Decks, fences and porches
Pressure washing and soft washing in Atlanta before paint or stain
Green on the north wall, black streaks under the gutters? We clean the house the way paint needs it: low pressure on siding, more only where brick and concrete can take it.
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Updated October 2026
Short answer
Pressure washing in Atlanta before painting means stripping mildew, algae, chalk and pollen so new paint bonds to the surface instead of the dirt. Siding gets a low-pressure soft wash; brick, concrete and decks get pressure matched to the material. National cost guides list about $0.08 to $0.50 per square foot. Call us to book a wash.
Why paint fails on a house that was only hosed off
Mildew does not rinse away with a garden hose. It roots into the chalky top layer of old paint, and if a new coat goes over it, the spores keep growing underneath and show through as gray freckles within a season or two. Pine pollen and road grime on shaded walls cause the same trouble.
Our washes use a solution that kills the growth, a dwell time so it can work, and a rinse at a pressure the surface can handle. Before a repaint, nothing else happens until the wood has dried.
What you will notice
Signs your house needs a wash before anything else
Gray or black freckles
Speckles on shaded siding or soffits are mildew colonies, not dirt.
Green film on the north wall
Algae grows where the sun never dries the surface.
Chalk on your hand
A white powder rubs off, and paint will not stick to it.
Streaks under the gutters
Dark stripes run where overflow washes the wall.
Gray, slippery deck boards
Weathered fibers and growth block stain.
Soft washing siding
Lap siding, fiber cement, painted wood and vinyl all get a soft wash, not a blast. We apply a mildewcide and detergent mix at garden-hose pressure, let it sit long enough to kill the growth, then rinse from the top down. High pressure aimed at siding drives water behind the laps, lifts paint at the edges and can gouge soft cedar. Soffits and porch ceilings get the same treatment, since mildew often starts there in the shade, and windows get a rinse so runoff does not dry on the glass.
Brick and concrete
Brick, block foundations, front walks, steps and driveways can take more pressure than siding, but not unlimited pressure. Old mortar joints erode if a narrow tip is held too close, and painted brick can lose its coating in patches. We use a wider fan tip, keep the wand moving and pre-treat the green growth on north-facing brick and shaded steps. Oil spots and rust stains on concrete get their own cleaner first, since pressure alone tends to spread them. Brick that will be painted or limewashed gets extra drying time.
Decks and fences
Wood decks and fences need the gentlest hand of all, because softwood grain tears and turns fuzzy under a narrow tip. We clean them with a wood cleaner, a low-pressure rinse and a soft brush on the worst boards, then follow with a brightener when the wood has gone gray. That opens the grain so stain soaks in evenly. Raised fibers from an earlier hard wash get a light sanding, and the boards dry out fully before any stain goes on.
Around Atlanta
Why Atlanta walls grow green faster than paint wears out
Some Atlanta rain comes in bursts the gutters cannot keep up with. Over two days in September 2024 the city took 11.12 inches, more than any 48-hour stretch in records going back to 1878. Rain like that soaks shaded siding, low brick courses and deck boards, which is where mildew and algae take hold first, so we check the north and shaded sides of an Atlanta house before pricing a wash.
How the job runs
From first rinse to a surface ready for paint
Look at every side
We find the mildew, soft wood and anything that cannot take water.
Protect plants and fixtures
Shrubs are wet down, and lights and outlets are covered.
Apply and dwell
The cleaning mix goes on at low pressure and sits long enough to work.
Rinse at the right pressure
Siding gets a gentle rinse; concrete and brick get a wider fan.
Let it dry
Wood and brick dry out before any primer, paint or stain goes on.
What drives the price
What a pressure washing price depends on
Washing is usually priced by area and surface, but these five things move it most.
Published range: $0.08 to $0.50 per square foot. Source: Taskrabbit pressure washing cost guide (national), October 2026. A planning figure, not our quote.
House size and height
Two stories mean more wall and a taller reach.
How much growth there is
Heavy mildew and algae need more solution and a longer dwell.
Number of surfaces
Siding alone costs less than siding plus driveway, deck and fence.
Stubborn stains
Rust, oil and gutter streaks get their own cleaner.
Paint or stain to follow
A wash booked as prep for painting is scheduled around dry time.
Do it yourself or hire it out
Renting a pressure washer yourself, or having us wash
Plenty of homeowners rent a machine for a Saturday. Here is where that works and where it goes wrong.
| Task | Doing it yourself | When to call a painter |
|---|---|---|
| Driveway and walks | A rental machine with a surface cleaner does a fair job. | When oil or rust stains need their own cleaner. |
| Vinyl or lap siding | Easy to force water behind laps with too narrow a tip. | When mildew is heavy or the house is two stories. |
| Deck boards | Fuzzy, gouged grain is the usual result of too much pressure. | When the deck is about to be stained. |
| Washing before a repaint | Mildew left in the chalk grows back through new paint. | When paint follows and drying time matters. |
Questions
Pressure Washing questions we hear in Atlanta
High pressure can, which is why siding gets a soft wash with a gentle rinse.
Long enough for the wood and brick to dry out, which takes longer in humid or cool weather.
We wet plants down before and after so the solution does not sit on leaves.
Yes. Concrete takes more pressure than siding, and oil or rust stains are treated first.
Yes, with the same low-pressure soft wash. Vinyl can crack or loosen under a hard spray.
No, as long as we can reach an outdoor spigot and the windows are shut.
Same kind of work
More decks, fences and porches
Deck Staining
Transparent, semi-transparent or solid deck stain.
Deck Restoration
Failed stain stripped, wood brightened and recoated.
Fence Staining & Painting
Pine and cedar fences stained or painted.
Porch & Patio Painting
Porch floors, ceilings and concrete steps.
Ready when you are
Want the house clean before the paint goes on?
Tell us what needs washing and whether paint or stain comes next. We answer day and night and time the wash to the work after it.