More than you ever wanted to know about pressure washing brick steps 

Hey, wait a minute ... the ear protection is at least 15 years old. :-) --BTW, Brian, I gave it that title because I ramble on and on and on, and I figured most people didn't want to know all I was saying. If there's something else you'd like to know about spraying steps with pressurized water, let me know in another comment and I'll answer the best I can.

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh&hhh&&&

Why are you so negative dude.

@@NM-wp2rz loll I was thinking the same. like relax bro, he’s not framing an entire house or anything.

Maybe you should consider. I dunno.. like... NOT being a douchebag

Thank YOU for the kind comment, Ona!

the other issue is if the machine (4 stroke) is not run for a while and fuel is left in the carb bowl it can form sort of like a lacquer coating and that will restrict but more often clog the jets. It's a good tip even with lawnmowers etc.

Thanks for the kind comment, Dell!

That's awesome. I think you'll love it, and may your business prosper!

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY thanks! I'm looking forward to it.

@@paulolson6360 update??? it’s been 9 months how was it???

@@tshowtea9959 it still runs really good! It does require a little fiddling to get it running properly some days. The downstream doesn't really work but I had not intended on using it anyway.

Thanks for the comment!

Thanks, Jake. Your comment is much appreciated! :-)

So glad to hear. That kind comment really means a lot to me. 😊

Very informative comment. Thanks, Andrew!

Yes. Brick association of America recommends brush rather than pressure washer. They have a RU-vid video on it.

@@AndrewHelgeCoxGood luck with that

Thanks for the kind comment!

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY If you don't mind... what cleaner product, did you use for that wall? My local Home Depot.... doesn't have many choices.

@@invisiblerevolution oxiclean

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY Thank you 👍

You're welcome, J H. Thanks for the kind comment!

I actually did this one for free :-)

Thanks for the comment.

I'm actually really enjoying your video!

The video is literally titled, "More Than You Need to Know." What were you expecting?

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY see the "production advice" on what content, another Muppet.

Thanks Benjamin. Yeah, the comments were the hardest thing to get used to doing videos. I still cringe a bit every time I click to view them, but they've taught me some lessons and helped dull my fear of criticism. It's good to get some good ones like yours though!! Thanks again. I really appreciate it!

Your kind comment is very much appreciated :-)

I appreciate that, Victoriano!

Yep. ... Thanks for the comment, Winston!

Thanks. May your business be successful!

Thanks?

Oxi-Clean

Thanks Fred. I want some, just haven't bitten the bullet yet. I put them on my wish list in case anyone in my family is at a loss ;-)

Thanks!

Nope. I didn't scrub it. I just let it soften things up. The pressurized water does the scrubbing.

Thanks. Yes, this is the way to do a brick house as well. I don't do it exactly like this on vinyl siding, however. I spray on the solution with the pump sprayer (just like for the brick) (and starting from the bottom) to allow it to begin softening the dirt, but then I use the solution in a bucket with an extendable car-wash brush to clean it. I then "rinse" it with the pressure washer using lower pressure tips, or staying back a lot further to keep from damaging the siding. It's easy to blow holes in vinyl especially if has a lot of UV damage. With a little practice, you get used to how close you can get to different materials without causing damage. You have to be most careful with wood and paint. Even the lower pressure nozzles will strip paint and feather/cut into wood if you get too close. I practiced on some stuff that I wasn't concerned about just to "test" the limits--and I highly recommend it. ...Thank you for the comment!

Thanks 😊 and 3700psi

I actually don't use detergents on brick anymore. Just water through the 15 degree nozzle. The detergent probably kills and holds the mildew at bay longer though -- but it doesn't seem to clean any faster.

Thanks 😊… Oxiclean.

OxiClean :-)

Thank you, great help.. just pressure washed the patio but algae has come back without treatment..

Thanks Graham! That means a lot since it's one of my worst-rated videos :-)

You’re absolutely right. Now I have 4. 😁 thanks for the comment!

I usually use a 1/10 ratio of bleach/water for wood (because it has more immediate results with mold and mildew.) The Oxiclean has a gentler bleaching action, but seems to soften grime up better. I know that's not the most definitive answer, but I hope it helps, Jeffrey. Thanks for the comment.

💥 Good to know. Thanks for clarifying that.

Yes! 👍🏻

Actually, now I just pressure wash first, then afterwards I spray with a little 30 Seconds Cleaner let it sit a few minutes and rinse. The pressure washer does the cleaning, then the chemicals kills any mold or mildew you can’t really see, and keeps it away longer.

Thanks, Samanta. The purple flowers are Hydrangeas or "Snowball bushes." The color is determined by the acidity/alkalinity of the soil. In acid soil they turn blue. In alkaline soil they turn pink. Somewhere in between they look purple.

Oxyclean.

How long to let cleaner sit?

Go for it John!

oxi-clean

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY thanks Dave. Has same question. May be you want to add that detail to the description?

@@darshan25111984 good idea. I think I Will. It’s oxi clean. Thanks 😊

It depends on how soft the brick or mortar are, and how high of pressure you use. Most modern bricks and mortar are very hard, and the algae and mildew will come off long before the surface begins to be damaged, but older or softer brick and mortar can certainly be eroded by high pressure ... some even by low pressure. You just have to be vigilant about what you're washing, and make a change in nozzle/distance/technique if you start to notice damage. And yes, some really soft brick/mortar you should not pressure wash at all. You get a feel for it eventually.

Oxiclean ... but you really don't have to. I just did a nasty set of steps last week -- so covered in mildew and algae you could barely tell they were brick. They cleaned up just like this, and didn't take any more time. Some people swear by the detergents and that they speed up the process, and maybe on some materials they do, but for the most part I've found the pressure washer does most (if not all) of the cleaning.

It’s doing great. Still running like brand new. However, I don’t use it every day. I probably average once a month - if that. I hope yours never fails you. Thanks for the comment!

💥 I bought the same one last year. 3.5 gets it done a lot faster.

Yep .. that's it. Thanks!

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY Thank you, so did you mix it with water and that it. I am going to use that same solution to remove some grey streaks on some bricks

@@TrentonWilliams34250603 Yep. I just put a couple of scoops in a 2 gallon sprayer.

Oxi clean

Thank you :-)

Good question. I can't find any info on that. Maybe someone else can answer.

I'm sure it would work fine, Charles. I've noticed people will say this or that will damage your brick, but there are pros out there that swear by all the ways the other "pros" condemn. Brick and mortar is pretty resilient. I just wouldn't put salt or salt water on it.

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY thanks I'll try the oxy-clean too....tha ks!

Certainly, but it depends on the softness of the brick, the amount of pressure, the type of nozzle, and the duration (dwell) of spray. IMO you're more likely to damage the mortar than the brick with a typical pressure washer and a 15 degree nozzle, but with vigilance that shouldn't be an issue either. Here's my take: The dirt/mold/mildew is the top layer of what someone will be cleaning. Logically, that top layer has to come off before damage will begin to occur to the brick or mortar. As long as you move on to another area as soon as you see the dirt etc. gone, you're not going to do any more harm than you would with a stiff scrub-brush. ... Just my opinion. Hope it helps. Thanks for the comment.

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY Is is the same case for a limestone sill?

Oxi clean.

Pressure washing might lighten the stain a bit by taking some of the material off the surface, but stain, by nature, is absorbed into the masonry so it probably won't make much of a difference (if any). Sorry Steven, but thanks for the comment.

It's doing good. It has about 228k miles on it now, but still runs great and uses zero oil. The only thing wrong with it is the tailgate window stopped working about a month ago, which is kind of a bummer because I liked hanging long boards out of it when I didn't want to hook up the trailer. Thanks for asking. Hope yours is giving you good service as well.

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY I just reached 195k on my 2006 Limited Sequoia and payed a pretty penny within the last 6 month to restore it to drivable condition .. 1st it was $4500(new rack&piniom), OKay it happens especially when it's about to roll over 200k.. But then a p2440 happened and added another $2k. BUT WHEN IT WORKS IT WORKS WELL.

Oxiclean :-)

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY Thank you!

Yep.

Just out of curiosity, do you think the before or the after was photoshopped , Michael? And exactly what tools in Photoshop do you think I used?

Yep.

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY doing a rock face house. Mold issues. Oxyclean? Plants? Suggestions? Thx for a great tutorial.

@@bradbrown2168 Since OxiClean is a hydrogen peroxide-based bleach, it breaks down into harmless components.. I personally wouldn’t worry about the plants and I think it would work just as well on stone. It’s really the pressure washing that is doing the cleaning. The Oxiclean is just basically killing the things that are making the mold and mildew so hopefully it keeps them from coming back too quickly.

Just plain old Oxyclean. ... Someone told me it didn't really do anything; so I took the pump sprayer and wrote "Test" on my driveway with the solution. I thought it didn't work, but looking at it a couple of weeks later, I could clearly see "Test" bleached out on the concrete. I think the solution kills the stuff that makes the stains, but it takes the mechanical action of the washer (or in this case, rain) to get rid of the "dead" stain.

Dave Vos

Thanks for the comment, T. Conley.

Thanks for the input, Mr. Heaney.

I know, right? ... I've learned a lot from the comments on this video. Thanks, Sarah.

Thanks for the advice. I definitely have some room for improvement. Thanks for watching.

You're too kind. Thanks for the advice.

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY see, yet another Muppet.

Sounds like a dilemma :-(