What is soft washing?
Soft washing is low-pressure cleaning, roughly 100 to 500 PSI, where cleaning solutions rather than force do the work. The solution kills algae, mold, mildew and lichen at the root, dwells long enough to finish the job, and the dead material is then rinsed away. It is the correct method for roofs, siding, stucco, wood and anything painted or coated, which on most houses is nearly everything above the concrete.
Why killing it beats removing it
Both methods leave a surface that looks clean on the day. Only one of them changes what happens next.
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Pressure displaces
High pressure strips the visible growth off the surface and leaves the root structure embedded in the material. That root is a head start, so regrowth comes back from where it never left.
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Chemistry kills
The solution kills the organism at the cellular level, including what is down in the pores. Regrowth has to arrive and establish from scratch, which takes considerably longer.
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Force damages what it cleans
On shingles it strips granules, on stucco it erodes the finish, on vinyl it forces water behind the panel, and on wood it raises the grain. None of that is recoverable.
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Low pressure does not
At 100 to 500 PSI the water is carrying the solution and rinsing the result, not blasting the surface. The material is left as it was, minus what was growing on it.
Where we soft wash
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Roofs
The clearest case. High pressure on shingles is damage, not cleaning, and manufacturers say so.
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Siding and stucco
Vinyl, painted wood, fiber cement, stucco and EIFS, all of which fail under force in different ways.
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Commercial facades
CMU, split-face block, metal panel and composite, where one pressure setting across a mixed facade is the usual mistake.
How a soft wash runs
- 01
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.
- 02
Apply at low pressure
Solution applied evenly across the surface at a pressure that carries it rather than drives it into the material.
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Let it dwell
Ten to twenty minutes for the solution to kill the organism through, with stubborn areas worked by hand. Cutting this short is what makes a soft wash behave like a pressure wash.
- 04
Rinse everything, including the beds
Surface rinsed down, then the landscaping rinsed through to dilute whatever reached it.
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
Not sure which your property needs?
Tell us the surfaces and we will tell you which get pressure and which get chemistry.
Rather talk it through? 512-883-5420