Walk around to the north side of your house. That green film on the siding didn’t show up overnight. Neither did the gray streaks under the gutters, or the webs packed into the soffit corners.
Evansville gives all of it plenty to grow on. The city sees measurable rain or snow on about 118 days a year, according to NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals. Shady walls dry slowest, so that’s usually where the green starts.
We wash it off with low pressure and a cleaner matched to the surface. Vinyl gets one approach. Brick gets another. Not sure what your house needs? Start with a free exterior evaluation, or call or text (812) 664-6222.
What a house wash covers
- Siding, vinyl or painted.
- Brick, newer or old and soft.
- Soffits, where the webs and dirt collect.
- Gutter faces, the outside of the gutter where those gray streaks show up.
Want the whole property done? We can wash the house, the gutter faces, the walks and the driveway in one visit. The flat work is covered on our concrete and driveway cleaning page.
Roofs are a separate job with their own rules. We clean those with a low-pressure soft wash and never put a pressure washer on shingles. See roof cleaning for how that works.
Vinyl siding: low pressure, level spray
The siding industry’s trade group used to be called the Vinyl Siding Institute. It’s now the Polymeric Exterior Products Association. Its cleaning guide says a power washer “can be used, but with caution.” The big warning is about direction. Don’t aim the stream upward, it says, because “this can force water behind the siding panels.”
It also points out that some siding makers don’t recommend power washing at all, and others limit the pressure and the cleaners you can use. If you know who made your siding, tell us. We’ll check what that maker allows before we start.
On the day, the spray stays level and the pressure stays low. The cleaner does most of the work. The goal is a clean wall with no water pushed in behind it.
Painted siding and trim
Paint is the most delicate surface on most houses. If it’s already peeling, water can lift more of it. We’ll point out loose paint before we start, so nothing surprises you after the rinse. If a wall needs scraping and painting more than it needs a wash, we’ll say so.
Brick: a test patch first
Brick looks tough. Older brick often isn’t. The Brick Industry Association says to ask the brick maker before using pressurized water at all. Without the maker’s OK, its limits are clear:
- No more than 400 psi, measured at the nozzle tip.
- A fan tip held at least 12 inches from the brick.
- Very low pressure, under 100 psi, to wet the wall first.
- A trial clean on a 20 square foot sample area, left to dry before anyone judges it.
That’s how we approach brick. Half of Evansville’s homes were built before 1961, and 22% were built in 1939 or earlier (Census ACS, 2024 five-year data). Plenty of that older housing is brick. BIA lists historic significance as a reason for extra care, and it warns that sandblasting “has a significant potential to damage masonry.” We don’t sandblast.
Before we get there
A few things help the day go smoothly:
- Shut every window and door, basement windows too.
- Move cars out of the driveway, or well away from the walls.
- Bring pets inside until we’re done.
That’s about it. If there’s something near the house you’re worried about, show us when we arrive.
How often does a house need it?
It depends on shade, trees, the siding, and which way each wall faces. A shaded north wall can turn green again long before a sunny south wall does. Our page on how often a house should be washed covers the signs to watch for.
Thinking about renting a pressure washer and doing it yourself? Read pressure washing vs soft washing first. It goes surface by surface.
You probably don’t need this if…
- Your vinyl just has a little dust. The siding group says vinyl “only needs mild soap and water from a garden hose for periodic cleaning.” An afternoon with a hose may do it.
- Siding is cracked, loose or missing. A wash won’t fix that, and we don’t repair siding. Call a siding contractor.
- Paint is peeling on most of the house. That’s a painter’s job first.
- It’s the deck or the fence that bothers you. That’s wood restoration, a different job.
What happens next
Book your free exterior evaluation. We’ll look at the siding, brick, soffits and gutter faces, tell you which wash each one needs, and point out anything a wash won’t fix. You get a plain answer and no pressure.
Rather talk first? Call or text Terrance at (812) 664-6222. We’re open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, and we work across Evansville, Newburgh, Boonville, Haubstadt, Mount Vernon and Princeton.
Common questions
Do you pressure wash siding?
Not the way most people picture it. We use low pressure and let the cleaner do the work. The siding trade group says a power washer can be used with caution, and that some siding makers don’t recommend one at all. We keep the spray level and never aim it up under the panels, where it can push water behind the siding.
Can you clean old brick without damaging it?
We start with a small test area and let it dry before we judge it, the way the Brick Industry Association suggests. Pressure stays low and the nozzle stays back from the wall. Soft or historic brick may only get a light clean. If a stain won’t come out gently, we’d rather leave it than hurt the brick.
Can you do the driveway and walks on the same visit?
Yes. If you want the house, the gutter faces, the walks and the driveway done together, we can do it in one visit. It makes sense to finish with the concrete, since rinse water from the walls runs down onto it.
Will the green come back after a wash?
In time, it can. A wash takes off what’s growing now. It doesn’t stop shade and damp from growing more. North walls and walls under trees usually come back first. At the evaluation we’ll show you which walls on your house are likely to need it soonest.