Contractor Spotlight: Exterior Cleaning

Maintaining your home’s exterior is critical to helping it reach its expected lifespan and prevent water-based damage to other systems of the home. Each type of siding or roof requires different types of care and maintenance. And an exterior care contractor can help you get prepped, no matter the style.

With so much moisture in the NW it’s very important to make sure that these exterior systems are properly shedding the moisture away from the home. Starting at the roof and working our way down, let’s briefly look at what to care for.

1. Care for your roof.

Keeping debris off the roof seems pretty obvious, but that beautiful NW moss starts slowly and often goes unnoticed until it’s too late. As the moss takes root in your shingles, it loosens the little gravel granules that keep your shingles shedding water properly. A simple treatment once a year will help prevent the moss from ever starting.

2. Look at gutters and downspouts.

Even if you don’t have tall trees around your home, gutters can begin to fill with debris and clog over time. Shingle granules, dirt, dust, and moss or algae growth can fill the gutters and downspouts and cause water to overflow. This can lead to rotting fascia boards and eaves, as well as erosion and mess in your landscaping. Keeping those gutters and downspouts clear is one of the most important things you can do to shed water from your home and property.

3. Keep up your siding.

Our amazing climate is the perfect setting for moss and algae to grow. As it builds up on your siding it can cause the paint to wear out more quickly and increase the frequency of painting. As those items help retain and hold moisture against the siding surface, this can also promote rot on surfaces where paint has been neglected. If your gutters have been overflowing, there’s likely mud splashing up onto the siding – this would be a good time to get it cleaned up.

4. Give your decks and fences attention.

With so much foot traffic, in addition to weather, wood decks need a lot of care. Keeping them clean – especially in the gaps between each board – will help promote the airflow to keep them dry and reduce rot. Keep decks (every 2 years) and fences (3-4 years) coated with a stain or sealant to increase lifespan.

5. Clean up concrete, patios, and sidewalks.

Not to be too tough on moss, but it can also wreak havoc on concrete. As it works its way into cracks and crevices, it breaks down the concrete more quickly over time by allowing moisture into these spaces. Also, from a liability perspective, some of the naturally growing things can become slippery and put you at risk of someone being injured.

Who to call when it’s time for spring cleaning.

I’ve had awesome experiences with and feedback on these three companies. They do high-quality work at competitive pricing. From sidewalks and driveways to roofs and gutters, these guys can help you clean up the mess winter left behind, or get you prepped for a fresh coat of paint this summer.

Cleaning Options Pressure Washing
Specialty: residential pressure washing (all surfaces), commercial pressure washing, fleet washing

Contact: Josh Womack
(503) 357-3395
copressurewashing@gmail.com
Visit their website

Torian Exterior Services
Specialty: residential pressure washing (all surfaces)

Contact: Mike Torian
(503) 999-8918
miketorian@gmail.com

Exterior Care PDX
Specialty: roof repair and residential pressure washing (all surfaces)

Contact: Miguel
(503) 925-3907
Visit their website

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Maintaining your home is important, but finding good contractors isn't always easy. We want to help you find the right resources by sharing those that we've had a great experience with. We don't get paid to recommend companies, but we want our friends and neighbors to know about contractors that are providing good quality work. Unfortunately, we can't guarantee the quality of work or your experience with each contractor because every situation is different. However, these are contractors or companies that we've had a positive personal experience with, or come highly recommended from a reliable source. And we think the likelihood is that you will, too.