Can You Pressure Wash Brick?

Having a pressure washer for your home can be a useful investment. These tools can restore life to neglected houses, sidewalks, and patio furniture. But can you pressure wash brick? Let’s find out.

Pressure washing brick is generally considered safe. The most important factor is using the right nozzle attachment. A 0-degree nozzle will be too aggressive and could cause damage to the brick. A higher degree nozzle will be safer because it will widen the spray area.

Things to Keep in Mind:

Before you begin washing, there are a few things to keep in mind. You want to be prepared and understand what it takes to produce amazing results.

That way you can avoid causing any damage to your brick sidewalk, wall, or house.

How does the brick look?

Before beginning a pressure washing job it’s important to inspect the condition of the surface. Brick can deteriorate with age, whether you’re working with a brick house or sidewalk.

There are some signs you should look out for to keep things safe. On old brick houses look for any crumbling or flaking. Too much pressure on these areas can cause series damage.

Test an area first using a less aggressive nozzle. If there’s still too much pressure, you may want to try soft washing the exterior.

Are the joints filled with sand?

If you’re pressure washing a brick sidewalk, take a look at how the bricks are connected. When laying bricks on the ground, builders typically apply sand in between each one.

This keeps the bricks from moving and creates a stronger surface. If the joints are filled with sand, you will need to be very careful.

A tighter nozzle will concentrate the water in one area, which could strip the sand in between the bricks. Use a 40-degree nozzle so you can create a wider spray pattern.

Allow Enough Time

This could be one of the most important things to keep in mind, before you pressure wash brick. It’s critical that you give yourself enough time to efficiently clean everything.

If you rush through the job, expect unprofessional looking results. One example of this is cleaning a very dirty surface. You might get the urge to strap on an aggressive nozzle for heavy duty cleaning.

But you should really dial the pressure back and do multiple passes with the wand, for a better finish.

How to Pressure Wash a Brick House

1. Prepare the Brick Surface

Before pressure washing a brick house, it’s important to prepare the area. Remove anything leaning up against the house, lawn furniture, and outdoor toys.

You also want to trim any overgrown hedges on the exterior that will get in the way when washing. This also includes gathering up all the necessary equipment needed for the job.

You’ll obviously need a pressure washer, wand, and nozzle attachments. If you have any areas that are difficult to reach, make sure to have a ladder close by.

2. Work Down the Brick

Whether you’re pressure washing a brick house, or a wall, it helps to start at the top and work your way down. This way you can let gravity pull the dirt down the surface.

You don’t want dirt and grim dripping back over areas that were already cleaned. If you’re cleaning a second story house, you will need to use a ladder for those hard-to-reach areas.

You can skip this step by adding a tighter nozzle on the wand. The pressure will be less aggressive as you get further away from the house.

3. Start by Cleaning Windows

Don’t forget to clean around the windows as you’re working your way down the house. It’s perfectly safe to pressure wash windows, as long as you have the correct nozzle attachment.

There are two reasons why you should clean the windows first. For one, it doesn’t look good to have a freshly cleaned house with dirty windows.

Secondly, dirt and grim will get stuck in window trim, which can drip down the exterior later. You need to clean these areas before moving on to the side of the house.

4. Apply Soap and Scrub

There could be a buildup of dirt and mildew as you work your way down the sides. This area of the house is exposed to less sunlight compared to the second story.

If this is the case you can apply soap to help loosen up the dirt, for a more thorough cleaning. You can also scrub the brick, in addition to using a cleaning detergent.

A soft bristle brush will help remove the stains, without scratching the brick surface. Once you have successfully removed all the dirt, follow up with a final rinse.

5. Use Brick Sealant

Pressure washing will help clean up ugly looking brick, but you need the results to last. That’s where a brick sealant can help.

It acts like a shield between the brick surface and the harsh elements of nature. And your house will look cleaner longer. Sealant helps prevent dirt, oil, grease, and other substances from penetrating the brick pores.

Because brick sealant is clear by design, you won’t even see it when applied correctly. Liquids that penetrate the surface will bead up and run down the side.

Other Tips

Bleed the hose – Make sure to run any air out of the hose before turning on the pressure washer. All you need to do is connect the hose to your water source outlet and hold the handle down for 30 seconds, or until the air popping noises go away.

Protect plants – This is an important step if you’re pressure washing a brick house. It helps to cover the plants when cleaning, to prevent any soap from killing them. You can also overwater the plants beforehand, that way they will be protected from chemicals.

Move around – Most people underestimate the skill needed for pressure washing. When spraying a wall for example, you want to walk with the wand. This will create an even cleaning pattern. You want to avoid standing in one place and trying to clean an entire section.

Conclusion

Pressure washing brick shouldn’t be something to be scared about. The good news is, you can complete this project safely, as long as you’re using the right nozzle attachment.

This will be powerful enough to remove any dirt and grime, without causing damage. If there’s one thing to take away from this article, it’s that not all brick surfaces will be the same.

Some brick houses seem impenetrable, while others can be crumbling. Make sure to take your time and really inspect the condition before cleaning. That way you will know how to approach this task in the safest way possible.

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