Can I Clean My Composite Cladding With a Power Washer?
Cleaning your composite cladding is simple yet crucial to retain its appearance and longevity. All that is necessary to successfully clean your composite cladding is warm, soapy water and a soft bristle brush. However, there are options available when this method is ineffective.
This is why many customers ask: Can I clean my composite cladding with a power washer?
The answer is yes. Despite this, we would suggest this method as a last resort because if used incorrectly or without caution, this method can cause damage to your decking.
Continue reading this article to learn how to effectively clean your composite cladding, with or without the use of a power washer.
What Is a Power Washer?
A power washer is a cleaning machine that uses a high-pressure force to spray water on a surface. A power or pressure washer is often used to quickly and conveniently clean materials, usually outdoors. You can use a power washer if you want to clean your composite decking or cladding, as long as you take the right precautions.
How to Clean Your Composite Cladding with a Power Washer
When you want to clean your composite cladding during maintenance, you should ensure that you do not bring the nozzle or edge of the power washer too close to the surface of the cladding. The nozzle is the outlet that the water is pushed out of. If the hose nozzle is too close to the surface of the cladding, it will cause distortion to the surface finish, altering the appearance of the cladding. Not only this, but it can also weaken the boards, negatively affecting their structural integrity, and reducing their lifespan. Additionally, the setting of the power washer should be kept low so as not to be too powerful against the cladding boards.
When using a power washer, the hose should not be brought closer than 25-30cm away from the surface of the cladding, and the setting should be no more than 3000PSI. This is important to protect your composite cladding from any damage that could lead to expensive and time-consuming repairs or replacement.
Why Using a Power Washer Can Be a Good Thing
Using a power washer comes with lots of benefits. A power washer removes dirt quickly from the surface of the object that you want to clean. So, instead of scrubbing the surface of the material that you want to wash over and over again, you can just use a power washer. This is incredibly useful if you are in a hurry and you want to do the cleaning task quickly.
Aside from the fact that a power washer removes dirt quickly, it makes cleaning cladding easier. If you install your cladding close to the ground, you might not see the benefit of this.
However, if you install your cladding high up a wall, as many customers do, then using a power washer can be much easier and less time-consuming.
Additionally, this can also be a safer option when trying to clean a higher area in your garden. As using a pressure washer means you can reach higher areas of your cladding easier, you are less likely to need ladders or steps, which can cause injury.
Disadvantages of Cleaning with a Power Washer
Using a power washer also comes with some disadvantages. When used incorrectly, the force or pressure can damage the surface finish of a material. With regards to a composite material, using a power washer should be done with care. A power washer can peel the body of a composite cladding if care is not taken, leading to the replacement or repair of boards.
It will eat deep into the wood grain of composite cladding if you bring the nozzle too close to the cladding. Therefore, using a power washer to clean your cladding should be a last resort after using other cleaning methods. In most cases, you can usually clean any stains from your composite cladding by gently brushing dishwashing liquid and warm water along the boards. This method should always be tried first, prior to using a power washer.
Conclusion
Can I clean my composite cladding with a power washer?
Yes, you can clean your composite cladding with a power washer.
However, care must be taken; remember that you must not bring the power washer too close to your cladding surface, and you should ensure that the setting on the power washer is low to ensure no damage occurs to the cladding boards.