Can you clean a terrace with a home pressure washer?

Plenty of people consider buying or renting a home pressure washer before calling a professional. Sometimes it's enough; often it isn't.

Pressure isn't the same as cleaning power

Home machines work at around 100–140 bar. What really carries dirt away is flow: a domestic machine moves 6–8 litres per minute; professional equipment, 13–15.

When a home machine is enough

For light, recent dirt on hard tiles, regular maintenance between professional cleans, and small areas.

When it falls short

Embedded calima, established black algae, oil stains, salt, and large areas. It also takes much longer: a job that takes a professional about 3 hours can take a whole day, in the sun.

The risk

Getting too close or using a turbo nozzle can strip stamped concrete, erode stone and empty joints. Always test on a hidden area first.