Soft washing vs. pressure washing
Two methods.
One rule:
match the surface.
Soft washing cleans with a solution at low pressure. Pressure washing cleans with force. Roofs and walls need the first, driveways and concrete take the second, and knowing the difference is what keeps a home from being damaged by the people hired to clean it.
Get a free estimateSoft washing
Solution does the work.
Water just rinses.
Soft washing uses a cleaning solution, applied at roughly garden-hose pressure, that kills the algae, mildew, and bacteria growing on a surface. The solution sits for a few minutes, then the surface is rinsed gently. The growth dies and washes away, and because it is dead rather than scraped off, it comes back more slowly.
It is the right method for anything that would be damaged by force: tile, shingle, and metal roofs, stucco, painted block, siding, soffits, pool screens, and the aluminum frame of a lanai.
Pressure washing
Force does the work.
The surface can take it.
Pressure washing uses water at high pressure to lift dirt, grime, and stains off a hard surface. Done well, with a surface cleaner rather than a narrow wand, it leaves concrete and pavers even and bright.
It is the right method for driveways, walkways, patios, pool decks, curbs, and commercial concrete. Used on a roof or a stucco wall, the same force strips, etches, and forces water where it does not belong.
Surface by surface
What Kingdom Harvest uses where
- Tile, shingle, metal roofsSoft wash. High pressure voids many roofing warranties.
- Stucco, siding, painted wallsSoft wash. Pressure blows out mortar and chips paint.
- Pool screens and lanai framesSoft wash. Pressure tears mesh.
- Concrete driveways and walksPressure wash with a surface cleaner.
- Paver driveways and decksLow pressure wash, then re-sand and seal.
- Wood fences and decksSoft wash, then light pressure only if the wood is sound.
Good to know
Questions homeowners ask
Is soft washing just a weaker pressure wash?
No. It is a different method. The cleaning comes from the solution, which kills algae, mildew, and bacteria, and the water only rinses. Pressure is barely above a garden hose.
Which one does my roof need?
Soft washing, always. Tile, shingle, and metal roofs are all damaged by high pressure: tile chips, shingles lose granules, and water gets forced under the edges.
Which one does my driveway need?
Pressure washing with a surface cleaner. Concrete and pavers are built to take it, and pressure is what lifts embedded grime. A soft wash alone leaves concrete looking dull.
Can one company do both?
Yes, and it should. Kingdom Harvest carries both setups on every job so each surface on the property gets the right one.
The short version
Ask which method,
before you hire.
If a company plans to pressure wash your roof or your stucco, that is the answer to whether to hire them. Kingdom Harvest soft washes roofs and walls and pressure washes concrete and pavers, on the same visit, across Port St. Lucie and the Treasure Coast.
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needs attention.
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772-812-3774Call Kingdom Harvest