Is water blasting safe for weatherboard?
Not at full pressure. Weatherboard and most claddings are soft washed instead, which cleans the surface without forcing water behind the boards or stripping paint.
QP Building Wash Blog
Soft wash or water blasting: what your house actually needs
The difference in one line
Soft washing cleans with chemistry and low pressure. Water blasting cleans with controlled high pressure. The skill is knowing which surface gets which.
Anyone can point a lance at a wall. Knowing when not to is the job.
When soft washing is right
Painted weatherboard, plaster, cedar and most claddings get a soft wash. A cleaning solution does the work of killing mould and lifting grime, then everything is rinsed down at low pressure. The surface is cleaned without the coating being stripped or water being forced behind the boards.
Soft washing also keeps mould away longer, because it kills the growth instead of just shearing off the visible layer.
When water blasting is right
Concrete, exposed aggregate, brick paths and most driveways can take real pressure. These are the surfaces where years of grime, algae and tyre marks need force behind the water to come clean.
Decks and fences sit in between. Timber can take pressure, but only at the right distance and the right angle, or the grain gets torn up. This is where experience matters more than equipment.
How we choose
Every job starts with the surface, not the machine. We look at the material, its age and its condition, then pick the method that cleans it properly without shortening its life.
Most Auckland properties need both. A typical visit is a soft wash for the house and water blasting for the drive, paths and deck, done in one trip.
Need this sorted on your place? We cover all of Auckland.
FAQ
Clear answers before you book.
Does soft washing kill mould?
Yes. The soft wash solution kills mould and algae at the root, so it stays away longer than it would after pressure cleaning alone.
Can you do both in one visit?
Yes. Most jobs combine a soft wash on the house with water blasting on the hard surfaces, done in a single visit.