# How long to wait after pressure washing.



## 2peterhunter (Dec 8, 2014)

I have always waited 5-10 days depending on the weather. Someone just told me they wait a month. What is you time frame till you start.


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## gabe (Apr 20, 2012)

Depends on what your washing and product your applying. Wood siding or decks 2-3 days. Cement siding or vinyl 1 day.


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## gabe (Apr 20, 2012)

Also the longer you wait the more bug, and other crap can get on it


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## I paint paint (May 4, 2014)

If you haven't searched yet, there are threads here on moisture meters, which you may find helpful.


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## Hines Painting (Jun 22, 2013)

Depends on conditions/substrate. When it's the middle of summer I have no problem starting paint the next day if the house was in good shape. If there is scraping/sanding you are going to have time into that anyways so there will be more time to dry out. 

The one I pressure washed today, with overcast skies and 55 degrees out, will probably take at least a few days though.


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## Andyman (Feb 21, 2009)

10 days.. A month?? How do you get anything done? What are you washing in preparation for?


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

The easy way is just to go by moisture content of the wood. In some conditions, one or two days may be enough. In others it may take a week. No reason to guess when you can buy a moisture meter for $30 or so.


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## MikeCalifornia (Aug 26, 2012)

Depends on your area. Me, I wash and start caulking and stucco patch same day. Painting stucco if I can the next.


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## 2peterhunter (Dec 8, 2014)

Yep a lot of our jobs where there is no exposed bare wood we start two days later. I will get a meter. We schedule well to avoid gaps.


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## 2peterhunter (Dec 8, 2014)

The temp is only 55 or so here now though so I may wait for 5-10 days on certain jobs.


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## SemiproJohn (Jul 29, 2013)

2peterhunter said:


> Yep a lot of our jobs where there is no exposed bare wood we start two days later. I will get a meter. We schedule well to avoid gaps.


I don't know where you are at, but you can pick up a moisture meter from Harbor Freight (if they are near you) for around 16 dollars. I bought one there a couple months ago to check the wood on about 4000 square feet of deck I had to stain/seal. Although inexpensive, I thought it did the job. You can spend a ton for better ones.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Because we only do interiors, we have it easy. After pressure washing we simply tell the HO's to turn up the heat and leave it on high for a day or two and then we are ready to go. Although popcorn ceilings do tend to take a little longer to dry out.


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## Damon T (Nov 22, 2008)

RH said:


> Because we only do interiors, we have it easy. After pressure washing we simply tell the HO's to turn up the heat and leave it on high for a day or two and then we are ready to go. Although popcorn ceilings do tend to take a little longer to dry out.



Classic


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## Romanski (May 4, 2008)

RH said:


> Because we only do interiors, we have it easy. After pressure washing we simply tell the HO's to turn up the heat and leave it on high for a day or two and then we are ready to go. Although popcorn ceilings do tend to take a little longer to dry out.


I find wood floors take the longest. Popcorn ceilings have gravity and the hot air rising working for them.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

ahhh, do you sand after or before pressure washing, or not at all ?  :blink:


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

daArch said:


> ahhh, do you sand after or before pressure washing, or not at all ?  :blink:


During. It's the ultimate "wet sanding".


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

slinger58 said:


> During. It's the ultimate "wet sanding".


AND no need to shower when you get home or wash your clothes :thumbsup:


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

RH said:


> Because we only do interiors, we have it easy. After pressure washing we simply tell the HO's to turn up the heat and leave it on high for a day or two and then we are ready to go. Although popcorn ceilings do tend to take a little longer to dry out.


I've had customers that have pressure washed interiors before. Or I should say they tried to.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Proalliance coatings said:


> I've had customers that have pressure washed interiors before. Or I should say they tried to.



PICTURES ! ! ! !


we won't believe you without PICTURES :thumbsup:


better than staring at highway hash


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

We power washed a house yesterday. Humid, around 80°. Today's high is around 50° and it was misting all morning. I took moisture meter readings around 9:00 am to check and all the readings came back at 13% or lower on cedar (no raw wood) except for areas that were currently wet on the surface from rain.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

daArch said:


> PICTURES ! ! ! !
> 
> 
> we won't believe you without PICTURES :thumbsup:
> ...


It was a few years ago. No pictures I'm afraid. A customer of mine hired cracky off the street to clean and paint some apartments.


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## Msargent (Jan 16, 2009)

You mean you have to wait for wait ?


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## thinkpainting/nick (Dec 25, 2012)

Last year we watched two very well known painting franchises paint the same day they washed, what's the big deal..


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

thinkpainting/nick said:


> Last year we watched two very well known painting franchises paint the same day they washed, what's the big deal..


Sorta Pro

Colitis Pro

????


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

thinkpainting/nick said:


> Last year we watched two very well known painting franchises paint the same day they washed, what's the big deal..


We're in the middle of a house where wr primed the shake the same day we washed. However we didn't go near the shakes because of some nastiness of the stain job/age of the untouched shake


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## pvtgloss (May 25, 2015)

For Precast and stucco I start the next day. Block, Two days maybe. For wood and siding 2-4 days. Just get a moister meter. And pick up one for temperature while your there.


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