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Can You Pressure Wash Stucco? See If it Will Remove Stains

pressure washing stucco house

You can pressure wash stucco if you are careful. You’ll need to maintain a decent distance between the nozzle and the stucco. Then, use a 1,500 PSI pressure washer with a 40- or 25-degree nozzle. If you’re worried about damaging the tile, we recommend seeking help from a professional. Often, they know how to clean the stucco without damaging it.

After all, pressure washers can be intense.

Stucco is a gorgeous siding. However, the textured surface can quickly accumulate streaks and mildew. Luckily, pressure washing can significantly help improve the cleanliness of the siding. Just be sure you’re careful when you’re doing it.

divider 4 How Do You Clean Hard Water from Stucco?

Removing hard water stains is pretty easy. All you need to do is use your hose to spray the area gently. Don’t apply so much pressure that it breaks the siding and be patient to ensure you get all the stain. It may take a bit of spraying, but removing the stains isn’t complicated.

Of course, if you decide to pressure wash the house, the water from the pressure washer will likely remove all the hard water stains. A professional should tackle the hard water stains, though pressure washing the house should remove them without extra effort.

beige stucco wall
Image Credit: elljay, Pixabay

How Much Does It Cost to Pressure Wash Stucco?

Pressure-washing stucco shouldn’t be much more expensive than any other type of siding. Of course, you’ll want to ensure that you get a professional with experience washing stucco. It is easy to break it if you use the wrong amount of pressure. Therefore, this is one of those times when investing in a professional with plenty of experience is worth it.

The exact cost you should expect depends on the scope of the project and where you’re located. Pressure washing costs can differ a lot from one area to another. It’s all a matter of the supply and demand in your area.

Furthermore, the professional will likely guess how long it will take them to complete the job. Then, this allows them to determine how much money to charge. They may ask how many square feet your house is and how many stories it is. Usually, it costs less to clean the whole house at once than it does to split it up. After all, once the professional is set up, it doesn’t take very long to pressure wash a few extra square feet.

How Do You Remove Mildew from Stucco?

Mildew growth requires a bit more power than simple dirt. Therefore, you’ll likely need to utilize a bleach solution or commercial option designed to clean mildew. You don’t have to pressure wash the stucco to remove the mildew. Instead, you can often add the solution to the wall and scrub. However, if you’re planning on pressure washing the wall, anyway, then you can pressure wash with an appropriate solution instead of scrubbing.

If you hire a professional, they will often remove the mildew as they pressure wash. Mildew will usually crumble under a pressure washer, though you still need to use the correct solution.

person using air compressor as pressure washer
Image Credit: Media Whalestock, Shutterstock

Can 30 Second Outdoor Cleaner Be Used on Stucco?

This cleaner was made as an attempt to replace pressure washing. It works well in this regard, making it an excellent replacement for cleaning stucco. A pressure washer can easily damage stucco so using a cleaner instead is often a safer option. You’ll need a garden or backyard spray to apply, but you lower your risk of harming the stucco.

You can have a professional apply this cleaner for you. However, this isn’t always necessary—it’s pretty easy to apply yourself with minimum experience.

Can Water Soak Through Stucco?

Stucco walls are not water-resistant in themselves. Usually, these walls need some other sort of water protection. Stucco absorbs water, and if there is too much water for the stucco to hold, it will soak to the other side. It’s similar to a paper towel.

At first, all the water will soak into the paper towel. However, the other side gets wet as the paper towel becomes full. Therefore, it isn’t odd to have problems with stucco leaking (though leaking isn’t necessarily the best word).

divider 4 Conclusion

Stucco isn’t hard to pressure wash, but excessive pressure can cause damage. Therefore, we recommend doing plenty of research and being very careful when pressure washing it or otherwise hiring a professional. If you go for the latter route, we recommend getting a professional with plenty of experience to ensure they do not damage the stucco. Having an insured professional can be vital in this situation.

There are other ways to clean stucco besides pressure washing it. Some cleaners are made to replace pressure washers in this situation, specifically. They can work well and are often very easy to apply.


Featured Image Credit: Mal.Stock, Shutterstock

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