Pressure Washing

Pressure washing done by people who also paint for a living — which means we know what surfaces can take, and we clean without damaging siding, decks, or masonry. Crotti’s Painting has been family-run since 1997, and washing is a service you can book on its own. Call 610-314-3405 for a free estimate.

Pressure Washing, Power Washing, or Soft Wash?

Around here, “pressure washing” and “power washing” mean the same job — most homeowners and companies use the two terms interchangeably. Soft washing is the different one: a lower-pressure, chemistry-driven method built for surfaces that can’t take a direct blast of water, like vinyl siding, stucco, and painted wood. Instead of relying on force, soft washing uses the right cleaning solution to lift dirt, mildew, and algae, then rinses it away gently.

We don’t show up with one setting for every job. Concrete and masonry can handle real pressure. Siding, stucco, and painted trim can’t, and pushing too much water at them risks stripping coatings or loosening boards. We match the pressure and the method to the surface in front of us, not the other way around.

Surfaces We Clean

• Houses and siding
• Decks
• Concrete driveways and patios
• Stucco
• Brick and masonry

Each of those surfaces takes a different touch, and we adjust for it rather than treating a house wash and a driveway wash as the same task.

Why Your Siding Turns Green on One Side

If one side of your house looks darker, streaked, or greenish compared to the rest, you’re not imagining it. The mid-Atlantic’s humid climate favors the algae behind the black streaks, and it tends to take hold first on shaded, north-facing surfaces that don’t get much direct sun. Roofs show it most visibly, but the same growth shows up on siding and stucco in the same shaded spots.

It’s a biological growth problem, not just surface dirt, which is why a quick rinse rarely fixes it for long. Washing removes the growth itself rather than knocking loose debris off the surface, which is what lets the surface underneath — and any paint on it — hold up over time.

Washing Before You Paint

The people who wash your house are the same people who paint it, which is not something every pressure washing company can say. Washing before a paint job isn’t just about a clean surface for its own sake — dirt, mildew, and chalking residue left behind will keep new paint from adhering properly, no matter how good the paint is. We wash with the next coat of paint in mind, not just the appearance of the day.

If you’re planning exterior work, pairing a wash with your painting project means one crew handling both.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between pressure washing, power washing, and soft washing? Pressure washing and power washing are the same service under two names. Soft washing is a separate, lower-pressure approach using cleaning solutions rather than force — what we use on siding, stucco, and other surfaces that can’t take direct high pressure.

Will washing damage my siding or deck? Not when pressure and method are matched to the surface. Vinyl siding, stucco, and wood decking call for gentler, chemistry-based cleaning; concrete and masonry take more direct pressure. Damage usually comes from the wrong approach for the surface.

Does washing actually kill the algae and mildew, or does it come back? Washing removes the existing growth rather than just rinsing off surface dirt, so results last longer than a simple hosing down. Regrowth depends on shade, humidity, and the surface itself, since the conditions that caused it the first time don’t go away.

How often should I have my house, deck, or concrete washed? It depends on your property’s exposure to shade and moisture, but most homeowners here find an annual or every-other-year wash keeps growth from taking hold. Shaded, north-facing areas typically need it more often than sunnier ones.

Do I need to wash before I paint? Yes. Dirt, mildew, and chalking left on a surface will undercut adhesion no matter how good the paint is. We build washing into the prep for our own painting jobs for that reason.

Can I just rent a pressure washer and do this myself? You can, but the most common DIY mistake is too much pressure or the wrong method for the surface, which is how vinyl siding gets stripped or wood gets gouged. Matching pressure and chemistry to the surface is most of the job.

Areas We Serve

We wash homes and properties throughout Chester County, PA, Delaware County, PA, Wilmington and New Castle County, DE, Northern Maryland (Cecil and Harford Counties), and South Jersey.

Call 610-314-3405 for a free estimate.