Pressure Washing and Soft Washing in Santa Rosa
Green concrete, a dingy house, a patio that has to look right before a sale. Driveways, siding, decks and commercial buildings across Sonoma County, power washed or soft washed depending on the surface.
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Pressure washing
What gets pressure washed, and what needs a soft wash?
Concrete, patios, walkways and driveways can usually take a pressure wash. Siding, painted surfaces, roofs and anything that can be etched or forced open are better suited to a soft wash, where a cleaning solution does more of the work and the water pressure stays low. Dave sorts out which is which when he walks the property.
- Driveways and walkways
- Concrete patios turning green
- House siding and trim
- Low-slope roof decks
- Wood decks before paint or stain
- Soft washing apartment buildings
- Wineries, schools and HOA properties
- Getting a home ready to sell
Good to know
Can pressure washing damage a house?
It can, and Dave says so plainly: “A pressure washing company has the capability to make your property phenomenal and they have the capability to cause damage.” As he explains it, the difference comes down to the distance from the house, the angle of the water, and the chemical in the machine that takes off lichen and moss.
Getting ready for a wash
- Close windows and doors on the sides being washed, and tell us about any window that leaks.
- Move cars, grills, doormats and planters off the surfaces being cleaned.
- Point out the outdoor drains near the driveway, patio or parking area.
- Let us know about older paint, delicate siding or wood you plan to stain.
- Selling soon? Mention the listing date when you call (707) 940-7875.
The rules
Where can wash water go in Santa Rosa?
Not into the storm drain. Santa Rosa’s guidance for mobile power washing says it is illegal to let anything other than rain water reach a storm drain, and that an outdoor drain of unknown use should be treated as one. Storm water skips the Laguna Treatment Plant and flows untreated into local creeks.
Only rainbelongs in the storm drain, in the words of Santa Rosa’s storm water program
The city’s power wash guidelines, written under its Storm Water Ordinance (City Code Chapter 17-12), put dry cleanup first: sweep up debris and pick up oil spots with absorbents before any water goes down. Storm drain inlets get blocked, and wash water goes to the sanitary sewer with the city’s approval, or, without soap and with the owner’s consent, to a landscaped area that can soak it up. The guidelines even call biodegradable soap harmful to fish. Santa Rosa pollution prevention, power washer guidelines (PDF) and mobile power washing sheet (PDF). Other towns set their own rules, so the details can differ outside Santa Rosa.
How the job runs
From walk-around to rinse-off
- Walk the propertyDave looks at the surfaces, the drains and what's planted nearby.
- Written proposalYou get the scope in writing before any water is turned on.
- PrepDebris gets swept up first and the work area is cleared.
- WashPressure or soft wash, with distance, angle and chemical matched to the surface.
- Final checkThe area is looked over and picked up before the crew leaves.
From a customer
What do customers say after a wash?
Cindy C. gave five stars for “pressure washing the outside of my home” and said the crew was “respectful of the home and property.” Dawn C., who was selling, noticed they were careful around a window that leaked when sprayed. Michael G. found the sidewalks and patio around his house “immaculate” when they finished.
“I used NorCal maintenance for pressure washing. They did a great job at a fair price.”
Gold includes exterior soft washing and a yearly pressure washing allowance; Diamond includes both.
FAQ
Pressure Washing Questions
Do you pressure wash commercial properties?
Yes. Our customers include business owners, wineries, schools, municipalities, apartment complexes and HOAs, and the company has experience with strict government and commercial contracts. On one multi-unit job, Annie D. wrote that the crew also did “a soft wash on one of the buildings” along with the gutters. Commercial work starts with a site walk and a written proposal.
Is power washing the same thing as pressure washing?
For most people, yes; the two names get used for the same job. The difference that matters is pressure versus soft washing. Hard surfaces like concrete can take the force, while siding, paint and roofs usually call for low pressure and a cleaning solution. John B. hired us for pressure washing and called it “a great job at a fair price.”
Can you wash the house before we list it?
Yes. Dawn C. was selling a home and “needed it washed quickly,” and she wrote that the concrete patio was no longer green and dirty afterward. Give us your listing date when you call, and you’ll get a straight answer about whether the schedule works. A clean exterior also makes the photos for the listing easier.
Why does concrete around Sonoma County homes turn green?
Because it stays wet. Patios and walkways under oaks, redwoods and bay trees hold moisture through the rain season, and algae and moss take hold on the surface. A wash takes the growth off. Keeping leaves swept and stopping gutters from overflowing onto the concrete helps it stay clean longer.
Do you wash wood decks before they're stained?
Yes. A deck has to be clean and dry before a new coat goes on, so washing comes first in our deck staining and refinishing work. Wood is softer than concrete, which means the pressure, distance and angle change for it. Kelly P. had the back of the home power washed along with gutter work and noted the crew “paid attention to detail.”
Service area
Which areas do you pressure wash in?
Sonoma County is home base, with offices in Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park neighborhood and in Windsor. Houses, apartment complexes, HOAs, wineries and schools from Petaluma up to Healdsburg and Cloverdale are in range, and the work reaches into Napa and Marin counties. Ask about your address when you call (707) 940-7875.
Related services
Often booked with a wash
Talk to Dave's team
Ready for a cleaner driveway, patio or house?
Call (707) 940-7875 for a free estimate. Tell us what needs washing and roughly how big it is, and Dave will come take a look.