House soft washing for siding that should not be pressured
Siding does not need pressure, it needs the right solution and enough dwell time. Soft washing cleans vinyl, stucco, brick, fiber cement and wood at low pressure, so nothing is forced behind the cladding and nothing is etched — and because the growth is killed rather than knocked off, it stays gone longer.
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The problem this solves
Green or black growth creeping up the siding, a north wall that never looks clean, or chalky streaks under the gutters.
Why siding should not be pressure washed
High pressure forces water past lap joints, around window flashing and behind vinyl, where it has no way out and no reason to dry. It also chalks painted surfaces and cuts into soft wood. The damage happens inside the wall, so the job can look excellent and still have caused a problem.
What is actually growing on your siding
Mostly algae and mildew, sometimes lichen on north-facing masonry. It is biological, which means it has roots in the surface and it regrows from whatever survives. Rinsing it off treats the appearance and leaves the colony, which is why a rinsed wall greens up again within months.
How the soft wash process runs
We pre-wet the landscaping, apply a cleaning solution from the ground with low-pressure equipment, let it dwell long enough to kill the growth, agitate anything stubborn by hand, then rinse from the top down. Windows, screens and door frames are rinsed clear as part of the job.
What we clean while we are there
Soffits, fascia, the gutter exteriors, downspouts, porch ceilings and the trim around windows and doors. These carry the most visible staining on most houses and are usually where a cheaper wash stops. If your gutters are tiger-striped, that needs brightening as well and we will tell you.
Why the north side is always the worst
A north wall gets the least sun, so it stays damp the longest after every rain and every heavy dew. Combine that with our humidity and any overhanging canopy and you have a wall that never fully dries. It is not neglect; it is the side of the house that needs the most frequent attention.
How often a house here needs washing
Every one to two years for most Tallahassee properties, and annually for a house under heavy tree cover or in deep shade. Waiting until the growth is obvious means it has had time to root into the surface, and a badly established colony takes more solution and more dwell to remove.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS SERVICE
House soft washing questions
What is the difference between soft washing and pressure washing?
Pressure washing cleans with force and is right for hard surfaces like concrete. Soft washing cleans with a solution at low pressure and is right for anything that force would damage or that water could get behind — siding, roofs, screens, painted wood. Most houses need both, on different surfaces.
Will soft washing harm my plants?
Not when the runoff is handled properly. Beds and turf are saturated with water before we start, so nothing concentrates in the soil, and they are rinsed again when we finish. Delicate or specimen plants get covered rather than just wetted.
How long does house soft washing take?
Most single-story homes take two to four hours; a larger two-story with a lot of trim takes most of a day. The dwell time is part of the work and cannot be rushed — a crew that finishes a whole house in an hour has skipped the step that makes it last.
Do I need to be home during the wash?
No. We need access to water and to the perimeter of the house. We do ask that windows are closed and that you tell us about anything we should keep solution away from — a vegetable bed, a new paint repair, an outdoor pet area.
Can you clean stucco without damaging it?
Yes, and soft washing is the correct method for it. Stucco is porous and pressure both etches the surface and drives water into the wall assembly. It gets a gentler solution mix and a longer dwell instead, with hand agitation on stubborn areas.
Get house soft washing scoped properly.
We inspect before we quote, so the price answers a defect we can show you rather than a guess.