You only notice it when you take the trash out. The side of the house that never gets sun has turned green. There are webs packed under the eaves and gray mildew on the soffits.
It’s the weather, not your housekeeping. Relative humidity at Bush Intercontinental averages 74.7% across a typical year. Rain adds up to 51.84 inches, per the 1991 to 2020 climate normals. A wall in the shade stays damp long after the sunny side dries. Algae loves that.
How a soft wash works
A soft wash is low pressure plus a cleaning solution. The solution loosens the algae and mildew, and then we rinse it all off. No blasting.
That’s on purpose. A pressure wand on a house can chip paint, dig into mortar and drive water past window seals. Low pressure leaves all three where they belong. Here’s the order we work in:
- We walk around the outside first and point out anything loose, cracked or already leaking.
- We take before photos of each wall.
- We put the solution on and give it time to work.
- We rinse from the eaves down.
- We take after photos and send you both sets.
What a house wash covers
- Siding, whether it’s vinyl, fiber cement or painted wood.
- Brick and stucco walls.
- Soffits and eaves, where the webs and mildew collect.
- Porch ceilings and the trim around doors and windows.
The roof, the inside of the gutters and the concrete are separate jobs. Here’s how we split up pressure washing by surface. Roof cleaning is a soft wash too, done from up on the roof. Gutter cleaning means pulling the needles out by hand. Driveway and concrete cleaning uses real pressure, since concrete holds up to it. Any of them can go on the same day as the house.
Spring brick and older mortar
Spring’s housing runs older. The median home in the Spring CDP, on the Harris County side, was built in 1993 (ACS 2024). If yours is brick from that era, the mortar has more than thirty summers on it. Crumbly joints are one more reason we keep the pressure low.
On our side of I-45, in 77386, it’s no different. Homes around Imperial Oaks, Harmony and Benders Landing go green on the shady walls too. We’re based here, so Spring is the shortest drive we make.
Before we come: what to move
- Patio furniture, cushions and the grill, pulled a few feet off the walls.
- Potted plants and decorations along the walls.
- Doormats, toys and anything that shouldn’t get wet.
- Cars, if we’re washing the driveway the same day.
Close the windows, and make sure we can get through the side gate. If a window already leaks or a piece of trim is loose, tell us before we start. We don’t do repairs, but we’ll show you anything we spot.
Want a price? Text a couple of photos of the green wall to (281) 466-7436, or use the form at the bottom of this page.
Common questions
Why is only one side of my house green?
That’s the side that gets the least sun, often the north wall or the one behind the trees. It dries slowest after rain and morning dew. In air this humid, a wall that stays damp grows algae. The sunny sides get baked dry, so they stay cleaner.
Will a soft wash strip my paint?
Not paint that’s sound. Low pressure doesn’t blast it off. Paint that’s already peeling is another story. Any washing can lift flakes that were already letting go. We’ll point out the flaking spots before we start, so nothing surprises you after.
Does The Woodlands Township make me clean mildew off my house?
It’s on the list. The Township’s 2024 Residential Development Standards list the jobs that fall on the owner. Removing algae and mildew from the outside of your home is one of them. So a green wall is a covenant issue as well as an eyesore. Questions about your village go to Covenant Administration at 281-210-3800. Outside The Woodlands, check your HOA’s rules.