So, the old wooden fence out back, man, it was looking rough. Seriously, years of grime, bit of green stuff growing on it in places. Every time I looked at it, I just thought, "Ugh, gotta do something about that." But you know how it is, life gets busy, other stuff comes up. Finally, had a weekend with decent weather and a bit of free time, so I figured, no more excuses.

Getting Down to Business

I’d been thinking about pressure washing it for a while. Seemed like the quickest way to get all that gunk off. Borrowed a pressure washer from my neighbor – good old Dave, always got the tools. He said, "Just don't go crazy with it, you can mess up the wood if you're not careful." Sound advice.

First thing I did was clear the area. Moved the barbecue, the kids' toys, a couple of planters. Didn't want to blast anything I shouldn't, or trip over stuff. Gave the plants nearby a good soaking with the hose too, just in case any cleaning stuff or dirty water splashed their way, though I wasn't planning on using any harsh chemicals this time, just water.

The Setup and First Blast

Hooked up the pressure washer, got the water running. Now, for the nozzle. I’d read a bit online. Some folks say a 45-degree tip is okay, others swear by a 25-degree tip for wood to avoid damage. I found a 25-degree one in the kit Dave gave me, so I went with that. Seemed like a safer bet, especially since my fence ain't exactly new.

For pressure, I didn't want to go full beast mode. I think the machine can do a lot more, but I set it to what felt like a medium setting. Probably around 1500 PSI, like some guides suggest. The idea is to clean, not carve new patterns into the fence, right?

So, here’s what I did. I made sure to pull the trigger on the gun before I got the spray right up on the wood. Kind of started it off to the side, then slowly moved it closer to the fence. You don’t want to hit dry wood with a sudden full-power jet. That’s how you get those ugly marks.

The Actual Washing Part

I kept the nozzle moving. Sweeping motions, mostly up and down. Some people go side to side, but up and down felt more natural for the fence panels. Tried to keep the tip a decent distance away – maybe a foot or so? If you get too close, that’s when you can really gouge the wood. You gotta find that sweet spot where the dirt is coming off but you're not shredding the surface.

• Kept a steady pace.
• Overlapped my strokes a little bit.
• Tried to be consistent with the distance and angle.

It was actually pretty satisfying seeing the dirt just peel away. The wood underneath was way lighter than I remembered. Took a while, though. Section by section. My arm started to ache a bit after the first hour, not gonna lie. It’s more work than it looks!

There were a few stubborn spots, mostly where that green algae stuff was thickest. Had to go over them a couple of times, maybe get a tiny bit closer, but still super careful. The key is patience, I reckon. Rushing it is a bad idea.

Wrapping Up and What I Learned

Once I’d done the whole fence, I gave it a final light rinse from a bit further back, just to get any loose debris off. Stepped back and wow, what a difference. It looked so much cleaner. Not brand new, of course, it's an old fence, but a million times better.

The biggest things I learned were:

• Start with a wider nozzle or lower pressure if you're unsure. You can always get more aggressive if needed, but you can't undo damage. The 25-degree tip seemed good for me.
• Keep the wand moving. Don't linger in one spot.
• Distance is your friend. Too close is bad news for wood.
• It takes longer than you think, so block out enough time.

Now it’s all drying out. Looks pretty good. Next step, once it's bone dry, is probably a good sealer or stain to protect it. But that's a job for another weekend!