Soft Wash or Pressure Wash? How We Decide in Stratford

Stratford is a Marathon County village about 13 miles northeast of our Marshfield shop, close enough to be a neighbor. The village was laid out in 1891, the year the railroad reached it, and borrowed its name from Stratford-upon-Avon in England.

Old and new, side by side

Stratford has both ends of the age range. About a quarter of its homes were built in 1939 or earlier, while about a fifth went up in 2000 or later. It is mostly houses on their own lots, about three in four, and about three in four are lived in by their owners.

A century-old farmhouse and a house built last decade need different care, which raises a fair question.

Soft washing or pressure washing?

They are two different tools, and we use each where it belongs.

Soft washing

Our most popular service, and our preferred method for houses and buildings. Low pressure, with eco-friendly cleaning solutions that remove algae, moss and dirt. It is gentle enough for roofs and siding, which high pressure can damage. Vinyl, aluminum, stucco and wood all fall in that group.

Pressure washing

For durable surfaces that need a thorough clean: driveways, sidewalks, patios, concrete, brick and stone. Here the pressure does the work, and on flat surfaces we use a surface cleaner.

Which one your house needs

Usually both, and our exterior cleaning brings them into one visit. The siding and roof get a soft wash; the driveway and front walk get pressure. Decks and fences sit in between: we inspect first, then use gentle soft washing techniques so the wood or composite is not damaged.

Stratford weather

Just northwest of the village, a weather station records about 45 inches of snow and about 31 inches of rain and melted snow a year. Spring is the natural time to wash off winter's grime, and fall is the time for gutters, before the leaves and the snow arrive together.