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Fence guy convinced me to stop pressure washing | Atlanta Homeowners - Vivisector

Fence guy convinced me to stop pressure washing

I had a guy out to quote me on fixing a section of my fence last week. He saw my pressure washer in the driveway and told me I was basically blasting the life out of the wood. Said it forces water deep into the grain and helps rot start from the inside out. I used to love seeing that dirty water run off, but he showed me a few soft spots on my own fence that got me thinking. For $60 a bottle of wood cleaner and a deck brush, am I really saving that much time by pressure washing every spring?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessica9213mo ago

That thing about forcing water into the grain is REAL. I switched to the brush and cleaner method a few years back after noticing my deck was getting those soft spots way too fast, and the wood lasts WAY longer now.

green.noah3mo ago

Is it really that serious though? I've been pressure washing my fence and deck for like 8 years now and I barely have any soft spots. Maybe it depends on the type of wood or how dry your climate is. @jessica921 I'm not saying you're wrong exactly, but I think people online make it sound like you're destroying your fence in one wash when really it takes years of abuse to do real damage. I get that the brush method is gentler, but I'm not convinced a healthy fence is gonna rot from a little water if you let it dry out right after.

corah753mo ago

and honestly once you start seeing those soft spots you can't unsee them lol. i did the same thing with my porch steps last summer, switched to the brush and cleaner method and it's wild how much better the wood feels. plus you don't get that annoying splintering in the grain that pressure washers always leave behind. it takes a little longer but i swear the wood looks healthier and darker without all that water being jammed into it. and hey for $60 a bottle that lasts me two seasons it's way cheaper than replacing fence boards every few years.