Avoiding High Pressure Wood Damage

The short answer is: You'd better believe it. Any pressures above 1000 psi can do a number on wood. How. High power pressure washing can cause splintering and raise Cain with the grain. ‘Raising the grain', as woodologists call it, happens when you turn up the pressure too high. The high-pressure stream of water washes away the softer “heartwood” from between the harder growth veins, leaving very ungrovy grooves. Experienced power washer operators can use higher pressures without gouging the wood by standing further away from the surface being cleaned.