Pressure Washing in Portland, ME

Pressure washing in Portland, Maine is shaped by a wet coastal climate. Built on a peninsula in Casco Bay, the city gets roughly 47 inches of rain and 69 inches of snow annually, and relative humidity that averages around 71 percent and peaks near 77 percent in September. Siding, roofs and decks that stay damp for long stretches grow green algae, black streaks and moss, and homes close to the water pick up a gritty salt film on windows, trim and railings. Most of that can be removed without high pressure, and much of it should be.

One season to get it done

Average January highs here are about 32 degrees, and July highs are about 80. That leaves a fairly short stretch of the year when exterior washing works well: surfaces need to be above freezing, solutions need mild temperatures to work, and masonry needs several frost-free days to dry out. Spring, after the snow and road sand are gone, and early fall, before nights turn cold, fill up quickly. If you want a wash before painting, listing a house or hosting a summer event, plan a few weeks ahead.

Two methods, one machine

A soft wash and a pressure wash can come from the same rig. The difference is where the cleaning power comes from. In a soft wash, a detergent mix is misted onto the surface, given a few minutes to dissolve algae, mildew and grime, and then flushed off with a low-force rinse. That suits painted clapboard, vinyl, cedar shingles and asphalt roofs. Real pressure, usually delivered through a spinning surface cleaner, is saved for concrete driveways, granite steps and paver walks. Pointing a zero-degree or 15-degree tip at wood or shingles splinters grain, peels paint, forces water behind siding and scrubs granules off a roof, and none of that can be undone.

Older homes and lead paint

Portland's housing is old. About half of the homes in the Portland area were built before 1950, and paint from before 1978 is the main source of childhood lead poisoning in Maine, according to Portland Public Health. Maine's lead law lists uncontained hydro blasting or high-pressure washing among the activities that may release lead into the environment. It is a big part of why we soft wash older painted siding instead of blasting it. Peeling, flaking or heavily chalked paint gets flagged during the visit, before any water is used, since stripping failing paint is painting prep, not cleaning.

Brick rebuilt after 1866

The Great Fire of 1866 destroyed about 1,800 buildings, and much of the city was rebuilt within two years in brick and granite, largely in the Italianate and Second Empire styles. That brick and its lime-based mortar are softer than modern materials. Preservation Brief 1, the National Park Service's masonry cleaning paper, calls for the gentlest method that works: start at 100 psi or less and generally stay under 300 to 400 psi, try a small hidden patch before the full wall, and never wash when frost is possible. We follow that approach on older brick fronts, chimneys and foundations.

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Protecting Casco Bay

Some of Portland's storm drains empty directly into Casco Bay, which is why you see "Do not dump, drains to Casco Bay" stenciled next to catch basins. Older parts of the city run on a combined system that carries stormwater and sewage in the same pipes, and during big storms it overflows into Back Cove and the harbor. Portland's non-stormwater discharge ordinance (Chapter 32 of the city code, enforced by Public Works) bans illicit discharges into municipal storm drains, and wash water from buildings or pavement is not among the discharges it allows. So each job begins by reading the slope of the lot. Rinse water is steered onto grass or garden beds that can absorb it, and on sites with no such spot we berm, block or vacuum it up instead of letting it reach a catch basin.

Steps in a Portland house wash

• Identify every siding, trim and roof material and flag peeling paint or damage
• Knock down cobwebs, leaves and loose grit by brush or blower
• Soak or tarp shrubs, shut windows, and inspect outlets, lights and dryer vents
• Mist on a detergent mix chosen for the material and the type of growth
• Flush walls, trim, soffits, doors and railings from the roofline down
• Confirm runoff stayed on the property, rinse plantings, and review the house with you

Pressure washing prices in Portland

Angi's cost guide lists a Portland, Maine range of about $325 to $560 for washing a house, with an average near $420, which is higher than its national average of about $312. Size, number of stories, siding type, how heavy the growth is and how easy the walls are to reach all change the number. Roofs, decks, brick and driveways are priced separately; each service page shows typical published ranges. Whatever total appears on the quote you approve is the amount billed.

Portland is home base, from the Old Port, Munjoy Hill and the West End out to Deering, Back Cove and North Deering. Around it we work in South Portland and Cape Elizabeth to the south, Scarborough along the coast, Westbrook and Gorham to the west, Windham and Falmouth to the north, and Cumberland, Yarmouth and Freeport up the bay. Each town is a little different: shoreline homes in Cape Elizabeth and Falmouth see more salt film and wind-driven grit, wooded lots in Windham and Gorham see more moss and pine pitch, and the older neighborhoods of Portland, South Portland and Westbrook have more brick and painted clapboard. Farther out we also cover Saco, Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach and Kennebunk to the south, Brunswick up the coast, and Standish and Gray inland. Each town has its own page covering what is different there, from shoreline and lakes to the age of the houses.