces that are not going to be pressure washed.
Common surfaces that you need to protect are windows and outside doors. The garage may need to be protected as well if it is close to painted surfaces.
Pressure washing is great for removing the paint from your house quickly and efficiently. However, you have to take the necessary precautions before going all out and washing the whole house. Additionally, you should make sure you wear the proper safety equipment and read the pressure washer instructions before starting.