Home pressure washer or professional? When each one pays off
A home pressure washer handles the car, bikes, garden furniture and a small balcony well. For a large patio, a roof or a facade, both the result and the risk change: that is where the difference from professional equipment shows.
What a home machine does well
- Small, tough surfaces: steps, thresholds, a corner of the terrace
- Car, bikes, plastic or metal furniture
- Bins and buckets, with water and neutral detergent
For these jobs, buying pays off, especially if you do them several times a year.
Where a home machine tends to cause damage
- Large patios: the pencil jet leaves stripes, lighter and darker patches, because nobody can keep the same distance for hours
- Portuguese cobblestone: a direct jet blasts the sand out of the joints and loosens the stones; acid stains it for good (see why acid is never used)
- Wood: high pressure raises the fibres and leaves the deck rough (see how to wash a deck without damage)
- Render and paint: too close, it opens cracks and peels the paint
- Roofs: climbing onto a roof with a hose in your hand is the biggest risk of all
What professional equipment does differently
On a patio we use a rotary surface cleaner, which washes evenly with no jet stripes. On facades and render we work with moderate pressure and an anti-algae product; on stone, with the right product for each type; hot water up to 98 °C for grease, oil and graffiti. With a telescopic lance we reach about 9 to 10 metres from the ground, without climbing onto the roof or putting up scaffolding.
The numbers: buy or hire
A home machine costs from a few dozen to a few hundred euros, plus your time and the risk. A patio washed by us costs from €4.5/m², with an €89 minimum, guide price shown on the site before you book; the full example is in how much patio washing costs. Rule of thumb: for small, frequent upkeep, buy; for a deep clean once or twice a year, or on stone, wood, facades and roofs, call someone with the right equipment.
If you wash at home: five precautions
- Always start on a hidden spot
- Keep the nozzle at least 30 cm away and always moving
- Never aim at joints, windows, frames or sockets
- Use neutral detergent, never acid on stone
- Do not use the machine on ladders or roofs
To see the price of your patio, terrace or facade, use the calculator: 60 seconds, no prepayment. Full service at patio and paving washing.