Power washing your driveway may not be the first thing you think about when considering a home improvement project. But it can often make as much difference in your homes overall look as a paint job.
When you think about DIY jobs, construction projects often come to mind. But often, the construction projects should be put on hold for a little while longer. So you can do some freshening up jobs that do not require any construction at all.
Here in Panama, construction projects are put on hold for the rainy season. In other areas of the world, it is winter that slows them down for the season. Either way, it is often best to take care of cleaning up what you have, before starting on something new.
Power washing is one of those jobs. And fortunately, power washing your driveway or patio is one of those tasks that you can take care of on your own. As long as you use common sense and take some precautions.
Remember, that a power washer is a very powerful tool. It’s only water, but it can kill or seriously injure you. Never point the nozzle or business end of a power washer at anyone or yourself. The pressure that these tools put out can easily tear your skin and introduce air or other contaminants that can be fatal.
The first step in your power washing project is going to be hooking up the machine. There are usually only a few steps.
Hook up your garden hose
Plug in your nozzle (and of course the hose that the nozzle is on)
Put the tip on your nozzle.
If using an electric machine, plug it in.
There are a number of different tips available for most pressure washing machines. They range from relatively low pressure to very high. It is always best to start with the lowest pressure tip. Then gradually increase to higher pressure tips until you find the lowest pressure tip that will actually get the job done.
After your machine is hooked up, it is just a matter of turning on the machine and squeezing the trigger on the nozzle.
Keep in mind that there will be back pressure on the nozzle when you squeeze the trigger, so hold on tight when you are squeezing.
Aim the spray of water a few inches off your patio or driveway and move the nozzle slowly. It will be obvious to you where you have done.
Just work on a small area at a time until your entire project is complete.
Using a power washer to clean your deck or patio is an easy do it yourself project. If your patio or driveway is dirty, this can make as big of an impact as a United Built Homes Corporate Office project and is much easier to accomplish.
Just make sure you are being careful and Abbotts Construction not pointing the nozzle at anyone.
So before starting any new big building jobs, go ahead and clean up what you already have. In Panama, tool rental is not that easy so you will have to purchase your own power washer, or borrow one from a friend. If you live in the US or Canada, you can rent one from your local home improvement store.
A bright and shiny patio or driveway will make a big impact to the curb appeal of your home. And a power wash can easily be done in an afternoon.
