Surface guide: what each material can take
Siding, concrete, stone and wood all clean differently. Find your surface, see how we wash it and what we watch for, then jump to the zone page.
Find your surface
Grouped by method, from the gentlest to the firmest. Each name jumps to its row below.
Gentle
Soft wash
Low pressure
Surface cleaner
Firm
Surfaces we wash, A to Z
Brick
- Common buildup
- Dirt, green algae film, dark streaks under sills
- Our method
- Soft wash with a low-pressure rinse
- Watch-outs
- Loose or crumbling mortar is noted and avoided. White efflorescence may come back.
- Zone
- House and siding
Composite decking
- Common buildup
- Dirt, pollen, algae film in shade
- Our method
- Low pressure, following the board maker's care guidance
- Watch-outs
- Some boards mark if the wand gets too close, so we keep our distance.
- Zone
- Decks and fences
Concrete and brick pavers
- Common buildup
- Dirt, algae, moss in the joints
- Our method
- Surface cleaner, reduced pressure at the joints
- Watch-outs
- Joint sand can loosen. Re-sanding is not offered.
- Zone
- Driveways and patios
Exposed aggregate
- Common buildup
- Dirt, algae, leaf stains
- Our method
- Surface cleaner at reduced pressure
- Watch-outs
- Worn areas can have loose stones, so we check before washing.
- Zone
- Driveways and patios
Fiber cement siding
- Common buildup
- Dirt, algae film, chalky residue on older paint
- Our method
- Soft wash with a gentle rinse
- Watch-outs
- The painted finish is tested first. Caulked joints get low pressure only.
- Zone
- House and siding
Natural stone
- Common buildup
- Algae, dirt, leaf staining
- Our method
- Reduced pressure, gentler on softer stone
- Watch-outs
- Soft or flaking stone is tested first. Some stone marks easily.
- Zone
- Driveways and patios
Painted wood siding and trim
- Common buildup
- Dirt, algae film, dark spotting
- Our method
- Soft wash with a hand-held gentle rinse
- Watch-outs
- Peeling or chalky paint is tested first, since flaking paint can lift.
- Zone
- House and siding
Poured concrete
- Common buildup
- Dirt, algae, leaf stains, tire marks, oil spots
- Our method
- Pre-treat organic staining, rotary surface cleaner, edge rinse
- Watch-outs
- Oil, rust and tire marks may lighten rather than lift.
- Zone
- Driveways and patios
Stucco
- Common buildup
- Dirt, algae film, dark streaks
- Our method
- Soft wash only
- Watch-outs
- Cracks and soft patches are checked first. Water can get behind damaged stucco, so we may decline.
- Zone
- House and siding
Vinyl siding
- Common buildup
- Dirt, pollen, green algae film on shaded sides
- Our method
- Soft wash: solution, dwell time, gentle rinse
- Watch-outs
- No high pressure up under the laps. Loose or cracked panels are noted first.
- Zone
- House and siding
Wood decks and fences (cedar, pressure-treated)
- Common buildup
- Grey surface weathering, algae, dirt
- Our method
- Wood-appropriate cleaner, low pressure, rinse with the grain
- Watch-outs
- High pressure raises fibers and gouges boards. Failing coatings may peel.
- Zone
- Decks and fences
The small split squares mark each material. They are a pattern, not a photo of a cleaned surface.
When we go gentler or decline
We test a small hidden spot first. If a surface shows any of these, we lower the pressure, change the method or leave that area out, and the quote says which.
- Chalky or oxidized paint: the cleaning solution can lift loose pigment
- Loose or crumbling mortar: water can wash it further out of the joints
- Cracked stucco or soft patches: water can get behind the finish
- Soft or flaking natural stone: it can mark or shed its surface
- Failing deck coatings: loose coating can peel during a rinse
What washing won't fix
Washing lifts dirt, algae film and organic staining. It does not change the surface underneath.
- Rust marks and deep oil stains, which may only lighten
- Etching or pitting in concrete
- Sun fading on siding, trim or boards
- Efflorescence, the white salt bloom on masonry, which may come back as it dries
Identify your siding
Look at a cut edge
Behind a downspout or at a corner, vinyl is thin and hollow, fiber cement is solid and about as thick as a pencil, and wood shows grain.
Tap it gently
Vinyl sounds hollow and flexes. Fiber cement sounds solid. Stucco and brick feel like masonry.
Rub it with a fingertip
A chalky white residue on painted siding means oxidized paint, which we test before washing.
Still unsure? Describe it in your request and we may ask for photos by reply email.
