Soft Washing

The Right Method for Roofs, Siding, and Painted Surfaces

Soft washing uses water delivered at low pressure: generally under 500 PSI: paired with a professional-grade cleaning solution. The chemistry does the work: it kills algae, moss, lichen, mildew, and other biological growth at the root rather than scrubbing or blasting it off the surface. The result is cleaner, and it lasts significantly longer than pressure washing on organic growth.

For roof soft washing in Coeur d'Alene and across North Idaho, ARMA (Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association) recommends low-pressure soft washing as the only approved cleaning method for asphalt shingle roofs. Pressure washing strips shingle granules — the protective coating that determines how long a roof lasts — voids manufacturer warranties, and can put your homeowner's insurance policy at risk if damage is traced back to an improper cleaning method. Heritage follows ARMA-approved methods exclusively on all roof surfaces, painted siding, wood, fiber cement, stucco, and brick.

You stopped noticing how the exterior looked because it's been that way for years. One day after Heritage is done, you'll remember what it was always supposed to look like. Soft washing removes the biological layer that accumulated gradually, and once it's gone, the difference is immediate.

What's Not Included in Soft Washing

Soft washing is not appropriate for every surface. The following require pressure washing instead:

• – Concrete, driveways, and parking areas
• – Pavers and hardscape
• – Retaining walls (unless delicate stone: assessed on-site)

Not sure which method is right? Heritage assesses every surface during the on-site estimate and recommends the correct approach. Learn about pressure washing →

Fence Washing: Restoring What the Weather Took

A fence doesn't fail all at once. North Idaho winters and the moisture that comes with them work on a fence one season at a time: moss and algae take hold in shaded corners, wood grays and dulls under repeated freeze and thaw, and vinyl and composite panels pick up a film of grime that most owners stop noticing because it happened so gradually. By the time it's obvious, the fence looks years older than it actually is.

Left untreated, that buildup does more than look bad. Moss and algae hold moisture against wood surfaces, which accelerates rot and shortens the life of posts and panels that are expensive to replace. A fence that gets soft washed on a regular schedule rarely needs replacing for cosmetic reasons alone: a fence that doesn't usually does.

Heritage soft washes wood, vinyl, composite, and chain link fencing using the same low-pressure, chemistry-based method used on roofs and siding. The cleaning solution kills moss, algae, and mildew at the root rather than blasting it off the surface, which means no swollen wood grain, no stripped stain, and no damaged panels: the risk that comes with pointing a pressure washer at a fence line. The result is a fence that looks like it did the day it went in, not one that's been pressure blasted into submission.