Painting - Paint stripping w/ pressure washer how to?

I have to clean off a lot of peeling exterior house paint. Can't find anyone who knows what pressure rating to use for this project. Are there important reasons not to use a pressure washer?

Thanks, Jon

There is nothing wrong with using a powerwasher to remove paint, but you have been lulled into thinking that a powerwasher alone will do the job. Prewash chemicals are a must. Such chemicals can be found at www.biowash.com (http://www.biowash.com) and you can make home made prewash strippers also.

I have used powerwashers that delivered 20,000 psi and know that units that deliver 60,000 psi exist. Both will cut steel, the latter, like it was butter.

For your purposes a 2500 psi unit with either a dual wand (high & low pressure delivery on the wand) or one that has an adjustable pressure setting is best. If removal is attempted by pressure alone, you'll either cut the wood fibers or make ugly wand marks that will show up in the finished paint job.

Apply prewash stripper, wait, use a low pressure setting to wash most of it off (or use a garden hose), then high pressure to complete the process. Do wear a full face guard. Boots, gloves and rain gear help also.

Use a 25 to 30 degree tip (supplied with most rentals, but check to see if a 0 degree stucco tip is installed [small round hole], and if so, have it changed). To reduce wand marks: keep the tip flat to the surface. Do not swing the wand in an arc. And stay 3 to 3 1/2 feet from the surface.

Wow! Thanks for the detailed response, sure glad I came back and read it. Could you help just a little more. Nobody around here even knows what Prewash chemicals are, so I'll have to make my own, since the job starts Monday. Do you have a recipe?

Thanks again, REALLY!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by 2000:
There is nothing wrong with using a powerwasher to remove paint, but you have been lulled into thinking that a powerwasher alone will do the job. Prewash chemicals are a must. Such chemicals can be found at www.biowash.com (http://www.biowash.com) and you can make home made prewash strippers also.

I have used powerwashers that delivered 20,000 psi and know that units that deliver 60,000 psi exist. Both will cut steel, the latter, like it was butter.

For your purposes a 2500 psi unit with either a dual wand (high & low pressure delivery on the wand) or one that has an adjustable pressure setting is best. If removal is attempted by pressure alone, you'll either cut the wood fibers or make ugly wand marks that will show up in the finished paint job.

Apply prewash stripper, wait, use a low pressure setting to wash most of it off (or use a garden hose), then high pressure to complete the process. Do wear a full face guard. Boots, gloves and rain gear help also.

Use a 25 to 30 degree tip (supplied with most rentals, but check to see if a 0 degree stucco tip is installed [small round hole], and if so, have it changed). To reduce wand marks: keep the tip flat to the surface. Do not swing the wand in an arc. And stay 3 to 3 1/2 feet from the surface.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>