A Yearly Exterior Cleaning Plan for the PNW
Have you ever owned a dog that needed regular grooming? It can feel very high stakes; like if you don’t get to the groomers every six weeks on the dot then your dog’s coat will be forever ruined, matted, and at risk of needing a shave. And then every time your dog has a fresh cut they just look so sharp and comfortable. In home maintenance terms, many houses and businesses around the PNW are like one of these high maintenance dogs. Around Tacoma, Washington, where Beautiful Day is based, we are dealing with moss, tree debris, creeping mold, wildfire smoke, air pollution, and heavy rain, all of which work together to wage a constant war on all of your exterior surfaces. The fact is that your house needs to “go to the groomers” on a regular basis in this area in order to be well maintained and free from the damages that neglected surfaces can incur. But don’t worry! We’ve got your easy guide to what your home or business might need and how often in order to keep that “fresh haircut” look and feel for your property.
If You are Starting from Scratch:
For properties that haven’t seen an exterior cleaner in 2-3 years or more, you will need to invest a bit to get everything back to a solid baseline to be maintained. We offer a service called Whole House Refresh that bundles key services together to save you money and time. The key for these services is actually the order in which they are performed. No one wants to blow roof debris down onto a freshly power washed driveway, so we strategically work from the top down like this:
Clean the roof and gutters first to get all the moss and debris off and ensure proper drainage
Then soft wash the siding, followed with a window cleaning to remove any scum that was rinsed from the siding onto the windows
Make sure the dryer vent is cleared out and free from lint buildup
End with power washing the hardscape, such as the driveway, patio, retaining walls, steps, etc.
Maintaining a Clean Property:
Once you have established a clean baseline on your exterior surfaces, then the maintenance becomes much simpler. Most homes and businesses in this area will need the following services yearly:
A Roof Tuneup to gently treat anything growing on your roof and blow off debris
A gutter cleaning
Pressure washing as needed for any problem spots on your hardscape
An Ultimate Window Cleaning to get all your windows and screens, inside and out; plus one additional exterior only window cleaning
A dryer vent cleaning
These are the services to hit all the key areas, but with a more focused touch than what is needed to reset a property that hasn’t been cleaned in years. It is cheaper and faster to perform these services regularly than it is to wait until the house is in desperate need of attention.
Additional Considerations:
Every property is unique and some houses may need services more or less often depending on the following factors:
Shade: shadier properties will develop moss, mold, and mildew much more quickly than sunny properties. If your house gets lots of full sun, you may be able to have your roof, siding, and hardscape cleaned less often (every 18-24 months instead of yearly). If your house sits in lots of shade for most of the day, then you may need some touchups in between your yearly services to keep the creeping green at bay.
Foliage: some types of trees and plants produce a lot more debris than others. If you have big trees that drop lots of leaves, sticks, or needles on your roof then you may need to have your roof blown off and gutters cleaned out twice a year. If your house is free from overhanging plants, then your gutters may stay clear for 18-24 months between cleans.
Drainage: any areas that collect standing water will get mossier faster than dryer spots. If your driveway or patio stays pretty damp for large portions of the year, then you will want to have it pressure washed more often to avoid playing host to your own personal moss colony.
Proximity to the Sound: salt spray can cause spotting and staining on exterior surfaces. Any properties that are up against the shoreline will want to see more siding soft washing and more window cleaning.
Pets and Kids: if your windows are constantly covered in fingerprints and nose smudges, then you will want to have your interior windows cleaned more often.
Mobility and Safety Needs: dirty or mossy walking surfaces are more slippery than clean surfaces are. So especially if you are someone at your home uses a cane, walker, or other assistive device, then more pressure washing is called for. Some properties also have areas that are known to be slippery (wooden porch steps, we are looking at you). These areas should be cleaned more often to ensure that they aren’t dangerous.
Pollution: in years with lots of forest fires, bad pollen seasons, or in areas that are seeing heavy construction, there will be more dirty buildup on siding, windows, and hardscape. An extra cleaning visit at the end of the construction project or at the end of fire season will help avoid unsightly staining.
How Do You Know What Your House Needs?
At Beautiful Day, we want to partner with you to maintain your home! We are trusted by hundreds of local clients to provide fair and accurate recommendations on what services each property needs and when. We also have a special Home Care Partnership Program that automates your exterior maintenance. You can consult Kyle, the owner of Beautiful Day one time to determine what the best timeline of services is for your exact property, and then preschedule all of your services for the year so that you don’t have to think about exterior maintenance again.
You can get a free instant quote on our website right here! Or you can give us a call at (253) 414-5304. We service the greater Tacoma area, including all of Pierce County, Federal Way, and Lacey :)
