Can pressure washing damage pavers?

Pressure washing concrete pavers, especially newer ones, can easily damage the surface finish and we strongly recommend that you do not pressure wash them unless you have a lot of experience and have the right equipment to wash the pavers under pressure. In most cases, cleaning pavers with a pressure washer requires the use of a jet-type tip. Non-specialized pressure washing will damage pavers and remove sand from joints, which is critical to ensuring long-lasting pavement leveling. You can damage your pavers by pressure washing simply because of a lack of experience.

Yes, it's okay to pressure wash the pavers. However, it's important to use the correct PSI and tip to ensure that you don't damage certain materials, such as concrete pavers. Pressure washing can cause all kinds of damage to pavers, such as bites, marks on the surface and, more dangerous, it can damage the sand in the joints between the pavers. There are many horror stories that are pressure washed and that focus on a well-intentioned homeowner who accidentally damages his wooden deck, removes paint from his house, destroys the paint on his car, rips tiles off his roof or siding on the side of the house, and even causes serious injuries to themselves or others.

This will allow you to get an idea of the pressure washer and the power of the spray before you start using it in your patio or driveway. Pressure washers are easy to find to rent or buy, and almost anyone can figure out how to turn one on, point it, and pull the trigger. The fence had dirt, grime and mold growth and my coating needed a pressure wash, including my screened patio area. This type of damage can occur if you make a mistake using the wrong accessories or if you stay in a place with a pressure washer for too long.

When pressure washing pavers, bricks, or concrete, these errors can cause visible damage, such as pits, lines, or general surface degradation. Pressure washing, by itself, is not the problem; the problem is that it is very easy for an inexperienced homeowner to choose the wrong nozzle, to use a higher pressure than they should or should not understand how powerful the pressurized water stream coming out of the pressure washer can be. If your gardens are particularly dirty or you just feel like using a pressure washer to clean them, it's best to hire a professional who has experience in pressure washing your particular harsh landscape. When done correctly, pressure washing will give you the results you want: a clean, well-maintained paved area.

Before you approach your hard landscapes with a pressure washer, you must first practice with it on dirt or other undamaged surface. Choose a pressure washer with between three and four gallons per minute (gpm) at a pressure of 3,000 pounds per square inch (psi). Damage caused by pressure washers is often the result of choosing the wrong nozzle, using a higher pressure than the task requires, keeping the rod too close to the hard surface, or directing the spray to a point for too long.