Replies

1. 
   Jim_Power | Feb 14, 2000 06:00am | #1

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   Very very bad idea, for a lot of reasons.
   First of all, pressure washers will shread the wood of your
   siding or trim. Sure some loose paint will fly off but so
   will the softer part of the wood grain. I have been trying
   to restore an old farm house that was pressure shreaded. You
   can easily trace every movement of the wand.
   Secondly, you will be injecting a lot of water into the
   wood. The chief reason that paint fails is because of
   mosture inside the wood. New paint will not adhere if there
   is water trying to gas out. It will be pushed off.
   Thirdly, the pressure of the jetstream will find cracks in
   the siding or seams around windows and it will infiltrate at
   a tremendous rate. Any insulation which has been lovingly
   placed will be wadded and shoved out of the way not to
   mention left to soak for weeks. Hello mold and mildew.
   Finally, there is no decent way to collect the shreads of
   paint (probably lead) after they have been launched by water
   pressure measured in 4 digets.
   I know it seems tedious to remove it any other way but trust
   me it, pressure washing is not the way to go. Save it for
   stripping gunk off of your e

2. 
   Guest_ | Feb 14, 2000 06:32am | #2

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   I have to agree. As a professional painter (amongst other thins) I can tell you from a pro's standpoint - DON'T DO IT

   Stripping paint with a pressure washer is nothing more than a bad shortcut. Ditto on all the resons stated above about water penetration, wood shredding, etc...

   Look at ads for pressure washers. They will never show you someone stripping paint off of old houses with their product. They know better.

   Proper prep work is tedious, slow, and painstaking. As much as everyone hates to do it, it is a must if you want a proper, long lasting paint job.

   As for the question about sanding AFTER pressure washing, the answer is most definitely yes. You will have to sand because the wood will fuzz up. Then you'll probably have to scrape the loose paint that comes loose a day or two AFTER you pressure washed anyway.

   Been there, done that...

   James DuHamel

3. 
   J.R._anderson | Feb 15, 2000 02:53am | #3

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   Thanks for the advice guys you saved me a mess.

4. 
   J.R_Anderson | Feb 20, 2000 07:11am | #4

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   I'm planning on repainting my house this spring,
   and was wondering if pressure washing the peeling
   paint would do more harm than good.
   If pressure washing would be worth while, would
   i have to follow it with a sander?

5. 
   Guest_ | Feb 20, 2000 07:11am | #5

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   We were living in a rental house while building ours. The Landlord hired a fellow to pressure wash the house as he was getting ready to sell it. The house had aluminum siding which had been in place for a long time. The pressure washing drove so much moisture into the house that the walls had mildewed by spring. This was the second winter in the house so we knew it was the pressure washing that did it. I would never have it done to my house.