Water Pressure Cleaners & Your Outdoor Areas

Water pressure cleaning your outdoor areas, even your walls, should one of the essential routines of any home owner before venturing outside to enjoy a summer meal on the back deck, drinks by the pool or playing with toys on the concrete or paved areas. Prepping and cleaning these areas can be made easy by hiring either an electric or petrol water pressure cleaner.

Should you wish to try water pressure cleaning yourself but aren’t quite sure where or how to start, we’ve put together these steps to help you through the process. And, as always, read the safety and operating instructions that come with the pressure washer as well.

Determine the area you are going to water pressure clean.
If it has two levels like a deck for example, you will need to work top-down. Even with a single deck, working top-down means starting on posts and handrails before doing the floor. On sloping surfaces, work from high side to low side so that the water runs away from your clean work.
Assess the surfaces before starting.
If timber is worn, splintered or broken you may want to consider avoiding these areas altogether. Similarly avoid large cracks in concrete paths or pavers which expose the ground underneath. Water pressure cleaning could aggravate these existing problems.
Remove any items from the area to be cleaned.
This will protect furniture, plants and valuables from being damaged by water and water pressure as well as chemicals (if being used).
Dress appropriately.
While it is common for water pressure cleaning to be done in warmer weather, this doesn’t mean that you should do it in summer attire
(i.e. shorts and thongs). In fact, quite the opposite. Water pressure cleaning, while done with water, can cause serious injury including cutting your skin like a knife. As a minimum so you should be wearing sturdy enclosed shoes and long pants. Note: If kids are in the area, you should thoroughly explain the hazards involved and be aware to danger.
Clean your water supply hose.
As a result of insects and ants, hoses regularly have dirt in them which can easily clog up the water pressure cleaner filters adding unnecessary
downtime to your task while we remedy the problem.
Test wash an area at low pressure.
Water pressure cleaners can damage or mark soft, worn or broken surfaces if the pressure is too high. Start at a low pressure and increase the pressure to achieve the desired cleaning effect. If you are leaving marks, not just a colour difference from the dirt being removed, you are using too much pressure.
Do not use too much pressure.
Whatever pressure you start with you need to finish with in order to achieve a consistent surface appearance.
Use rotary surface cleaners for large areas.
If you are working on a large area, a rotary surface cleaner will allow you to clean a much larger area in one go as compared to a standard water pressure cleaner lance. It will also ensure a consistent finish as the water jets remain a set distance from your surface while cleaning.
Use long passes in an organised manner.
Whether you’re using the water pressure cleaner lance or a rotary surface cleaner, long runs or passes done in an organised manner will produce a much better result than a hap hazard approach.

There are different sizes of water pressure cleaners available for different types of jobs, please click here to view the entire water pressure cleaner range. If your in doubt about the right water pressure cleaner for your job, talk to the friendly team on the Centenary Hire, Hire Desk. They’ll be happy to help. Ph. 3715 9700

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Centenary Hire is a Tradesmen & Weekend Warrior’s best friend. Our ever increasing range of hire equipment consists of modern tools, machinery, scaffold, access equipment and site services all of which are aimed at helping you get the job done right – the first time. Our friendly staff can help you to choose the right equipment for your project or you can view & book your equipment online now at www.CentenaryHire.com.au. Drop into our store at Sumner Park or request an equipment delivery as our efficient transport service extends well beyond the limits of Brisbane on a daily basis.