Case Study: A Decade of Algae Off a Two-Storey Home in One Morning
This is one of the most common jobs we take on, and one of the most satisfying: a two-storey home whose siding has quietly gone green over years of Lower Mainland weather, brought back to looking almost new in a single morning. It is a representative example of what a soft wash does, not a dramatic one-off, which is exactly why it is worth showing.
The starting point
A home like this usually has not been washed in years. The shaded and north-facing walls carry a heavy green algae film, the sunnier sides are lighter but still dull, and there is the usual grime around the gutters, cobwebs in the eaves, and streaking below the windows. From the street it reads as a tired, older home, even when the siding underneath is in good shape.
Owners are often surprised how far it has drifted, because the change happens so gradually that you stop seeing it day to day.
The method
The whole exterior is soft washed: a biodegradable detergent is applied at low pressure, left to break down the algae and grime, and rinsed gently, working top to bottom so nothing streaks. On a two-storey home the upper walls are reached with soft-wash equipment from the ground rather than ladders scaling the house, which is safer and gives an even result. Landscaping is pre-wetted and rinsed throughout.
The soffits, eaves and around the windows get attention too, since a wall wash that skips the trim looks half-finished.
The result
By late morning the home looks years newer, the siding back to its real colour, the trim clean, the whole facade bright. Because the algae is killed at the root rather than blasted off, it stays clean far longer than a pressure-only wash would, with the shaded walls the first to eventually need attention again.
This is the kind of job that makes the biggest visible difference for the money, which is why a house wash is usually the first thing we suggest for curb appeal or before a sale. Most single-family homes like this are done in a single visit.