Pressure Washing in Logan, Utah and Cache Valley

The deck in these photos had gone gray from years of weather. We set the washer up on the lawn below and worked across the boards, washing the gray buildup off. The second photo shows the freshly washed boards drying in the morning sun, before any sanding started.

That wash was step one of a full refinish. Once the wood was dry we sanded it to bare wood, then stained the deck, railings and stairs a rich red-brown. If your deck needs the whole job, our deck repair and staining page walks through each step.

A wash on its own has its place too. It takes winter grime and green film off before summer, gets a gray deck ready for stain, and makes a house look cared for before it goes on the market.

Concrete is rock and cement. One pressure washer maker suggests a machine of at least 3,000 psi for concrete, still held about 12 inches away so the jet doesn't gouge the surface. Wood is made of fibers, and deck woods are soft ones. One stain maker's instructions keep a deck wash between 500 and 1,200 psi and warn that high pressure may harm the wood.

The damage is easy to miss while the boards are wet. The U.S. Forest Products Laboratory warns that power washing can remove wood from the surface, especially on soft woods like western redcedar. Most decks are pressure-treated lumber or a naturally durable wood such as redwood or western redcedar, the lab notes. It also says the silver fibers on a weathered board should stay, because they absorb stain well. Blast them off and you lose wood you can't put back.

So wood gets the gentle treatment. A washer maker's decking guide says the more sensitive the material, the lower the pressure should be. It calls for a flat fan nozzle, warns that pinpoint jets and dirt-cutter tips can damage the boards, and says to rinse about 30 centimeters, roughly a foot, from the surface, moving with the grain. It also says to test first in a spot no one will see.

Each surface takes a different touch. Concrete drives, walks and patios handle the most pressure. A wood fence wants the same low, wide spray as a deck. Siding is mostly about where the water goes: one washer maker says to cover vents and openings with plastic, shut off power to outdoor outlets that have no waterproof covers, and not to wash from a ladder, because the wand's push back can throw you off balance.

Two cautions matter on older homes. The EPA says a home built before 1978 is more likely to have lead-based paint, and that paint which peels or chips becomes a hazard. That same washer maker says not to pressure wash paint you think may contain lead. In Logan's Center Street Historic District, chemical cleaning or paint removal on masonry needs a certificate of appropriateness from the city first.

Watch the runoff as well. Utah State University's storm drain campaign points out that what goes down Logan's storm drains is likely to end up in the Logan River and Cutler Marsh, so keep soap and cleaners out of the gutter. If a wash turns up damage, see fence repair or small concrete jobs, and ask about other surfaces when you call.

The price depends on the size of the area, how much buildup there is, the stairs and railings, how easy the deck is to reach, and whether sanding and stain follow the wash. Every job gets a free quote with the full price before work starts. We work on homes and businesses across Cache Valley and Southeast Idaho; see the towns we serve.

Pressure washing is quoted on its own. It is on the list of things the Home Maintenance Membership visits leave out, and members get 10% off labor on work that is quoted separately.