Over the years, it’s normal for a driveway to become one of the more unsightly parts of your home’s exterior. Tire marks, oil stains and built-up dirt and grime are just a few of the common messes that tend to get left behind after years of daily use. Fortunately, pressure washing provides an effective way to restore the driveway’s appearance, but you must be careful how you perform this type of home maintenance. If you use the wrong nozzle tips or hold the spray wand too close, you may end up causing more harm than good.

You’re Using the Wrong Spray Nozzles

A lot of homeowners fail to research what the different pressure washer nozzles actually do. And when they use the wrong ones, the driveway can end up with permanent etching that not only detracts from its appearance but can also be nearly impossible to remove except with professionally resurfacing.

Most pressure washing systems come with color-coded nozzles. Here’s what the colors usually mean and what they work best for:

• 0-degree (Red): Removes heavy deposits, but the concentrated water stream can easily damage concrete and asphalt surfaces.
• 15-degree (Yellow): Another option for heavy deposits, but the water stream is still too concentrated and aggressive for residential driveways.
• 25-degree (Green): Works great for general-purpose cleaning and is highly suited for driveways.
• 40-degree (White): Does an excellent job of light cleaning and rinsing, making it a great choice for concrete and asphalt driveways.
• 65-degree (Black soap nozzle): Used to apply detergent to the driveway before pressure washing.

You’re Holding the Spray Wand Too Close

Most people do a really good job of keeping the spray wand at least 12 inches away from the driveway until they come across a stubborn stain. They often move the wand closer over these areas, believing the extra pressure will produce better results. But the problem is that high-pressure water can etch the driveway when it’s held too close, making it look worse than it did before, even though the stain is gone. Applying a pre-treatment cleaner is one of the easiest ways to loosen up stubborn stains, so they wash away more easily without having to hold the wand too close.

If you’re not comfortable pressure washing your driveway yourself, you’re not alone. Thousands of homeowners call on professionals to handle this job. The pros are very familiar with the correct pressure settings, nozzle tips and cleaning techniques. If you live in Corvallis, OR or a surrounding area and need driveway washing services, make your first call to Under Pressure.