What's actually on your siding
It isn't dirt. It's alive.
That green haze on the north side of the house, the black speckles under the eaves, the grey film that's dulled the whole thing: almost none of it is dirt. It's algae, mildew, and lichen, and it has roots in the texture of your siding. Fog, salt air, and shade give it everything it needs, which is why houses here go green faster than almost anywhere in Canada.
A pressure washer breaks that growth off at the surface. The organism stays behind and it's back within a season, often after the pressure has stripped paint, etched vinyl, or driven water in behind the siding where it can't dry. That's the wand-stripe, half-clean look you see on a lot of rental-machine jobs.
A soft wash kills the growth. Low pressure, little more than a garden hose, carries a professional cleaning solution onto the siding, it does the work, and everything gets rinsed clean. The house doesn't just look clean the day we leave; it stays clean, because there's nothing left to grow back.
BEFORE
AFTERHow we wash a house
- Walk the property with you (or your photos)
We check siding type, condition, older paint, windows, and anything delicate: gardens, ponds, fresh stain, pets. If something doesn't need doing yet, we say so.
- Pre-rinse everything green
Plants, grass, and garden beds around the house get soaked with fresh water first. A saturated plant doesn't take up overspray.
- Apply the soft wash mix at low pressure
Water, a professional surfactant, and sodium hypochlorite diluted to suit the surface. It clings, it dwells, and it kills algae and mildew at the root. Exactly what's in it.
- Rinse the whole house, top to bottom
Siding, trim, soffits, fascia, windows, doors, and exterior gutter faces where safely reachable, then a fresh-water rinse over plants and walkways again.
- Walk the finished job with you
If something isn't right, we make it right. That's the guarantee on every job.
What's included
- Soft wash of all exterior siding
- Rinse of reachable trim, doors, soffits and fascia
- Exterior gutter faces rinsed where safely reachable
- Sheds and garages on the same visit, when suitable
- Pre-rinse and post-rinse of plants, lawn and walkways
- Windows rinsed (not squeegeed) as part of the wash
- Before and after photos, with your permission
What we don't do
- High pressure on siding, ever
- Oxidation (chalky, faded vinyl or paint) restoration
- Paint correction or repair
- Interior windows
- Unsafe ladder work or unreachable areas
Surfaces this is right for
Older painted wood and cedar shingles get a gentler mix and a closer look first. If the paint is already failing, we'll tell you before we touch it, not after.
What affects the price
Every property is different, so we quote each job rather than post a flat rate. Quotes are free, usually done from photos without a site visit, and the price we agree on before work starts is the price you pay. What moves the number:
- Size and number of stories (a two-storey with a walk-out basement is three faces of wall on one side)
- How heavy the growth is: a light green haze cleans faster than years of black mildew
- Siding material and condition, including older paint that needs a gentler approach
- Access: tight lots, structures against the wall, and steep ground all add time
- Add-ons done on the same visit usually cost less than booking separately (house + driveway is the most popular pairing)