At first glance, cleaning a balcony with a pressure washer sounds practical and requires little effort. However, it is easy to overlook the fact that the water pressure from the spray opening can cause many an object on the balcony to fly away with a “wipe”. Without well thought-out preparation, a balcony can empty quickly.
Often underestimated impact of force
A electric pressure washer can help the floor of a balcony get clean quickly. It can also be used to clean railings, sides and building walls. However, when using the device, one should not underestimate the pressure force that is exerted on every object and surface of the balcony over a relatively short distance.
Simplified, the force effect can be imagined if it is known how many bar of pressure correspond to which pressure dimensions by weight effect. If a working pressure of 100 bar comes out of the high-pressure cleaner, the total effective force corresponds to the weight pressure of about five tonnes. They are still distributed over the area that the water jet measures in width and thickness.
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In short, the water jets exert at least hundreds of kilograms of weight force on every surface and every object they hit. This is why, for example, façade paint can also be removed with a petrol pressure washer.
Also of interest: Cleaning the carpet with a pressure washer
Practical visualisation of the impact of force
If you imagine hitting balcony components and objects on them with a hammer weighing about 200 kilograms, you will get a feeling for the risks that can arise with the following targets:
- Erected and suspended flower and plant boxes
- Balcony furniture made of wood or plastic
- Decorations such as garlands, statues, birdhouses and wind chimes
- Windows and glass doors and their seals
- Joint fillings
- Balustrade cladding made of bamboo mats, plastic, rattan or straw
- Sheet metal gutter and downpipe
- Wall cladding on the side of the building (paint, plaster)
Many balconies are relatively small. When a pressure washer is “fired up”, a kickback occurs in the lance. It quickly leads to unintentional knocking down of unattached objects on the balcony. Parking cars and passers-by under the balcony can never be ruled out.
