The Benefits of Soft-Washing Pollen Off Your Home's Exterior

As spring blossoms into full swing, so does the inevitable invasion of pollen. While pollen is crucial for plant reproduction, it can also wreak havoc on our homes' exterior surfaces, leaving them coated in a fine yellow dust. However, fear not! Softwashing offers a gentle yet effective solution to rid your home's exterior, deck, and driveway of pollen buildup. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the benefits of soft washing and how it can help you maintain a clean and pristine outdoor environment during the spring season.

Understanding Softwashing

Softwashing is a cleaning technique that utilizes low-pressure water combined with eco-friendly cleaning solutions to remove dirt, grime, mold, mildew, and other contaminants from exterior surfaces. Unlike traditional pressure washing, which relies on high-pressure water to blast away dirt and debris, softwashing is gentler and safer for delicate surfaces such as siding, decks, and driveways. By using specialized equipment and biodegradable cleaning solutions, softwashing can effectively clean and rejuvenate outdoor surfaces without causing damage or discoloration.

Gentle Yet Effective Cleaning

One of the primary benefits of soft washing is its gentle yet effective cleaning action. Pollen buildup on exterior surfaces can be stubborn and difficult to remove, especially without causing damage to delicate materials like vinyl siding or wooden decks. Softwashing allows for thorough cleaning without the risk of surface damage, ensuring that your home's exterior surfaces are cleaned safely and effectively.

Protects Surface Integrity

Unlike high-pressure washing, which can strip away paint, stain, or protective coatings, softwashing preserves the integrity of exterior surfaces. Whether you're cleaning vinyl siding, wooden decks, or concrete driveways, softwashing gently removes pollen and other contaminants without compromising the surface's finish or structural integrity. This ensures that your home's exterior retains its beauty and durability for years to come.

Prevents Allergen Buildup

Pollen isn't just unsightly – it can also trigger allergies and exacerbate respiratory conditions in sensitive individuals. Softwashing not only helps prevent allergen buildup by removing pollen from exterior surfaces, including siding, windows, decks, and driveways, but it also disinfects the home’ surfaces. By eliminating pollen and other allergens, softwashing creates a cleaner and healthier outdoor environment for you and your family to enjoy.

Enhances Curb Appeal

A clean and well-maintained exterior enhances your home's curb appeal and creates a positive first impression for visitors and passersby. Softwashing removes pollen, dirt, mold, and mildew from exterior surfaces, restoring them to their original beauty and luster. Whether you're preparing to sell your home or simply want to improve its appearance, softwashing can help you achieve a fresh and inviting look that stands out in the neighborhood.

Extends Surface Lifespan

Regular maintenance is essential for prolonging the lifespan of exterior surfaces such as siding, decks, and driveways. Pollen buildup can trap moisture and promote mold and mildew growth, leading to premature deterioration and costly repairs. Softwashing removes contaminants and prevents moisture-related damage, helping extend the lifespan of your home's exterior surfaces and saving you money on maintenance and replacement costs in the long run.

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Solution

DAPrDAN’s soft washing solutions are biodegradable and environmentally friendly, making them a sustainable choice for outdoor cleaning. Unlike harsh chemicals found in some cleaning products, softwashing solutions are gentle on the environment and safe for plants, pets, and wildlife. By choosing softwashing for your home's exterior cleaning needs, you can enjoy a clean and beautiful outdoor environment without harming the planet.

Cost-Effective Maintenance

Softwashing is a cost-effective solution for maintaining your home's exterior surfaces. Unlike costly repairs or replacements resulting from neglect or damage, softwashing is a preventative measure that helps keep exterior surfaces clean and well-maintained. By investing in regular soft washing treatments, you can protect your home's curb appeal, extend the lifespan of exterior surfaces, and avoid costly repairs down the road.

Professional Expertise and Results

While DIY cleaning methods can be effective, professional soft washing services offer expertise, experience, and specialized equipment to achieve superior results. Professional softwashers are trained to assess your home's exterior surfaces, determine the most appropriate cleaning solutions and techniques, and safely and effectively remove pollen and other contaminants. By hiring a professional soft washing company like DAPrDAN, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your home's exterior is in capable hands and will be cleaned to the highest standards.

Softwashing offers numerous benefits for cleaning pollen off your home's exterior, deck, and driveway. From gentle yet effective cleaning to protecting surface integrity, preventing allergen buildup, enhancing curb appeal, and extending surface lifespan, softwashing is a safe, eco-friendly, and cost-effective solution for maintaining a clean and pristine outdoor environment.

Whether you're preparing for spring or simply want to refresh your home's exterior, with softwashing, you can enjoy a cleaner, healthier, and more beautiful outdoor space that you'll be proud to call home.

And while you’re at it, don’t forget to schedule a DAPrDAN Window and Screen Cleaning to brighten your view and freshen your space. ;)

Signs That Your Roof Needs Cleaning

Many things can endanger the roof of your home. There is the danger of water infiltration and the weight of snow. There is the danger of damage by the force of wind and falling objects. And there is danger from animals making their home inside the roof. But perhaps the danger homeowners pay the least attention to is danger from accumulated dirt or other materials.

Apart from making the roof unsightly, what harm can dirt do to a roof? The answer is quite a lot. Homeowners often only see the physical debris that accumulates on a roof. What they don’t see is how the presence of dirt on a roof’s surface facilitates other processes that result in damage, warns Windermere Management.

Dirt and debris on a roof surface will accelerate chemical and biological actions that decay the roof and weaken its internal structures. How is this possible?

How Dirt & Debris Can Harm Your Roof

• Leaves and twigs that fall on a roof do so as part of their natural biological cycle. But that cycle does not end when the leaves fall off the tree, it continues as the organic materials are further broken down.

This process of organic matter breakdown is where the danger to your roof lies. The microorganisms that proliferate on the roof surface and the chemicals that are released by the process are deposited on the roof and they transfer their actions to the roof.

• Debris on a roof allows water to stay on the roof surface longer. Water is a universal solvent and given enough time, it will dissolve almost any material, including your roof. 

Also, the water on the roof is loaded with biological and chemical agents that it draws from the atmosphere and organic matter around. These amplify the water’s corrosive capabilities and make it more potent in harming your roof.

• Third, moss and algae need water and dissolved minerals to thrive. They get these from the matter that accumulates on a roof’s surface. The roots of moss also penetrate the substrate of asphalt roofing and weaken the shingles. And algae will feed on the minerals that make up the shingles. Algae and moss also lead to increased water retention on the roof’s surface and make it easier for a roof to decay or corrode.

• All these make the roof surface more attractive to rodents, reptiles, and other creatures. The roof becomes more conducive for nesting and food gathering. And eventually, these creatures can make their way into the internal structures of the roof and build a home inside the roof. Once inside they will destroy the roof’s wooden structures and their waste matter will cause the roof to deteriorate even faster.

• Finally, dirt on a roof surface leads to more debris in the gutters and downspouts. If these become clogged with debris or because debris encourages animals to nest in the gutters, the home’s structure will be in grave danger. 

Water that should be discharged away from the building will be diverted onto the walls and foundations as well as into the roof. This is a major cause of damage to a home’s walls, insulation, and foundation.

Keeping the roof of your home free of dirt and debris will help you avoid these problems. And when the roof is clean, it is easier to spot damage to the roof from other causes. So, how can you tell when your home’s roof needs cleaning?

Signs That Your Roof Needs Cleaning

• The presence of moss or lichen
  If there is any type of visible growth on the roof’s surface, the structure needs to be cleaned. Delaying the removal of these growths will inflict damage on the roof that cannot be reversed even when the growths are eventually removed.

• There are black streaks on the roof surface
  This usually indicates the presence of algae. Algae thrive where there is water and also increase the roof’s tendency to hold water. Algae is a precursor to mold. These are reasons to deal with algae instantly.

• The buildup of dirt and grime
  Dirt buildup on the roof will cost you in two ways. It will create an environment that encourages damage to the surface and internal structures of the roof. It diminishes the home’s curb appeal and hurts your property’s value.

• Roof shingles that are lifting
  If the shingles on your roof are starting to lift, it could be due to the action of moss, lichen, and algae. These may have worked their way around the edges of the shingles and caused them to move upwards. Lifting shingle exposes your roof to water damage.

• The roof has not been cleaned in a long time
  The recommended frequency for cleaning your home’s roof is once a year. If the roof has not been cleaned for over a year, you should wash it, whether you see any of the above signs or not.

Does your roof need cleaning?

The Power of Soft Washing

It’s a subtle change, but it doesn’t go unnoticed. And once you detect it, you can’t really “unsee” it.

Do you know what we’re talking about?

It’s the unsightly dark stain that seems to affect large areas of your roof. It’s that dingy blackish green hue that embraces your Northwest siding every couple of years. It’s the grey veil that leaves your home looking … dirty. 

What most homeowners don’t know is that this common problem isn’t a simple stain. It is actually an infestation. Moss, fungi, algae and the bacteria gloeocapsa magma are the real culprits that leave your home looking drab and dark. Depending on the weather, the location, and other environmental factors, the spores of these invaders travel through the air and settle on your roof and siding where they begin to thrive. This is what you might have noticed as dark streaks on roofs, or large gray areas on the side of a building.

The question is how to fix this issue? Many homeowners wonder where to turn. Does the dark stain require a new paint job? Is a new roof the only fix? Will pressure washing eliminate the stain? 

If you’re already thinking about borrowing your brother’s pressure washer, we caution you.  Pressure washing is not recommended on a standard composite roof. The pressure will blast the gritty asphalt layer off your shingles, essentially taking a decade of lifetime off your roof.

Similarly, the siding of your home isn’t made to handle the psi you’d normally apply to a concrete driveway. And here is the conundrum:  Too little psi won’t make a difference for cleaning, but too much will ruin your roof and might even blast the paint right off your siding. 

So, what does it take to rid a home of the dark mildew stain and restore it to its clean and bright appearance? 

There has to be a way to rid a home of the dark mildew stain.

The good news is: There is a way!

Whether it’s vinyl, wood or hardiplank, DAPrDAN’s unique soft washing process will not only effectively clean your home’s exterior, but disinfect your walls eliminate the nutrient base for all algae, mold, mildew, moss, lichen and bacteria. 

Here’s how it works: 

With our gentle spray-and-rinse method, we apply a biodegradable detergent to your siding to attack the growth. Then, we immediately rinse your walls with pure water. The result is instant! (And rather satisfying to watch, if we say so ourselves. Take a look at the video below.)

Opt for an antimicrobial finishing spray, and we can guarantee 5 years of algae-free living (on roofs only.)

Simultaneously, this method also chases away unwelcome house ‘guests’ like spiders, mosquitoes and other insects that like to make their home in the walls of yours. In one case, this list included even bats!

Our customers are consistently amazed by this gentle, environmentally friendly, yet 100% effective cleaning solution. 

Some of our most frequently asked questions include:

“Are you sure that this method won’t damage my roof and siding?”

Yes, we are. DAPrDAN is trained and certified in the Softwash System method of cleaning roofs and siding. With decades of experience in the field, we have yet to meet a building material we haven’t encountered before. If there is any question, our technicians will perform a spot test in an inconspicuous corner of your home, to guarantee the success of your exterior cleaning project.

“What about my landscaping?”

We take great care to eliminate overspray onto nearby garden beds. The type and location of your plants, wind, or other weather conditions make each project unique.  In some cases, we might protect your landscaping with a light covering to prevent exposure. In other cases, we will thoroughly rinse the foliage. 

“What about my windows?”

We highly recommend combining your siding cleaning with an exterior window cleaning to avoid unsightly drops and water stains on the glass.

“My house is 3 stories high. Can you go that far?”

Yes, we can. Our high GPM pump, powered by our quiet 12-volt battery system, can reach up to 4 stories.

“What time of year should I schedule this service?”

Soft washing can be done rain or shine. With the exception of extreme weather (such as heavy rain, ice, snow, or high wind), the procedure is independent of the seasons and can essentially be performed year-round.

Click here if you’d like to learn more about Soft Washing with DAPrDAN.

What's the benefit of a Home Maintenance Plan?

If you’ve ever purchased a vehicle at a dealership, there’s that moment everyone dreads when the salesperson stands up and leads you over to the finance manager. On his desk is a stack of five-part NCR papers twice as long as your arm and a dot-matrix printer sits at attention in the corner. You prepare yourself to decline every offer he throws at you… the extra clear coat on the paint, the extended warranties, the extended maintenance plan… after all, you came here to buy a car, not empty your bank account. — And, in most cases, that’s a prudent strategy.

Consider the fact that when you purchase a new vehicle, the dealership will build the cost of pre-scheduled maintenance for the first 100K miles into the price. Why? Because they want you to be satisfied with your vehicle (so you’ll tell your friends), and they know it must be properly maintained in order to operate safely and at peak performance.

Consider the manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations for the following vehicles:

• Tesla (any model)

• Toyota (Tundra)

I don’t know about you, but whenever I review the recommended maintenance schedule for my vehicles I am reminded of all the whirligigs I take for granted that make things work the way I want.

How does this translate to my home?

Given all of the potential for expensive damage, or disaster (leaks, fires, pests and the unappealing effects of native northwest moisture, i.e. moss, lichen, mildew, mold, fungus, bacteria), wouldn’t it be reasonable for your builder, or real estate broker to wrap a pre-scheduled maintenance plan into the price of your home?

When you purchase a new car, you’re not expected to become a weekend mechanic. In the same way, why should owning your own home force you to become a property maintenance technician? Aren’t you already a qualified professional in your field of choice? Of course you are, so what then are the benefits of contracting a company like DAPrDAN to provide regularly scheduled maintenance of your home?

Let’s take a closer look…

Predictable Service Schedule

With more than two decades of service experience in the Pacific Northwest, DAPrDAN understands the patterns associated with regional and local environments and can predict the vulnerabilities your home will be facing. We have built 9 preset maintenance plans that take into consideration the regional implications of our northwestern climate, however we are available to meet with you at your property to discuss some of it’s unique attributes (i.e. shoreline proximity, forest canopy, etc.), and create a custom maintenance plan that addresses these issues.

Proactive Early Detection of Developing Problems

Once you have selected a plan for your home and DAPrDAN has serviced it a few times, there’s a deeper level of detection that is brought through familiarity. Due to our training, tools and checklists, we’re able to recognize and alert homeowners to areas of potential concern in advance of any major issues developing. This is largely a result of regularly checking areas of your home you may never see, such as the area of roof behind your chimney where debris collects, or the caulking above the large window in the family room where pests have made an entry for their new brood.

DAPrDAN puts eyes on the hard to reach, vulnerable areas of your property in order to detect problems in advance, thereby preventing excessive damage, saving you money in restoration costs and diverting you from big inconveniences.

Tailor-Made to Preferences

It’s not necessarily the concern for preservation that drives your desire for maintenance, but that of order, cleanliness and beauty. If you own a destination property — one that could be listed in Luxury Home Magazine, you likely maintain your home from a different set of priorities.

DAPrDAN’s management and technical staff, as well as our administrative systems, are setup to meet the scope and frequency of your objectives. Some of our customers are very hands-on, while others delegate to management and we work in the background, undetected. We are proficient to coordinate with other staff, contractors and residents of your property, as well as managing sensitive data related to finance and security.

While remaining committed to your target outcome, DAPrDAN improves thrift through optimizing the efficiency of our service, and we keep your property free of blemish over the duration of our service agreement.

Service Provider Accountability

The best professional relationships are those where inherent systems of accountability can be found. In the business of seasonal property maintenance, there’s nowhere to hide, and eventually, time reveals everything.

The clear benefit of signing a service agreement with DAPrDAN is that all parties will be measuring success by the same standards and a bond of service accountability is formed. This can only be made possible when you, the property owner, choose to place value on the relationship with DAPrDAN — namely our systems and our people. It is a level of service that few people truly understand, but those who do reap the rewards accordingly.

Access to DAPrDAN’s Away Services

With service provider accountability in place, you may find additional security in DAPrDAN through our ‘Away Services’. What’s that? — Simply put, it’s the ability to schedule planned visits of our personnel to your property whenever you’re going to be away from home for an extended period of time. Here is a partial list of some of the things we can do for you:

• Run vehicles to circulate fluids

• Re-park cars to give an ‘at-home’ appearance

• Turn lights on / off

• Cycle various household appliances (dishwasher, toilets)

• Check exterior structures

• Manage various contractors on-site

• Disburse payments to service personnel (escrow account required)

• Detailed reporting and documentation

Conclusion

In nearly one-quarter of a century, I have not found a company that can provide the level of personal service combined with the delivery of consistent service standards as DAPrDAN. While some companies offer one attribute (ex. concierge services) adequately, the rest are only half-baked versions of DAPrDAN and they can not deliver a full package of value.

DAPrDAN can deliver that value to you at an affordable rate for as long as you enjoy the value our company provides. For more information about establishing a service relationship with DAPrDAN, please give us a call at (425) 659-3009. We will set a time to meet with you at your property and discuss your objectives. You can also browse our preset home maintenance plans, or build your own custom plan.