People use “pressure washing” for everything, but there are really two different methods, and using the wrong one on the wrong surface is how damage happens.
Pressure washing
High-pressure water does the cleaning. It's the right tool for hard, flat surfaces that can take it: concrete driveways, sidewalks, pavers, pool decks and commercial lots. On big flat areas we use a surface cleaner so the result is even.
Soft washing
A cleaning solution does the work, applied at low pressure, followed by a gentle rinse. It kills algae, mildew and bacteria instead of just blasting them off. It's the right method for roofs (shingle, tile and metal), house exteriors, and anything that high pressure could crack, etch or force water into.
Quick guide
- Roof: soft wash.
- House walls and siding: soft wash.
- Driveway, sidewalk, pavers, pool deck: pressure wash (pressure set for the surface).
- Fences: depends on the material; we'll pick the safe method.
One machine, both methods
Our trailer rig runs a Pressure Ranger 10 GPM two-in-one machine that does both, with a remote that switches between water and cleaning solution. That means we can soft wash a roof and pressure wash the driveway in the same visit. See it on the our rig page.