What soft washing does on a house
1. The surfaces get checked
We walk the house with you and sort each surface into two piles: the ones that want low pressure, and the ones that take more. Vinyl, fiber cement, painted wood and stucco go in the first pile; concrete walks and sound brick in the second. Which pile a wall lands in sets the whole visit.
2. Plants, pets, outdoor furniture and open windows
Before the water is on, beds against the walls get a quick watering, and pots, cushions and anything light enough to blow move off the deck or patio. Open windows and screens close, and pets go inside while the crew works. The yard gets talked through with you, so the beds and pots we would like some room around are known in advance.
3. The wash from the ground
The crew stays on the lawn and does not drive the spray at the siding. A two-story house is washed from the ground too, with a longer reach rather than a ladder against the paint.
4. The green film and dark stains lift with the wash
The green film and the dark streaks on the shady side lift with the wash and the rinse that follows. For stubborn spots we repeat the pass rather than push it harder. If a stain is set into the paint rather than growing on top of it, we tell you at the wall rather than at the end.
5. A rinse from top to bottom
The wall gets rinsed from the top down, so no cleaner sits on the paint or runs a line down a window. Over anything delicate below the pass, like a planted bed or a window seat, the pressure stays low and the water is steered down the wall rather than off it.
6. A last look at the walls, beds and windows
We walk the house with you one more time and check the beds, the windows, the trim and the ground below the walls. Anything that calls for another pass gets one.
| Surface | Soft wash or pressure | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl siding | Soft wash | Flexes under spray; low pressure is enough |
| Fiber cement | Soft wash | Painted panels, soft at the seams |
| Painted wood | Soft wash | Old paint can lift under too much pressure |
| Stucco | Soft wash | Pores can trap water from a hard spray |
| Shingle roof | Soft wash, from the ground | Roofing makers advise low pressure |
| Brick, sound mortar | More pressure | The surface and the joints can take it |
| Concrete walks and drives | Pressure washing | Hard, flat, and much slower to soften |
For the drive we move to concrete that takes more pressure. A shingle roof is its own job and goes to a roof cleaning rather than a wall wash. For the whole exterior, a whole-house wash folds the soft method into the walls and the trim.
Where soft washing fits
When soft washing is right
- Vinyl, fiber cement, painted wood or stucco walls
- A shingle roof streaked dark or patched with green
- Painted trim, soffits and porch ceilings
- A wall with plants, screens or lights close to it
When pressure is the better fit
- Concrete walks, drives and pool surrounds
- Brick with sound mortar and no paint
- A patio paver gone gray
Which column a surface lands in gets confirmed at the house. A wall with soft brick, flaking paint or a bank of windows below it can push a decision toward the gentler side even when the surface itself could take more. Call (225) 635-8356 and we walk the house with you before anything is sprayed.
What the visit covers
A soft wash covers the walls, the trim, the soffits, the fascia and the porch ceiling, with gutter fronts added if you ask. The crew goes over how each surface is handled, what gets covered and what gets left alone before any work starts. Decks and fences are a separate job; the back yard is covered on that page.
