Soft Washing in New Orleans, Louisiana
Soft washing in New Orleans, Louisiana lifts algae, pollen and grime from painted trim, vinyl siding and screen enclosures on older homes where the finish calls for a gentle approach. A low rinse matched to each fragile surface clears the growth without cutting the paint or forcing water behind the walls, so the exterior reads clean through the humid season.
What soft washing covers on New Orleans homes
New Orleans has a lot of older housing stock, and the age and the material of that stock is why soft washing is often the starting point here. Painted trim, older siding and screen enclosures on these homes can be fragile, so the rinse is set lighter than on newer construction, and the growth lifts with the rinse and gravity rather than force. Soft washing covers painted and vinyl siding, trim boards, window frames, screen enclosures, patio screens and soft wood fencing. It lifts the green algae that clings to shaded siding, the pollen film that grays every surface, and the streaks that run under roof edges. The rinse is matched to the material, so older paint that has weathered for years gets the softest setting. The work does not cover hard, porous surfaces like concrete and pavers, which take a directed wash, and it does not include roof cleaning or repairs to torn screens. What any single home needs depends on the age of the surfaces and how long the growth has been left, and a walk-through settles the scope before any price is set.
Read the surfaces and quote
Cooper walks the property to note which faces are fragile and which can take more, with attention to older paint, fragile trim and the screen enclosures. A straightforward price is quoted before any water is turned on, and the walk-through sets the method for each surface.
Prep and soft rinse
Delicate areas and planting are masked or routed away from, and a gentle rinse is applied to the siding, trim and screens. The crew works top down so sediment sheets off the surface rather than drying in streaks.
Rinse and review
Every surface gets a final rinse and a review. Anything that reads streaky is touched up before the crew leaves, and the area is left clear.
Soft Washing in New Orleans questions
Why is soft washing the standard choice for older New Orleans homes?
Older siding and trim here can be fragile, and a hard stream would cut the paint or force water behind the walls. Soft washing lifts the growth with a low rinse, and the walk-through sets the softest setting for paint that has weathered for years. It is the method the crew reaches for first on these homes.
Can soft washing be used on historic siding and trim?
The crew works to the material, not the label. Older and softer surfaces get the low rinse, and the method is set by what the siding or the trim can handle, confirmed on the walk-through before any water touches it. If the paint is already failing, the crew points it out so you know.
How often should fragile surfaces in New Orleans be soft washed?
Most homes here benefit from soft washing once a year, and older or heavily shaded sides may need it sooner because the humidity keeps the growth active. A walk-through shows whether the surfaces are at that point or whether they can wait. There is no fixed schedule.
Keep reading
Read the full soft washing page for the method and the deliverables, or the New Orleans area page for how the seasons and the property type shape the work there. The same soft washing service is available in Metairie, Lakeview and Kenner, and each carries its own detail.