- Frequently Ask Questions -
Here are some of the most common questions we are ask on a daily basis. If you have a question that isn't answered here, please don't hesitate to, you guessed it, ask!
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Q: How much does a house/roof cleaning cost?
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A: The price of an average sized home (1,500-3,000 sq ft) will typically be in the $225-300 range, assuming it is within our normal area of service. This cleaning includes the face of the gutters, soffits, siding, windows, doors, foundation and front porch. Most homes in the 3,000-4,500 sq ft range will cost between $300-500, with the same specified areas above being cleaned.
A soft wash roof cleaning on an average sized home (1,500-3,000 sq ft) will typically be in the $400-700 range, assuming severe moss isn’t present and it is within our normal service area. Roof cleaning doesn’t normally take much longer than a house washing, but the chemicals we use to clean roofing are much stronger, which raises the overall price of the work. Metal and slate roofing will normally be priced higher.
A soft wash roof cleaning on a 3,000-4,500 sq ft home will typically be in the $700-1,200 range, assuming severe moss isn’t present.
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Q: What kind of cleaner do you use, and will it hurt my plants and bushes?
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A: We use a commercial grade mixture of bleach, soap and water to clean the home. This ensures all green and black mildew, dirt, dust, bugs, webs, leaves and pollen is removed.
Absolutely not! The cleaner is highly diluted so it won’t harm any plants or bushes. Once we are done spraying our cleaning solution on the home we come back through and rinse the house down with clean water. As we do this we rinse all surrounding plants and bushes down as well just to be EXTRA safe.
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Q: Are you licensed and insured?
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A: Yes! We have a current business license as well as full liability insurance, commercial truck insurance, and workman’s compensation.
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Q: What WILL come off my home with a standard cleaning?
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A: With a typical house soft washing you can expect to see all of the green and black mildew, dirt, dust, webs, leaves, bugs and wasp nests to be cleaned off of your home!
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Q: What WON’T come off my home with a standard cleaning?
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A: With a typical soft washing some of the standard stains that won’t be removed include (but are not limited to): Rust stains, gutter stains, artillery fungus (those little black specs on your siding), red clay, paint/stain splatter, and oxidation.
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Q: What causes rust stains? Can they be prevented?
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A: Rust stains can be caused by a number of things: High iron content in your water, having an area where water is constantly dripping in a certain spot on your home. This is most commonly seen when gutters are clogged and water spills over the side, or when an AC condensation line is able to drip too closely to the house. Old nails or screws in the siding are also a common factor in rust spots and drips.
Ways to prevent this include:
1) Having your gutters cleaned out once or twice a year, depending on how many trees surround the home.
2) Rerouting your AC condensation line so that when water drips out of it, it doesn’t drip directly on the house.
3) Removing rusty nails or screws from your siding or brick.
4) Using a water softener/filter to help remove rust and high iron contents from your water.
5) Smile, it could be worse! Just kidding, that’s terrible advice.
It is important to note that even if we treat and remove the rust on your siding, if the problem is not treated these stains will come back.
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Q: What causes gutter staining? And can it be treated?
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A: Gutter staining, or zebra striping, is caused due to the acidity in rain. When it drips over the edge of the gutter it causes this staining. This will happen over time on most gutters regardless of it they are cleaned out or not, but a overflowing gutter will usually speed up this process.
The only way to remove this striping is with a soft bristle brush and degreaser (see our gutter brightening section to watch a couple videos on the process). When completed, most gutters will look brand new (white) after the work is complete.
It is however important to note that on homes where the gutters are 10-15 years old or more, that sometimes the paint itself has begun to fade, exposing the aluminum. In this situation the only alternative is having the gutters repainted, and maintaining their cleanliness from that point forward.
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Q: What is artillery/shotgun fungus? And can it be removed/prevented?
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A: Artillery fungus is a literal fungus that grows best in moist conditions. One of the most common areas it will grow is in the moisture of freshly laid mulch. Artillery fungus can shoot its spores up to 30’ in the air (thus the nickname “shotgun fungus”) , these spores then spread out and take hold of anything in sight.
Unless artillery fungus is cleaned off of your home in the first couple days to a week of its arrival it will NOT come off. I have only been able to remove it once out of all the hundreds and hundreds of times I’ve come across it, I used pressure comparable to a common garden hose. Keep in mind that only worked because it was fresh.
Even if you scratch the black specs off by hand you will still notice a slightly lighter spec underneath it. To date there is no known way to remove this fungus once it has firmly taken root.
The best way to prevent the growth of this pesky substance is to remove or keep an eye on any moist conditions from around your homes exterior (rotting wood, areas with bad drainage, freshly laid mulch, and extra shady spots).
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Q: Can red clay on my foundation be removed?
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A: Yes! While red clay will not be removed by a standard house washing, we offer clay removal with a separate chemical that loosens the build up enough for us to blast it away with the right high pressure fan tip. If you have clay on your foundation, just ask for pricing to go along with your house washing and we’re happy to take care of it.
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Q: Can deck paint/stain be removed from my vinyl siding?
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A: If the paint or stain is fresh then a hot soapy cloth and some light agitation should remove the stain. However if the stain has dried and been sitting for an extended period of time then a paint stripper will need to be used.
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Q. What causes oxidation on my vinyl siding and can it be removed?
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A: Oxidation is generally caused by the sun breaking down the UV inhibitors in your vinyl. The only way to remove this is by using the right chemical or degreaser and agitating softly with a brush or cloth. The process is very time consuming but can help bring your vinyl back to it’s original glory.
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Q: Do you need a ladder to clean my home?
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A: Except for rare occasions a ladder is not typically used or needed to clean your one, two, or three story home. Our commercial grade equipment is able to shoot our chemical mix up to 40+ feet from the ground, helping us clean your home more safely and efficiently.
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Q: Do I need to be home when my house is cleaned?
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A: No one needs to be home while our work is being performed. We just ask that you ensure all windows are shut, a water spigot is on, cars are moved out of the driveway, and items are moved off of the porch, deck or other areas that may be serviced. And we will then email you an invoice upon completion which can be paid online at your earliest convenience.
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Q: How long does a normal house washing take?
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A: On a typical 1,500-3,000 sq ft vinyl sided house it will generally take between 1 to 1 1/2 hours to clean. If we are also cleaning out the gutters, cleaning the deck, sidewalk or shed this timeframe will of course increase.
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Q: Is it safe to use high pressure on my home? If not, why not?
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A: No, using high pressure is never safe to use on your home. High pressure cleaning methods should only be used on concrete, aggregate, brick and wood (with the proper tips and training).
High pressure can cause water to get behind the siding, damage or break seals in windows and garage doors, and cause scarring on the siding (this is due to removing a layer of oxidation which most homes will start to have after a few years of the sun fading the siding). And lastly, I would equate high pressure cleaning to wiping a dusty table with a dry cloth. It simply knocks some of the mildew up in the air, but doesn’t kill it at the source. On the flip side, soft washing with the right chemicals is like cleaning a dusty table with a disinfectant cloth. Eradicating the mildew and killing it at the root.
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Q: Why should I get my gutters cleaned out frequently?
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A: Having your gutters cleaned out frequently is much more important than many people realize. The purpose of gutters is to collect all excess rain runoff from the roof and divert it away from the home. If your gutters are clogged, they lose their ability to do so.
Here are some issues that commonly arise with clogged gutters:
1) Gutters are installed in a way that they slant towards the downspouts so that rain naturally runs in that direction. When the gutters are clogged they lose their ability to do this and start to bow and pull away from the home due to the excessive weight in the gutter. This causes irreversible damage in many cases as the structure of the gutter has been compromised.
2) Due to the bowing of the gutter, water is now able to leak behind the gutter and start to rot the facia board. Once this happens water can leak behind the board and into the home, causing flooding and a leaky roof (we have seen this on many occasions unfortunately).
3) As massive amounts of water accumulate in the gutter, it starts to pour over the side. In extreme situations this can cause damage to the foundation itself, and excessive moisture in the crawlspace which leads to mildew growth.
4) Rust and other staining can occur on siding from water constantly dripping against the home instead of flowing through the downspouts as it was designed to do.
5) Rivets and dead grass from water constantly dripping over the side on to the ground around the home. This will also cause mud to splash up on to the house.
6) Harmful insects like ants and termites making a home in the leaves and debris and multiplying.
All of these issues we have seen on one or many occasions. Preventative maintenance is always the best policy when it comes to the health of your gutters and home.
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Q: How often should I get my house cleaned?
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A: Generally we recommend getting your house cleaned annually or semi annually. This will depend vastly on the amount of shade your home gets, and the amount of rainfall during the year. It is always good to have preventative maintenance done on your home to help combat or totally avoid certain stains and issues as discussed in earlier questions. Artillery fungus, rust stains, and gutter staining can all be combated much easier, and in some cases only, if they are taken care of quickly and on a regular basis.
Your home is more than likely your biggest investment, so it is very important to keep it in good shape!
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Q: Why is it important to get my roof cleaned?
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A: Getting your roof cleaned is one of the most important things you can do when it come to preventative exterior maintenance.
Have you ever noticed those ugly black streaks on your roof? That is an algae called Gloeocapsa magma. This is an airborne pathogen that is carried by the wind. Amazingly enough, it actually feeds on the limestone in your shingles (the limestone in your shingles is used to help add weight and help prevent you from losing shingles during a heavy wind or storm). The longer this algae stays on your roof the faster your roof will deteriorate, taking years off of its life. These black streaks can also raise energy costs as they soak in the suns rays, causing your home to be more difficult to cool down.
You may also notice green moss growing on your roof, leaves and pine needles untouched, and trees branches overgrown, allowing moisture to constantly dwell on your roof. All of these will also aid in premature roof failure and are very important to be maintained.
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Q: How often should I get my roof cleaned?
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A: As with house cleaning, the amount of time between roof cleanings will largely depend on the amount of moisture and shade your roof receives. A typical roof cleaning should last 3-5 years, helping to extend the life of your roof, saving you thousands down the road.
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Q: How will my roof be cleaned?
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A: Roof cleaning is done with a very potent mixture of bleach, soap and water. As one person cleans the roof using low pressure from a ladder, the other will be constantly wetting the surrounding plants and landscaping to ensure no overspray harms them.
These low pressure cleaning methods are recommended by ARMA (Asphalt Roofing Manufactures Association) due to being the safest way to clean the moss, lichen and gloeocapsa magma without harming or removing the granuals from the roof.
It is important to note that while the black streaking will normally be totally removed after the cleaning, moss and lichen will turn white and die and detach from the roof naturally in the coming weeks with the wind and rain. This is the safest way to remove them so they don’t prematurely remove granuals (while they are on the roof the feed on the limestone in the shingles).
CONTACT INFORMATION
PHONE: (804) 397-6195 (Call/Text)
Mon - Fri 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sat 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
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