Pressure Washing in Biddeford, ME

Pressure Washing in Biddeford covers more ground than most people expect from a city of about 22,000. In a single week we might be asked to wash vinyl siding on a downtown triple-decker, brighten a brick facade near the old mill district and soft wash a cottage that faces the open Atlantic at Fortunes Rocks. Each of those needs a different setup, and that is how we price and schedule the work.

A city where most homes are rented

Census figures put the owner-occupied rate in Biddeford at 48.1%, which means more than half of the homes here are rented. That changes how a cleaning job runs. Owners and property managers usually want common entries, stairwells, porches and parking areas cleaned along with the siding, and they want tenants warned ahead of time so cars are moved and windows are shut. We can work from a list you send us, give you a written scope you can post for residents, and split a multi-building property into separate visits if that is easier on the people living there.

For small landlords with two- to four-unit buildings, the usual request is simple: wash the north wall where the green film builds up, clean the front steps and walkway so the building shows well for a new lease, and take the gum and oil off the driveway. We quote each area as its own line so you can choose what to do now and what can wait.

Mill-era masonry needs a gentle hand

Biddeford grew around the falls of the Saco River, where the Laconia Company (1845) and the Pepperell Company (1850) built textile mills that at their peak employed as many as 12,000 people. Much of that mill property is now being turned into apartments, studios and shops, and the downtown includes the Main Street Historic District, listed on the National Register in 2009. Old brick and the mortar between it are softer than modern materials. National Park Service guidance on cleaning historic masonry says to start at 100 psi or below and generally stay under 300 to 400 psi, and to test a small patch first. We follow that approach on older brick: low pressure, a mild cleaner where it is needed, and a test area before the whole wall.

The seaside side of the city

Biddeford also has a long coastline on Saco Bay, with Hills Beach, Biddeford Pool, Fortunes Rocks and Granite Point along the Atlantic. Homes out there deal with wind-driven salt, sand and the damp air that comes with a humid continental climate. Salt film dulls windows and trim, and shaded sides grow mildew and algae. For those houses we soft wash the siding rather than blast it, rinse glass and trim thoroughly, and keep cleaning solutions away from the salt marsh and the shore.

What we clean in Biddeford

• House washing for vinyl, wood clapboard and painted trim
• Brick and masonry cleaning at low pressure, with test patches
• Driveway, walkway and parking-area cleaning for rentals
• Deck, porch and stair cleaning, including multi-level back porches
• Roof soft washing for black streaks on asphalt shingles
• Commercial washing for storefronts and mixed-use buildings

Older paint and lead

Many buildings in the older parts of the city were painted long before 1978. Maine's lead law names uncontained high-pressure washing as an activity that can release lead into the environment. If paint is flaking, we do not blast it. We point it out, keep pressure low, and recommend that peeling surfaces be handled by someone certified for lead-safe paint work before a full wash.

Getting a quote

Call (207) 393-2121 or send photos of each side of the building. We walk the property, note anything delicate, and hand you a written, itemized quote.

Get a Free Estimate