Question 1

Is pressure washing safe on stucco?

Accepted Answer

Direct pressure is not. Valley stucco is a thin cementitious skin over lath, and a pressure tip drives water through hairline cracks into the wall cavity, blows out sand finish and leaves wand marks that never blend. We clean stucco with a low-pressure soft wash: solution applied at low volume, dwell time to break down growth, then a controlled rinse.

Question 2

How is vinyl siding handled differently from stucco?

Accepted Answer

Vinyl laps overlap downward, so it is washed and rinsed in the same direction — bottom-up application, top-down rinse — to keep water out of the seams and away from J-channel and weep holes. It is also flexible and heat-sensitive, so we avoid working a hot south wall at midday, where warm vinyl and cold solution can leave shadowing.

Question 3

Can painted wood and fibre cement siding be washed?

Accepted Answer

Yes, with restraint. Sound paint takes a soft wash fine. Wood in poor shape — chalking, peeling, open end grain — gets a hand-detail approach with less water, because a wash is the fastest way to find failing paint. Fibre cement cleans easily but we keep water out of unsealed cut ends and rinse the flashing behind trim.

Question 4

Will a house wash strip or fade my paint?

Accepted Answer

A correctly done soft wash does not. What it can do is expose paint that was already failing: chalked or oxidised coating loses its loose surface layer, so a patchy result almost always means the coating had been breaking down for years. We test an inconspicuous section first on older paint and stop to talk if we see chalking on the test panel.

Question 5

What actually comes off a house wash — and what does not?

Accepted Answer

Off: algae and mildew film, dust and road grime, spider webs and egg sacs, wasp and mud-dauber starts, cobweb-collected pollen and hard-water spotting from irrigation overspray. Not off with a wash alone: paint failure, rust bleed from fasteners, permanent stain in unsealed wood, and sprinkler mineral etching that has bonded into the finish.

Question 6

Do you clean the eaves, soffits and light fixtures too?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the soffit line is where webs, wasp nests and dust film really live, so it gets worked as part of the wash along with fascia, exterior light fixtures, door surrounds and downspout faces. Screens and window exteriors are rinsed; interior glass and detailed glass polishing belong to the window cleaning service.

Question 7

How often should a Valley home be washed?

Accepted Answer

Once a year suits most homes here, because summer dust and orchard pollen build a film long before growth becomes visible. Homes with irrigated landscaping tight to the wall, north walls that hold damp, or exposure to a busy road often look better on a spring and autumn cadence.

Question 8

What do you need from me on wash day?

Accepted Answer

An accessible outdoor spigot, closed windows, patio cushions and light plastics moved back a few feet, and pets inside. We handle covering fixtures and protecting beds. If a wall has an exposed outlet, a swamp cooler or a failed window seal, point it out and we will treat that section by hand.

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