Can you pressure wash a house wall?

Only tough, sound brick or block. Render, painted walls and soft stone are softwashed at low pressure instead.

Do you bring your own water?

We can if needed; usually an outside tap is enough.

Will pressure washing damage block paving?

Not with a rotary cleaner at the right setting. Joints are refilled with kiln-dried sand afterwards.

When can I use the surface again?

Drying depends on the surface, shade and weather. We explain any access precautions before leaving.

Pressure Washing Services: What It Is Right For

Pressure washing is the right choice for hard, durable outdoor surfaces that can take the force: concrete, block paving, most decking done correctly, fencing, and tough walls such as engineering brick. It is the wrong choice for render, painted walls, roofs, soft natural stone and old lime mortar, which need a low-pressure softwash instead. A good pressure washing service will tell you which of your surfaces fall on which side before it switches a machine on.

Surfaces that suit it

Concrete paths and yards, block paving, tarmac, brick walls in sound condition, garden walls, bin stores and fencing all clean well with pressure. We match pressure and nozzle to the surface, so a concrete yard gets a very different setting from a panel fence. On large flat areas such as drives and patios a rotary surface cleaner is used instead of a wand, because it gives an even finish without stripes.

This guide sits under our Pressure Washing work, covering 20-mile radius of Plymouth.

Surfaces that do not

Render and painted walls are softwashed because a jet can scour coatings and open joints. Roofs are cleaned by hand and treated with biocide rather than blasted, which can lift tiles and drive water under them. Soft stone and lime mortar are easily eroded, leaving a pitted face. uPVC and timber cladding are washed at low pressure to avoid pushing water behind the boards. If the thing you want cleaned is on this list, pressure washing is not the service you need.

Hot water or cold

Cold water is fine for general dirt, moss and algae once they have been treated. Hot water is used for oil, grease and stubborn grime, because heat breaks down what cold water just pushes around. That is why oil marks on a drive or a greasy bin area are priced and approached differently from a green patio.

Decking

Decking can be pressure washed, but only with a lower pressure and a fan nozzle, working along the grain. Too much pressure or a pencil jet close to the board lifts fibres and leaves a furry surface that goes green again faster than before. Grooved composite and timber both benefit from a biocide treatment for slippery growth before washing.

Preparation matters as much as pressure

Before washing, drains are protected, plants are covered and movable items are moved out of the way. The surface is then washed methodically, following the pattern or grain for an even finish. Afterwards we rinse, sweep, bag and dispose of the debris and run-off we create, and send photos if you were not home. Most jobs are finished in a single visit.

Doing it yourself

A domestic pressure washer is fine for patio furniture, a car and a small concrete path. Where people come unstuck is holding the lance close to render, stone or decking to shift a stubborn mark, which leaves permanent tracks. If a mark will not move at a sensible distance, it usually needs a treatment or a different method rather than more force.

How to describe the job when asking for a quote

List each surface you want cleaned and what it is made of, if you know: concrete drive, block paving, sandstone patio, timber decking, brick garden wall, panel fence. Mention oil marks, heavy moss, or anything delicate nearby such as a pond, a car port or glazed doors at ground level. Photos of each area are the quickest way to a fixed written price, and they let us flag early if something on the list should be softwashed rather than pressure washed, so the quote reflects the right method for every surface rather than one setting for everything.

Reader note: What pressure washing is right for, and what it is not

Person looking for a pressure washing service who wants to know if it suits their surface.

Surfaces that suit it: Concrete paths and yards, block paving, tarmac, brick walls in sound condition, garden walls, bin stores and fencing all clean well with pressure. We match pressure and nozzle to the surface, so a concrete yard gets a very different setting from a panel fence. On large flat areas such as drives and patios a rotary surface cleaner is used instead of a wand, because it gives an even finish without stripes. Surfaces that do not: Render and painted walls are softwashed because a jet can scour coatings and open joints. Roofs are cleaned by hand and treated with biocide rather than blasted, which can lift tiles and drive water under them. Soft stone and lime mortar are easily eroded, leaving a pitted face. uPVC and timber cladding are washed at low pressure to avoid pushing water behind the boards. If the thing you want cleaned is on this list, pressure washing is not the service you need. Hot water or cold: Cold water is fine for general dirt, moss and algae once they have been treated. Hot water is used for oil, grease and stubborn grime, because heat breaks down what cold water just pushes around. That is why oil marks on a drive or a greasy bin area are priced and approached differently from a green patio. Decking: Decking can be pressure washed, but only with a lower pressure and a fan nozzle, working along the grain. Too much pressure or a pencil jet close to the board lifts fibres and leaves a furry surface that goes green again faster than before. Grooved composite and timber both benefit from a biocide treatment for slippery growth before washing. Preparation matters as much as pressure: Before washing, drains are protected, plants are covered and movable items are moved out of the way. The surface is then washed methodically, following the pattern or grain for an even finish. Afterwards we rinse, sweep, bag and dispose of the debris and run-off we create, and send photos if you were not home. Most jobs are finished in a single visit. Doing it yourself: A domestic pressure washer is fine for patio furniture, a car and a small concrete path. Where people come unstuck is holding the lance close to render, stone or decking to shift a stubborn mark, which leaves permanent tracks. If a mark will not move at a sensible distance, it usually needs a treatment or a different method rather than more force. How to describe the job when asking for a quote: List each surface you want cleaned and what it is made of, if you know: concrete drive, block paving, sandstone patio, timber decking, brick garden wall, panel fence. Mention oil marks, heavy moss, or anything delicate nearby such as a pond, a car port or glazed doors at ground level. Photos of each area are the quickest way to a fixed written price, and they let us flag early if something on the list should be softwashed rather than pressure washed, so the quote reflects the right method for every surface rather than one setting for everything.

Questions we get on this

Can you pressure wash a house wall?: Only tough, sound brick or block. Render, painted walls and soft stone are softwashed at low pressure instead.
Do you bring your own water?: We can if needed; usually an outside tap is enough.
Will pressure washing damage block paving?: Not with a rotary cleaner at the right setting. Joints are refilled with kiln-dried sand afterwards.
When can I use the surface again?: Drying depends on the surface, shade and weather. We explain any access precautions before leaving.

If this describes your situation

Send photos of what you want cleaned and we will say which surfaces suit pressure and which need a softwash, with a fixed price.

Send photos for a quote Pressure Washing Call 07830 242403

What pressure washing is right for, and what it is not