Pressure washers can blast away built-up dirt in minutes, but there are some surfaces you should never use them on. While pressure washers can be a godsend for blasting away dirt in record time, they're not suitable for every job. The high-pressure water jets can wreak havoc on certain materials and surfaces , so it's crucial to know when to avoid using them.
Delicate areas such as woodwork, painted items, and older brick constructions are particularly at risk. The intense spray can easily strip paint, splinter wood, and wear down the mortar in brickwork. Windows too can suffer; they're no match for the force of a pressure washer and could end up cracked or shattered.
Claire Baglin, Toolstation's landscaping category manager, warns against misuse: "Incorrect use can lead to damaged surfaces and items which can be very costly to fix or replace. In a worst-case scenario, you could even cause serious injury." Baglin offers her expertise on the dos and don'ts of pressure washing, reports the Mirror .
The forceful spray is likely to chip or peel the paint, and it might even remove it entirely. If you need to get rid of paint, stick to sanding and scraping instead. Brick is a porous material and soaks up a certain amount of water.
Too much of this water will cause the brick to crack as it dries out, weakening the structure. The mortar between bricks can also be forcibly detached from the high water pressure. The high-pressure water can penetrate to the window seals which can cause .
