Question 1

Do you guarantee your work?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on two different timelines, because roof work does not finish on the same clock as everything else.

On any surface other than a roof: if you are not satisfied with something we cleaned, tell us within 14 days and we will come back and re-clean it at no charge. Fourteen days rather than a week on purpose — most people do not look properly until the following weekend, and a rain in between makes anyone doubt the result.

On roof soft washing: 60 days. A roof keeps improving for four to six weeks after the visit as the treated moss and lichen lose their grip and release with rain and weather. Judging a roof at two weeks would be judging it half-finished. If it has not come around within 60 days, it gets re-treated at no charge.

What the guarantee does not cover is anything cleaning cannot correct: oxidized or chalked finishes, concrete scaling where the top layer has already broken loose, failed paint or stain, and rust with an active source still feeding it. Those get identified on the walkthrough and stated before any work begins, so nothing on that list is a surprise afterward.

Separately from all of that, there is a warranty. The guarantee above asks whether we did the job right; the warranty asks whether it stayed clean. Black streaking on a roof we soft washed is warranted for two years — three if you are on the maintenance plan — and washed siding can carry a twelve-month regrowth warranty, included free with the plan. Two conditions are excluded from the roof warranty and we point them out before the work rather than after: heavy overhanging tree cover, and areas where water pools rather than draining. Both re-seed growth continuously no matter how well a roof was cleaned.

What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 2

Do you offer a maintenance plan?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It is $149 a year, added to your spring wash.

What you get: an autumn visit with the gutters cleaned out and bagged and a spot re-clean of anything we already treated; next year's wash held at the same price for your home's size, whatever happens to the published price; the 12-month siding regrowth warranty included free instead of $75; the roof warranty extended from two years to three; and priority scheduling when the calendar gets tight.

The plan is bought with your spring wash. That is what puts you on it, and it is what holds your place in the autumn schedule, which fills first. If you did not add it on the day, you can still add it from your private link for a while afterwards — that link shows you the exact date the offer runs to. If we have not made the autumn visit yet it is refundable in full, and the full terms are on the maintenance plan page.

The gutter clean-out is free with a roof soft wash and 25% off added to a house wash, and the rate is published on the [pricing page](/pricing). More on what the gutters do to a roof in [black streaks, moss and lichen](/learn/roof-moss-lichen-algae-damage).

What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).

The [maintenance plan](/maintenance-plan) is built for exactly this: an autumn visit, next year's price held, and a longer roof warranty.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 3

Do you require a deposit?

Accepted Answer

Not on residential work. Exterior cleaning is same-day work with no materials to buy in advance, so there is nothing to fund before starting — you pay once it is done and you have seen the result. On projects at or above $1,000 there is a right to ask for a deposit of up to 25% to hold a date, which is rare in practice and would always be discussed before it appeared on an estimate. Any deposit is credited against the final invoice.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 4

Does a re-clean under the guarantee cost anything?

Accepted Answer

No. If a surface inside the agreed scope was missed or came out uneven, the return visit and the re-clean are free. The remedy under the guarantee is re-cleaning rather than a refund, which is the standard across the trade and keeps the promise to something that can actually be delivered — a second pass on the surface that was not right.

What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).

Question 5

How does payment work?

Accepted Answer

Payment terms are set out with your written estimate before any work begins, and you receive an itemized invoice for the completed scope so you can see exactly what you paid for. Recurring commercial and property-management accounts are invoiced on an agreed schedule rather than job by job. Your estimate itemises everything before you accept it, so nothing is a surprise on the day of service.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 6

What payment methods do you accept?

Accepted Answer

Cash, check, and credit or debit cards. Card payment can be taken at the property when the work is finished, so there is no waiting for an invoice to arrive if you would rather settle on the day. Full card numbers are never stored on this website.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 7

When do I pay for the maintenance plan?

Accepted Answer

With the wash. Paying for it is what puts you on it, and being on it is what holds your place in the autumn schedule, which fills first.

That is the whole difference between a plan and an intention. A plan holds autumn capacity for you, holds next year's price, and carries two extended warranties — none of which can be held open for someone who has not decided.

If you did not add it on the day, you can still add it from your private link for a while afterwards, and that link shows you the exact date the offer runs to, so there is nothing for you to count. Added that way it is the same plan: the autumn visit, next year's price held for the same services, and the warranties.

If we have not made the autumn visit yet, it is refundable in full.

Question 8

When do I pay for the work?

Accepted Answer

Payment is due when the job is finished. You get an itemized invoice showing what was done and what each part cost, and you can settle it on the spot or from the invoice. Larger commercial projects can be set up on Net 30 terms instead, and recurring commercial and property-management accounts are invoiced on an agreed schedule rather than job by job.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 9

Are paver drives cleaned differently than the poured concrete ones?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and the difference is joint sand. Drives here are a mix of poured concrete and pavers on lots running from roughly a third of an acre to well over an acre, so this is measured work rather than a flat price. On poured concrete we use surface-cleaner passes at a pressure the slab can take. On pavers we work in controlled passes specifically to limit how much joint sand we pull out, and if the joints will need re-sanding afterward we tell you that up front rather than after — re-sanding is a normal part of maintaining a paver drive, not a sign something went wrong. Sealing, on either surface, is a follow-up once things are clean and fully dry.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 10

Can I get a price without an appointment?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Most residential pricing comes from your home's square footage, and we are able to determine that from your address alone, so a number can be given without a visit. Photos help for anything unusual — heavy staining, a surface you are unsure about, or work that is not on the standard list. The walkthrough is still worth doing before the job, but it confirms the method, the access and the exact scope rather than producing the price.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and it is the price you pay when you accept it.

Question 11

Can I get my price without talking to anyone?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Put in your name, a way to reach you and the property address, and the next screen has your prices on it.

We look your home up from the address — we are able to determine the square footage, and we measure your roof from aerial survey data, so the roof price is measured rather than guessed. Choose what you want cleaned, and you get an itemised estimate on its own page: every line, the sales tax at your county's rate, and what the price assumes. It is texted and emailed to you as well, so you can think about it and come back.

Nothing is booked until you accept it, and you can leave off anything you do not want first.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 12

Can you clean a vinyl or wood fence?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Vinyl, wood and composite fencing all collect green algae and mildew on the shaded side, and it comes off with a low-pressure wash and a solution matched to the material. Wood is worked with the grain so boards are not furred up, and old stain or paint that is already failing will not survive a wash — that gets identified before starting rather than discovered during. Fence work is quoted per property rather than from a published table, because run length, height and both-sides access vary too much to publish one price for.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 13

Can you clean my patio furniture while you are doing the patio?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is the sensible time to do it since everything has to come off the patio anyway. Patio and outdoor furniture and equipment cleaning is $79 and covers furniture, swing sets, grills and similar outdoor items, cleaned at a pressure and solution matched to the material. Cushions and fabric are not included — this is hard surfaces: frames, tables, slides, plastic and metal.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 14

Do I have three days to cancel?

Accepted Answer

It depends on how we met, and the rule is Ohio's rather than ours.

If we knocked on your door or came to you and you agreed there and then at your home, Ohio's Home Solicitation Sales Act gives you three business days to cancel in writing, and we hand you the notice that says so before any work starts. No work happens inside those three days unless you tell us in writing that you want it sooner.

If you came to us — you called, or you built an estimate on this site — that rule does not apply, because you started the conversation. In practice it rarely matters either way: we are usually booked several days out, and you can decline an estimate at any point before you accept it.

Question 15

Do you charge more for a two-story house?

Accepted Answer

No. One price covers the house at that size, whether it is one story or two. A 1,200 square foot home is $299 either way, and a 2,000 square foot home is $349 either way — you read your price off the table without doing arithmetic or wondering which column applies to you. A second story does take longer and needs more reach, and that is already built into the size-based price rather than added on top. Genuine difficulty does carry an add-on: a third story, or an elevation that cannot be worked from the ground. Anything like that is identified while the property is walked and stated before the work starts, never added afterward.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 16

Do you clean windows as part of a house wash?

Accepted Answer

Not automatically — window cleaning is its own service. A house wash rinses the exterior of the house including the glass, so windows usually look better afterward, but that is a rinse rather than a clean and it can leave spotting as it dries. Proper exterior window cleaning is $10 per window and includes a sill wipe-down. Added to a house wash there is no minimum; booked on its own there is a $149 minimum visit.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 17

Do you come out to Carrollton and the rest of Carroll County?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Carrollton and the surrounding Carroll County communities are a regular run from Canton, covering downtown storefronts and small commercial exteriors as well as farmhouse washing, porches, and driveway and concrete cleaning. Rural properties there often mean longer drives and gravel-to-concrete transitions, which we account for in the estimate. Put the address into the instant estimate and you have your price on the next screen — we look the property up from public records rather than driving out to measure it.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 18

Do you offer concrete sealing as a follow-up service?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sealing a driveway, patio, or walkway after cleaning helps protect the surface from staining, moisture, and future buildup. Sealed concrete typically stays protected longer than unsealed concrete — up to about 3 years depending on traffic and exposure — so it's worth asking about when you request a quote.

The [maintenance plan](/maintenance-plan) is built for exactly this: an autumn visit, next year's price held, and a longer roof warranty.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 19

Do you offer recurring or seasonal maintenance plans?

Accepted Answer

Yes — one, and it is published rather than arranged on the phone.

The maintenance plan is $149 a year on top of your spring wash. It buys an autumn visit with the gutters cleaned out and bagged and a spot re-clean of what we already treated, next year's wash held at the same price for your home's size, the 12-month siding regrowth warranty free instead of $75, the roof warranty extended from two years to three, and priority scheduling.

The plan is bought with your spring wash, which is what holds your autumn slot. If you did not add it on the day, your private link shows the date you can still add it by. Commercial and property-management work is different: those are scoped as a surface list on a defined interval and quoted per property, because a strip of retail and a house do not wear at the same rate.

The [maintenance plan](/maintenance-plan) is built for exactly this: an autumn visit, next year's price held, and a longer roof warranty.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 20

Do you really travel to the outer cities, or mostly stay near Canton?

Accepted Answer

We travel. Cleveland, Solon, Youngstown, Mansfield, and Dover are regular work rather than exceptions. Because they are a longer drive, jobs in those directions are scheduled as full days or grouped with other work heading the same way, so there is a little less flexibility on exact dates. Larger and multi-surface scopes are the easiest to fit at that distance. Build the estimate and you have the price; we confirm a realistic window when you accept it.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 21

How long before black streaks come back after a roof cleaning?

Accepted Answer

They should not come back for years, and there is a warranty on it. Black streaking is algae, and a soft wash kills it at the root rather than rinsing it off the surface. If black streaking returns on a full roof soft washing within two years, the affected area is re-treated at no charge. Two conditions are excluded because they re-seed growth continuously no matter how well the roof was cleaned: heavy overhanging tree cover, and areas where water pools rather than draining. Both get pointed out before the work rather than after.

What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).

The [maintenance plan](/maintenance-plan) is built for exactly this: an autumn visit, next year's price held, and a longer roof warranty.

Question 22

How long do I have to tell you if something is not right?

Accepted Answer

Fourteen days on any surface except a roof, and 60 days on roof soft washing. The roof window is longer because a treated roof keeps improving for four to six weeks as dead moss and lichen release with rain and wind — judging it at two weeks would be judging it half-finished. Either way the fix is a return visit to re-clean the area at no charge.

What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).

Question 23

How much does service cost?

Accepted Answer

We publish our prices. The pricing page carries a table for every residential service, with a price for each size of home rather than one starting figure — find your home's square footage and you have your number. Access, condition, material and total scope can move a job above its published price, and when they do that is confirmed with you in writing before any work begins. No hidden fees and no surprise upcharges on the day of service.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and it is the price you pay when you accept it.

Question 24

I have a long driveway and outbuildings near Hartville. Do you handle that kind of property?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Larger properties with long concrete drives, gravel-to-concrete transitions, outbuilding aprons, and open exposure are common around Hartville, and they are quoted by measured area and condition rather than as a flat house-and-drive package. Open exposure and nearby fields usually mean more organic staining on roofs and siding and more tracked soil on the concrete. On a property that size the walkthrough covers all of it, because the outbuildings and the drive are usually where the surface area actually is.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 25

I have outbuildings and a gravel-to-concrete transition on my property. Can you clean those?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and they are priced as their own item because they are a different job than the house. Farm-adjacent properties bring outbuilding slabs and gravel-to-concrete transitions that need degreasing rather than a rinse — fuel, equipment traffic and ground-in grime do not respond to the solution we would use on a front walk. The 2000s houses on the edges of town are the concrete-heavy jobs in the other direction: big driveways, aprons and patio slabs where organic growth and tire traffic show quickly on relatively young concrete. Our walk-through covers the whole parcel, not just the house.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 26

I have seen five-year roof warranties online. How does yours compare?

Accepted Answer

Not one company in Northeast Ohio offers that five-year structure — it is a national template, and it is worth reading before you compare it to anything.

In every version we have read in full, "five years" means twelve to twenty-four months of actual coverage followed by a bill for half the original price for every re-treatment through year five. The five is how long you can call them. It is not how long you are covered.

What is actually offered around here: we read the sites of the seven largest exterior cleaning companies working Stark, Summit and Cuyahoga counties on the same day. Six advertise a warranty or a guarantee. Two publish terms you can read — a length and what happens if growth comes back — and the longer of those two is one year.

Ours is two years against black streaking, three on the maintenance plan, with no cost share at any point and the two exclusions named on the page. Whoever you book with, open the warranty first: find the number of months, find the percentage, read the exclusions.

What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).

Question 27

I manage several properties. Can exterior cleaning be handled as one program?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For managed portfolios we document service zones, priorities, access instructions, operating restrictions, and recommended frequency so the plan is repeatable across buildings and visits instead of re-explained every time. Entries, walkways, breezeways, dumpster pads, and service areas are usually the recurring items, with heavier work scheduled seasonally. Recurring accounts are invoiced on an agreed schedule, and certificates of insurance are provided on request.

The [maintenance plan](/maintenance-plan) is built for exactly this: an autumn visit, next year's price held, and a longer roof warranty.

Question 28

Is a two-story house more expensive to wash than a ranch?

Accepted Answer

Not here. The price is set by the square footage of the home, so a 2,000 square foot two-story and a 2,000 square foot ranch are both $349. A second story does mean taller walls and more reach, and that is already built into the size-based price rather than added on top. Your home's square footage reflects the size of the job well enough on its own, and a second variable would only make your price harder to work out for yourself. Genuinely hard access, such as a third story or an elevation that cannot be reached from the ground, carries an add-on that is stated before the work starts.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 29

Is gutter cleaning included with a house wash or roof cleaning?

Accepted Answer

It depends which of the three you mean, and they get mixed up constantly.

Gutter cleaning is the outside face of the gutter and downspout — what you see from the street. That is part of every house wash and siding cleaning at no extra charge.

A gutter clean-out is the inside: the packed leaves and shingle grit in the trough, and every downspout flushed to confirm it actually runs. This is a real service with a real per-linear-foot price, and it is free with roof soft washing. Not discounted — included. We cannot rinse a roof properly if the gutters will not drain, and leaving the debris up there would only wash it back over everything we just cleaned, so it is part of the job rather than an add-on to it. If you were going to book a clean-out anyway and the roof is anywhere near due, booking the roof gets you both for the price of the roof.

You can also book a gutter clean-out on its own, with no washing service attached. That is the standalone service and it is priced per linear foot.

Gutter brightening is the third and it is never included in anything. The dark vertical tiger striping on the front face is oxidized aluminum and road film bonded to the finish, not dirt sitting on top of it. It needs its own product, no house wash removes it, and it is usually added after a house wash while the crew is already on site.

The gutter clean-out is free with a roof soft wash and 25% off added to a house wash, and the rate is published on the [pricing page](/pricing). More on what the gutters do to a roof in [black streaks, moss and lichen](/learn/roof-moss-lichen-algae-damage).

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 30

Is my siding warrantied against growth coming back?

Accepted Answer

It can be. The siding regrowth warranty runs twelve months and costs $75 on its own — or it is included free with the maintenance plan.

If organic growth returns on siding we washed inside the term, the affected area is re-cleaned at no charge, up to two spot cleans of a quarter of an elevation each. It does not cover oxidized or chalked finishes, which are a condition of the finish rather than growth sitting on top of it, and it does not cover growth that is being fed by something still in place — a leaking gutter above the wall, for instance. A wall kept wet by an overflowing gutter is green again within weeks of any wash, so that section sits outside the term until the water is dealt with.

What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).

Question 31

Is our patio and pool surround part of a house wash or a separate job?

Accepted Answer

Separate, and priced that way. The Canterbury-era estates carry the heaviest hardscape load anywhere in Hudson — patios, covered outdoor living areas, pergolas, outdoor fireplaces, built-in grills, in-ground pool surrounds and stone elevations. That is stone-and-masonry cleaning rather than house washing: different solutions, different pressure, joint-safe technique, and considerably more time on site. Bundling it into a house-wash number would either overprice the house or underprice the hardscape. So the estimate breaks them out and you can take either one on its own.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 32

Is there a current offer or discount?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Book a house wash and a roof soft washing together and the driveway cleaning is free — up to a two-car driveway, about 700 square feet. If your driveway is longer than that you are not shut out of the offer — the two-car driveway price is credited against whatever your driveway prices at, and you pay only the difference.

It applies to the same property on the same visit, one per property per calendar year, and it does not combine with other discounts. Sealing, oil and rust stain treatment, and paver joint sanding are not part of it.

The reason those two services are the condition: the roof drains onto the walls, so doing them on one visit is the right order anyway and it is one setup instead of two.

Some neighborhoods have their own offer, printed in a local publication and different from this one — usually easier to qualify for. If you live somewhere with a resident offer, that one applies to you.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 33

My 1977 colonial needs everything. Where should I start?

Accepted Answer

Roof first, then siding, then concrete — because each one drains onto the next. A colonial of that era in Solon typically means two full stories of siding, a steep roof with multiple planes, and a driveway poured around the same time. The roof is soft washed at height without touching the shingle. The sun-facing walls are usually chalked and need oxidation treatment rather than a wash. And a drive that has held nearly fifty winters of road salt is surface cleaning with stain treatment. Three different methods, three different outcomes, and most owners take them across two seasons.

Why a wash leaves chalky siding chalky-looking, and what actually improves it, is explained in [why a wash will not bring the color back](/learn/why-a-house-wash-will-not-fix-chalky-siding).

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 34

My Dover porch has painted railings and old decking. How is that cleaned?

Accepted Answer

As deck-safe treatment, and as its own service rather than part of a house wash. Porches are the constant in Dover — wood decking, painted railings and a century of foot traffic, which means worn paint, softened wood and fasteners that have been in the weather a long time. Pressure on any of that lifts paint and raises grain, so it is low pressure with a solution suited to painted wood. We inspect the decking and railings first and tell you where cleaning would take off paint that is already letting go, because that turns a cleaning into a repainting job you did not budget for.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 35

My Glenmoor house is brick on the front and stucco on the sides. Is that one wash or two?

Accepted Answer

One visit, two methods. Houses here were built from 1991 onward and mixed elevations are the norm rather than the exception — brick running into stucco running into a frame gable on the same wall. Those surfaces do not take the same solution or the same pressure, and stucco in particular will hold a cleaning solution far longer than brick will, so a single blanket approach either undercleans the brick or overworks the stucco. Each material on the elevation gets its own method and its own line, because a number that does not name the materials cannot account for the difference between them.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 36

My Hudson HOA covers exterior upkeep. Do I still need this?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your subdivision. Association structures vary a lot here: Connecticut Colony and Weston Hills carry annual fees, the Villas of Hudson carry a monthly fee that covers exterior upkeep, and Woods of Western Reserve has no mandatory association at all. Check your association documents first — if exterior cleaning is already contracted, it is covered. Where an association sets an appearance expectation but does not perform the work, the practical standard is matching the rest of the row rather than how your own house looked last year.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 37

My roof still has some streaks a week after you cleaned it. Did it not work?

Accepted Answer

Almost certainly it did, and this is the single most common question about roof work.

Algae rinses away relatively quickly. Moss and lichen do not — they anchor into the shingle surface, so they are killed rather than removed, and then they release gradually over roughly four to six weeks as rain and weather work the dead growth loose. A roof one week out is partway through that, not finished.

Scraping or pressure-washing them off instead would take shingle granules with them, and granules are the roof's UV protection. That trade — a faster result for a shorter roof life — is not one worth making, and every major shingle manufacturer specifies against it.

The guarantee is built around that timeline: 60 days on roof soft washing rather than the 14 that applies elsewhere. If the roof has not come around by then, it gets re-treated at no charge.

What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).

Question 38

My siding looks dull on the sunny side but fine in the shade. Why?

Accepted Answer

Two different problems on one house. The sun-facing elevations have oxidized — the vinyl finish itself has broken down into a dull, chalky layer, which is why a rinse wets it and it dries back looking the same. That needs oxidation treatment, not washing. The shaded planes, usually the roof, hold moisture and grow algae, which is organic and releases with a soft wash. The 1990s and 2000s Medina subdivisions are almost entirely vinyl siding with asphalt shingle, which is the pairing where this split shows up most.

Why a wash leaves chalky siding chalky-looking, and what actually improves it, is explained in [why a wash will not bring the color back](/learn/why-a-house-wash-will-not-fix-chalky-siding).

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 39

My siding looks washed out and my roof has dark streaks. Same problem?

Accepted Answer

No — and treating them the same is why a standard wash sometimes disappoints. Washed-out siding on a Northwest Akron split-level or Cape Cod is usually oxidation: the painted or aluminum finish has broken down, so a rinse wets it and it dries back to the same dull grey. That needs oxidation treatment. The dark streaking on the roof is a living organism growing on the plane facing the tree line, and it releases with a low-pressure soft wash. One is a finish problem and one is a growth problem, and they are identified before anything is applied.

Why a wash leaves chalky siding chalky-looking, and what actually improves it, is explained in [why a wash will not bring the color back](/learn/why-a-house-wash-will-not-fix-chalky-siding).

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 40

Our newer Wooster house has a long driveway. Is young concrete worth cleaning?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and usually sooner than people think. Newer large-lot builds at Deer Creek and Ashton Village put the emphasis on concrete — long drives, wide aprons, walkways and patios — and light, relatively young concrete shows organic growth and staining early, because the surface is still pale and tight enough that anything on it reads clearly. Cleaning it early is also easier and cheaper than letting growth establish. We measure the actual square footage on the walk-through rather than estimating from the street, since a long drive and a wide apron are the whole cost on a property like that.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 41

The inside of my gutters is full but the outside looks fine. Do I need a house wash?

Accepted Answer

No — you can book the gutter clean-out on its own, with no washing service attached. That is a standalone service priced per linear foot.

It is worth doing on its own schedule too. Packed debris holds water against the fascia board, and a trough heavy with wet leaves is what pulls fasteners out of the fascia over a winter.

One thing worth knowing before you book it alone: roof soft washing includes the clean-out at no additional charge. If the roof is anywhere near due, the roof wash and the clean-out together cost the same as the roof wash by itself. If the roof is genuinely fine, book the clean-out on its own and we will do exactly that.

If the outside face of the gutter is also chalky or streaked dark, that is a third thing again — gutter brightening — and it is worth looking at the front face from the driveway before deciding what to book.

The gutter clean-out is free with a roof soft wash and 25% off added to a house wash, and the rate is published on the [pricing page](/pricing). More on what the gutters do to a roof in [black streaks, moss and lichen](/learn/roof-moss-lichen-algae-damage).

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 42

The moss is still on my roof a week after cleaning. Did it not work?

Accepted Answer

It worked — moss and lichen do not disappear on the day. The treatment kills the organism at the root, and the dead growth then releases gradually as rain and wind work on it, typically over four to six weeks depending on how heavy it was. Black algae staining lifts much faster and is usually visibly better within days. The reason it is done this way rather than scraped or blown off is that the dead growth is still gripping shingle granules, and forcing it loose early takes those granules with it.

What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).

Question 43

What does window cleaning cost?

Accepted Answer

Exterior glass is $10 per window and includes a sill wipe-down. Interior glass is $8 per window as an add-on, available alongside exterior cleaning, and someone needs to be home for it. Track and sill detailing is $4 per window, screen washing is $4 per screen, and solar panels are $12 per panel. A $149 minimum applies to a standalone window visit; booked with a house wash there is no minimum.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 44

What happens if I’m not satisfied with a spot after you leave?

Accepted Answer

Tell us right away and we come back and look at it. If something inside the agreed scope was missed or came out uneven, we return and address it. If the marking is something cleaning was never going to remove — a deeply absorbed stain, etching, or damage that was hidden under the dirt — we explain what it actually is instead of washing the same area harder and risking the surface. We try to flag those areas during the estimate so expectations are set before the first pass.

What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).

Question 45

What is not covered by the guarantee?

Accepted Answer

Anything cleaning cannot correct. Oxidized or chalked finishes, concrete scaling where the top layer has already broken loose, failed paint or stain, and rust that still has an active source feeding it are all conditions that exist before the wash and survive it. Those get identified during the walkthrough and stated before any work begins, so nothing on that list turns up as a surprise afterward.

What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).

Why a wash leaves chalky siding chalky-looking, and what actually improves it, is explained in [why a wash will not bring the color back](/learn/why-a-house-wash-will-not-fix-chalky-siding).

Question 46

What is the difference between gutter cleaning, a gutter clean-out and gutter brightening?

Accepted Answer

Three different jobs on the same piece of metal.

Gutter cleaning is the outside face of the gutter and downspout. It comes with a house wash or a siding cleaning at no extra cost.

A gutter clean-out is interior work: removing packed leaves, shingle grit and sediment from inside the trough, then flushing each downspout to confirm water runs through it. It is included free with roof soft washing, because roof work puts debris into the gutters by design. It is also sold on its own, priced per linear foot, with no other service required.

Gutter brightening removes the dark vertical striping bonded to the front face, often called tiger striping. That is oxidized aluminum and road film chemically stuck to the finish, so it needs a dedicated product and will not come off with house wash solution. It is never included in a house wash.

A quick way to tell what you need: if the inside is full, you need a clean-out. If the outside is streaked dark, you need brightening. If neither, the cleaning that comes with your wash is enough.

The gutter clean-out is free with a roof soft wash and 25% off added to a house wash, and the rate is published on the [pricing page](/pricing). More on what the gutters do to a roof in [black streaks, moss and lichen](/learn/roof-moss-lichen-algae-damage).

Why a wash leaves chalky siding chalky-looking, and what actually improves it, is explained in [why a wash will not bring the color back](/learn/why-a-house-wash-will-not-fix-chalky-siding).

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 47

What is the difference between your guarantee and your warranty?

Accepted Answer

They answer two different questions and it is worth keeping them apart, because a lot of companies use the words interchangeably.

**The guarantee asks "did we do the job right?"** If you are not satisfied with a surface we cleaned, tell us within 14 days and we come back and re-clean it at no charge. Roof soft washing gets 60 days instead, because a roof keeps improving for four to six weeks as treated growth releases — judging it at two weeks would be judging it half finished.

**The warranty asks "did it stay clean?"** That is a much longer window against growth coming back: two years on black streaking on a roof we soft washed, three years if you are on the maintenance plan, and twelve months on washed siding.

If you only hear about the 60 days, you have been told half the offer.

What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).

Question 48

Which surfaces on my house actually need cleaning first?

Accepted Answer

On a Louisville subdivision house, usually the drive and the roof before the siding. The asphalt shingle roof streaks on the shaded plane and is soft washed, never pressured. The vinyl or aluminum siding chalks and oxidizes on the sun side, which is an oxidation treatment rather than a wash and can often hold another season. And the wide concrete drives and aprons here hold road salt through spring, which is both the most visible surface and the one that degrades if it is left.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 49

Why do exterior cleaning quotes vary so much?

Accepted Answer

Price follows scope: surface type and area, condition and staining, access and height, how much prep and protection the site needs, containment and wastewater requirements, and which add-ons are included, such as sealing, walkways, or gutters. Two quotes on the same house can differ simply because they cover different work, so compare the itemized lines rather than the bottom number. Our estimates spell out what is included specifically so you can see what you are comparing.

You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.

Question 50

Why is oxidation treatment separate from the house wash?

Accepted Answer

Because a house wash is built not to strip the finish, and that is the right way round.

Oxidation is the chalky film on aged vinyl and aluminum — the white powder that comes off on your hand. It is not dirt. It is pigment that has left the coating under years of sunlight; aluminum manufacturers describe their finishes as formulated to chalk in a controlled manner, releasing powdery particles of pigment over time.

A wash takes the loose powder off, and manufacturers expect that — it is ordinary maintenance. What a wash cannot do is put the pigment back, so a badly chalked wall comes out genuinely clean and can still look flat and faded. The wash has done exactly what it should.

What it will not do is strip the degraded layer, and that is deliberate. Pressure, stiff brushes and abrasive cleaners take that layer off along with patches of the finish — CertainTeed does not recommend power washing vinyl siding at all, and the Vinyl Siding Institute warns that stiff bristles can change the gloss and leave siding looking splotchy. Our soft wash leaves the finish alone on purpose.

That is why oxidation treatment is its own service, and why it is always done after the wash: you cannot judge a finish until the dirt is off it. Once the treatment is done, its result is covered by the same guarantee as the rest of the work. Heavily degraded siding improves rather than returning to its original color, and we tell you which of the two we expect before you agree to it. Usually only the elevations that take the most sun need it at all.

What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).

Why a wash leaves chalky siding chalky-looking, and what actually improves it, is explained in [why a wash will not bring the color back](/learn/why-a-house-wash-will-not-fix-chalky-siding).

Question 51

Will cleaning void my shingle warranty?

Accepted Answer

Not when it is done by the method the manufacturers themselves specify. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association is explicit that a pressure washer should never be used on an asphalt shingle roof because it causes granule loss and can lead to premature failure — and GAF publishes the same warning in its own technical bulletin. What they do endorse is chemical treatment at low pressure, after which growth loosens over time and can be removed with a leaf blower. Pressure is what creates a warranty problem. Soft washing is the method written into the guidance.

What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).

Pricing, Payment and Guarantee Questions

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