Four Tips For Power Washing Your Wooden Fence

Is your wooden fence looking a bit dusty and dingy? The easiest way to clean it is with a power washer. However, power washing your fence is not as simple as turning on the equipment and going to work. Here are four tips to ensure your power washing session is successful.

Use the right pressure.

If you use too high of a pressure to wash your fence, you might end up loosening boards or popping some of them off of the fence posts. Ideally, you want to wash a fence with medium pressure between 1,500 and 2,000 PSI. If you must use a higher pressure washer because it's all that you have available, make sure you stand as far back from the fence as possible when washing, as this will reduce the power with which the water actually hits the fence. If all you have is a lower-pressure washer, be aware that this will work, but you may need to step in and scrub some of the dirtiest parts of the fence by hand.

Use a mold-fighting cleaner if needed.

Take a good look at your fence. If you see any mold growth, then you will want to visit your local hardware store and purchase a cleaner designed to fight mold. Make sure you purchase one in a container that is compatible with your make and model of pressure washer. If you wash a moldy fence without this type of product, you'll likely just make the mold problem worse since you're introducing more moisture to the fence.

Keep the wand in motion.

When power washing, make sure you're continually moving the washer back and forth in sweeping motions. This way, the power won't become too concentrated in one place and cause fence damage. If there is a very dirty spot, sweep back and forth over it repeatedly, rather than aiming directly at it. This brings the water into contact with the dirt at several different angles, which should help get it cleaner in the long run.

Work your way down.

Wash the top of the fence first, and work your way down slowly. If you start at the bottom of the fence, the lower boards will just get dirty again as the dirty water from washing the top boards runs down them.

With the tips above, your fence washing endeavors should be pretty successful. Remember to be patient. If your fence is very dirty, you may have to go over it a few times to get rid of all of the grime. Contact a company like Gatlin Fence Company for more information.

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