pressure washer psi

I have a lot on my plate this summer and getting the patio clean is one of the important projects. I'm having fencing delivered friday so I'll use the next couple days to buy a pressure washer and get my ugly concrete patio, pool deck and RR tie retaining wall cleaned up. I usually don't skimp on quality but I'm on a real tight budget and can't spend too much on a washer. The concrete is very dirty but not stained with oil or anything so I'm thinking a 2000 psi washer might do the trick. In particular the Brute 2000psi by Briggs and Stratton. I had plenty of minibikes when I was a kid with B&S motors on them so I know their reliable but the pressure is what I'm unsure about. Would 2000psi be good enough for concrete?? thanks

 

It should be. Generally the higher the psi the better but it is so easy to get in trouble with too much pressure. My pressure washer doesn't put out that high but has always done an adequete job when preparing for a paint/stain job. Often you are better off with a little less pressure and using whatever detergent the cleaning job calls for.

The tip [s] you use and how far you hold it from the surface being cleaned also plays a part in pressure washing. If the intial cleaning with the PW doesn't do a sufficent job, use the appropriate cleaner and an old broom to scrub the concrete and then PW it again.

You can also rent pressure washers.