Exterior cleaning in St. Catharines and Niagara.

A practical guide to understanding soft washing versus pressure washing, why the difference matters for your siding and roof, and what exterior cleaning realistically costs in the Niagara market. Honest information, no fabricated numbers.

Why St. Catharines exteriors go green

Damp air off Lake Ontario settles on any wall that stays in shade and does not dry out in direct sun. The north and west sides of a St. Catharines home are in that condition for much of the year, and algae and mildew feed on the persistent moisture. That is why the green and black streaks show up on the shaded walls first while the sunny sides stay relatively clean. The growth is organic, which is the key fact: rinsing the surface knocks off the visible layer, but only a cleaning solution kills it at the root so it stays gone.

The same principle decides the right tool. House exteriors, roofs, and older siding need soft washing: low pressure paired with a solution that treats the algae. Hard flatwork like a concrete driveway can take a higher-pressure surface cleaner. Using high pressure on siding or shingles is the common mistake, and it causes more damage than the dirt it removes.

A note on how this guide works

This guide is published by Living Websites, a Niagara-based web-services company. The information here draws on publicly available knowledge about exterior cleaning methods and typical Ontario contractor pricing. It is not affiliated with any specific contractor, and it publishes no price for the work.