Exterior Cleaning in Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Exterior Cleaning for Cape Elizabeth Homes

Cape Elizabeth is almost entirely residential, and much of it sits close to the ocean. The town takes open Atlantic weather along its shore, from Portland Head Light down past Two Lights to Crescent Beach. Many homes here are larger shingle-style and colonial houses with cedar, clapboard, and painted trim, and those surfaces do not take high pressure well. We handle soft washing, house washing, roof cleaning, gutter cleaning, and pressure washing across town, and we match the method to the surface.

Why We Soft Wash Instead of Pressure Wash

Soft washing is a method that relies on our special proprietary cleaning solution to kill organic matter rather than high pressure. While high pressure washing may appear to remove the moss, dirt and algae, it doesn’t kill it. By killing algae and fungus, your exterior surfaces remain clean longer than with a pressure wash. This method is commonly used for residential and commercial properties, as well as on surfaces like roofs, decks, and fences. With our high quality equipment and professional detergents, it is the safest and most effective method of cleaning exterior surfaces. 

Salt is the main issue in Cape Elizabeth. Wind off the ocean carries it well back from the shore. Salt is hygroscopic, so it pulls moisture from the air and holds it against siding long after the weather clears, and that lingering dampness is what feeds algae and mildew season after season. On cedar shingle it shows up as green and black staining on the shaded sides of the house, and rinsing the salt off matters as much as treating the growth. Inland, the wooded lots off Spurwink Avenue and Fowler Road stay shaded and damp, which is where roofs pick up black streaking. The streaks are Gloeocapsa magma, a cyanobacteria that settles on north-facing planes first and feeds on the limestone filler in asphalt shingles, so leaving it alone costs granules and roof life.