Who does soft washing in Austin?
Live Oak Exterior Cleaning soft washes roofs, siding, stucco, EIFS, wood and screens across Austin, Dripping Springs and the Texas Hill Country. Low pressure, solutions that kill growth at the root, landscaping protected before anything is mixed, and the owner on site. Fully insured.
What we soft wash
Soft washing is the correct method for most of a property's exterior, which on a typical house is nearly everything above the concrete.
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Roofs
Black streaks, algae and moss off composition shingles, metal and tile, at the pressure shingle manufacturers actually recommend.
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House siding
Vinyl, wood, fiber cement and painted siding cleaned without stripping paint or warping panels.
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Stucco and EIFS
Very common in West Austin. Porous, so low pressure is what keeps water out of the wall rather than driving it in.
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Wood decks and fences
Cleaned and restored without the splintering and etching that pressure raises in soft timber.
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Screens and glass
Screens, tracks and frames, which collect more than the glass does and are usually skipped.
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Outdoor living areas
Covered patios, outdoor kitchens and the shaded corners that never dry out after rain.
Why Austin properties need it
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Cedar pollen
Mountain cedar coats everything each winter and spring, and the pollen then feeds the algae and mold that follow it.
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Humidity and shade
Near the creeks and lakes, and under live oak canopy, surfaces stay damp long enough for organic growth to establish and hold.
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The wrong method is permanent
High pressure on stucco erodes it, on shingles it strips granules, on vinyl it forces water behind the panel. None of that is recoverable.
How a soft wash runs
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Protect the landscaping first
Plants pre-watered and delicate vegetation covered before anything is mixed. Dilution is the whole defense and it has to be in place beforehand.
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Apply at low pressure
Solution applied evenly at a pressure that carries it onto the surface rather than driving it into the material.
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Let it dwell
Ten to twenty minutes for the chemistry to kill the growth through, with stubborn areas worked by hand. Cutting this short is what makes a soft wash behave like a pressure wash.
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Rinse everything, including the beds
Surface rinsed down, then the landscaping rinsed through to dilute whatever reached it.
Pricing
Our soft washing projects typically run $900 to $2,500
What moves it: square footage, number of stories, roof size and pitch, how much growth has taken hold, which materials are involved, and how much landscaping needs protecting on the way.
We are not the cheapest option in Austin and do not try to be. If more than one surface needs attention, an Exterior Reset is usually better value than booking each separately, because mobilizing and protecting the property happens once.
Working with Jared was an easy, seamless and straight forward experience. He completed a power wash and stain for my 2.5 year old fence. Communication was clear and easy, and he was flexible when it came to timing. He answered all my questions and provided me with a work completion timeline with a 'why' behind them. I'd recommend him to friends and encourage you to work with him too. You'll be glad you did! Thanks again Jared!
Sharonvia Google
WOW! Live Oak came highly recommended and the amazing difference on our driveway, patio, sidewalk and entrance was amazing. Could not recommend higher. I have 5 neighbors that immediately took biz cards when they saw our home.
Michael and Sarahvia Google
Live Oak did an excellent job power washing our fence and cleaning our windows. Our house is 20 years old and it looks brand new now. I highly recommend this company. They were professional, adequately priced and did a great job! Thank you!
Jennifer and Markvia Google
Common questions about soft washing
What is soft washing and how does it work?
Soft washing is low-pressure exterior cleaning that uses cleaning solutions to kill organic growth like algae, mold and mildew at the root. Where pressure washing runs at 2,000 to 3,000 PSI, soft washing uses roughly 100 to 500 PSI and lets the chemistry do the work rather than the force. The growth is killed rather than displaced, which is why it stays gone longer, and the surface is not damaged in the process.
Is soft washing better than pressure washing?
For most of a house, yes. Soft washing is the right method for roofs, siding, stucco, painted surfaces and wood, because those materials fail under force rather than clean under it. Pressure washing is better on durable surfaces like concrete driveways and walkways. It is not that one method wins, it is that each surface has a correct answer and using the wrong one causes damage that cleaning was supposed to prevent.
How much does soft washing cost in Austin?
Our soft washing projects typically run $900 to $2,500, depending on the size of the home, how many stories, which surfaces are involved, and how much growth has taken hold. We are not the cheapest option in Austin and do not try to be. Bundling it into an Exterior Reset with roof, window or gutter work is usually better value than booking each separately, because the setup happens once.
Will soft washing damage my roof or siding?
No. Low pressure is the entire point: at 100 to 500 PSI nothing is dislodging shingles, stripping paint or forcing water behind siding. Soft washing extends the life of a roof by removing the organic growth that feeds on it, without the damage high pressure does on the way.
How long does soft washing last?
Longer than pressure washing the same surface, because the organism is killed rather than displaced and regrowth has to start over. How much longer depends on shade, humidity and tree cover: a north-facing wall under heavy live oak canopy will need attention sooner than a sun-exposed elevation.
Are the cleaning solutions safe for plants and pets?
With the right preparation, yes. We pre-water all landscaping before anything is mixed, cover what is delicate, and rinse everything through once the work is done so nothing sits concentrated. Plant protection is part of the process rather than a precaution we take on request.
Let us look at your property.
Tell us the surfaces you have and we will tell you which need chemistry and which can take pressure.
Rather talk it through? 512-883-5420