Alright, so my fence was looking pretty grim, you know? Covered in that green gunk and just general dirt. It was an eyesore, plain and simple. Decided it was time to actually do something about it, and power washing seemed like the way to go. I'd heard sanding was an option, but honestly, that sounded like a ton of work, super messy, and I was worried I'd chew up the wood. People say sanding can be pretty destructive if you're not careful, and I definitely didn't want to replace fence panels anytime soon.

Getting Set Up

First things first, I had to get the area ready. Hauled the power washer out – it's not a fancy one, just a basic electric model. Then, the not-so-fun part:

• I moved all my wife's potted plants. She'd have had my hide if they got blasted.
• Dragged the BBQ to the other side of the yard.
• Made sure the dog was inside. He'd think the spray was a game.
• Put on some old jeans and a shirt I didn't care about, 'cause I knew I was gonna get wet and dirty. And safety goggles, always the goggles!

Then I hooked up the hoses, got the water running, and plugged the machine in. Took a minute to make sure everything was tight and not leaking everywhere.

Figuring Out The Power

Now, the tricky bit, or so I thought, was the pressure. My fence is just plain old wood, probably a softwood. I'd read online you gotta be careful. You don't want to just blast it with everything the machine's got. They say for softwoods, you wanna stay somewhere between 500 and 800 PSI. If it was hardwood, maybe up to 1,300 PSI, but mine ain't that tough. So, I picked a nozzle that wasn't the super-intense pinpoint one, more of a fan spray. Started with the pressure setting kinda low and tested it on a less visible spot first. Didn't want to carve my initials into the wood by accident, you know?

The Actual Washing Process

Once I felt the pressure was good – strong enough to clean but not shred – I started from one end of the fence. I tried to keep the nozzle moving, about a foot or so away from the wood, going with the grain. It’s kinda like painting, but in reverse. You want to overlap your strokes a little so you don't get those ugly, clean Zorro lines everywhere. It took a while, section by section.

Man, the amount of gunk that came off was incredible! The water running off was just brown and green. It was pretty satisfying to see the clean wood appear from under all that mess. Had to be a bit more careful around the posts and any bits that looked a bit older or more fragile. It was a bit of a workout for my arm, holding that wand steady for so long.

The Aftermath and Drying

When I finally finished, I was soaked and tired, but the fence looked a million times better. Even before it was fully dry, you could see the difference. All that built-up grime from years, gone. I let it dry completely for a good day, maybe two, just to be sure. The sun helped a lot.

Now it's looking fresh. Makes the whole yard look a bit tidier, actually. My next thought is probably to put a good sealer or stain on it. Protect it, you know, so I don't have to do this whole song and dance again too soon. But that’s a project for another weekend. For now, I'm just happy it's clean!