Spring is when a house shows what winter did to it, and a soft wash can reset the exterior once the weather cooperates. Read on for what a Waterloo Region winter leaves behind, how to read the walls, the early versus late timing decision and the order of spring jobs.
In This Article
What winter leaves on your house
Four months of freeze, thaw and road salt leave a recognizable set of marks.
- Salt and grime film. Slush thrown from the road and the driveway dries into a grey haze on lower walls, garage doors and the base of the siding.
- Splash dirt. Meltwater bounces soil and grit off the ground and onto the walls.
- Ice-dam tracks. Meltwater that backed up under the shingles can leave streaks below the eaves and stain the fascia.
- Damp shaded walls. A north wall behind a snowbank can stay wet for weeks, and spores that sat dormant through the cold wake up as soon as it is warm and damp.
Most of this is surface soil. The exception is the last item, because growth that starts in April has months of humid weather ahead of it.
Read the walls before you book anything
Walk the house on a dry day, once the walls have dried, and sort what you see.
- Grey haze low on the walls and the garage door is road salt and dirt. A wash removes it, and a hose rinse helps in the meantime.
- Stripes under the eaves point to ice-dam meltwater or an overflowing eavestrough. Fix the eavestrough or the roof edge first.
- A green tint on shaded walls is algae getting a head start. Soft wash when the weather allows.
- White powder on brick is mineral salts pushed out by moisture. It is not growth, so ask before treating it.
- Cracked caulk, lifted paint and loose trim are freeze-thaw wear. Repair them on a dry, mild day, after the wash.
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Early spring or late spring: the timing trade-off
Choose an April wash if:
- Growth has already started on shaded walls and you want to catch it thin.
- You plan to caulk or paint, and you need the walls clean and dry first.
- You would rather book early than compete for the popular weekends in May.
Choose a late May or June wash if:
- You want the maple seed pods and pollen to have mostly dropped, so the wall stays clean longer.
- Your beds have leafed out and settled, since tender new shoots are the most sensitive to overspray.
- Nights still dip near freezing where you are, or the ground is soggy.
Whichever you choose, the same weather rules apply. Stay comfortably above freezing during and after the wash, pick a calm and dry day, and follow the label's minimum temperature. Frozen or waterlogged ground cannot absorb rinse water, so wait for it to firm up.
The order of spring jobs
- Eavestroughs and downspouts. Clear winter debris first, so runoff stays off the walls you are about to clean. See gutter cleaning.
- Repairs. Note cracked caulk and loose trim now, and do the work once the walls are dry.
- The wall wash. Soft washing treats the growth, salt haze and dirt film in one visit.
- Windows. Clean the glass afterwards, since rinse water can spot it.
- Hard surfaces. Pressure wash the driveway, walkway and patio last, so drips from above do not re-dirty them.
- Touch-up paint and sprinklers. Paint failing spots, then turn the irrigation back on, aimed at the lawn.
Pollen and seed pods will land on a clean wall again. That is cosmetic, and a hose rinse clears it, so do not judge the wash by the first dusty week.
Plants and ground in spring
Spring plants are at their softest. New shoots and thin, freshly opened leaves scorch faster than mature ones, and frost-stressed shrubs have little reserve. Trim back anything touching the wall, soak the beds before the wash and rinse them again afterwards. Keep runoff on the lawn or a wide bed, and away from the street and any vegetable garden. If a leaf shows bleached edges within a day or two, water deeply and tell the crew promptly.
If shrubs are just leafing out, or the ground is still thawing, waiting a couple of weeks costs little and spares the garden.
What to mention when you request a quote
Mention the shady walls, the roof and any plans to paint when you ask for a quote. Ask for the quote in writing. Typical Kitchener-Waterloo homes start at $350 for soft washing with D&D, and nothing begins until the price is confirmed. For the rest of the season's tasks, see the spring exterior maintenance guide.
Key Takeaways
- A Waterloo Region winter leaves salt haze, splash dirt, ice-dam tracks and damp shaded walls where dormant spores wake in spring.
- Sort what you see: salt and dirt wash off, stripes point to eavestrough or roof-edge problems, and white powder on brick is efflorescence, not growth.
- Wash in April to catch growth thin, or in late May or June after seed drop and once beds have leafed out.
- Work in order: eavestroughs, repairs, walls, windows, hard surfaces, then touch-up paint, and wait for thawed, firm ground.
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