Pressure Washing in Johns Island, SC

What Live Oaks and Farm Country Do to Johns Island Homes

Johns Island still has more tree cover than almost anywhere this close to Charleston. Live oaks hung with Spanish moss shade long driveways off River Road, Bohicket Road and Main Road, and the Angel Oak is only the most famous of them. Shade keeps siding damp long after sunrise. That is when green algae and black mildew take hold, usually starting on the north wall, under the eaves and on porch ceilings. Oaks also drop leaves, catkins and acorns into gutters every spring, and their tannins leave brown stains on concrete and decks. A house under a full canopy often needs washing closer to every 12 months than 18.

The island is still part farm country. Open fields, horse properties and unpaved side roads put dust in the air, and it settles on window sills and the lower few feet of siding. Pine and oak pollen arrive every spring and coat everything yellow-green. Many rural lots also water their lawns from a well, and the iron in that water leaves orange rust stains on siding, brick, walkways and the base of the house wherever sprinklers hit. Rust does not come off with plain water or ordinary soap. It takes a rust remover made for the surface, which we can apply as part of a house wash or as its own job.

Water surrounds the island. The Stono River runs along the north side, the Kiawah River along the south, and Bohicket Creek and wide marshes reach far inland. Homes near the water get steady humidity and morning fog, so mildew returns faster on screens, soffits and lattice. At the same time, Johns Island is growing quickly. Newer neighborhoods like Stonoview and the subdivisions off Maybank Highway are mostly fiber cement and vinyl with asphalt shingle roofs. New houses look sharp for a year or two, but construction dust from nearby lots and fresh algae show up fast on light-colored siding and white trim.

Johns Island neighborhoods we serve

We work across Johns Island (29455), including:

• Kiawah River
• Stonoview
• The Preserve at Fenwick Plantation
• The Commons at Fenwick Hall
• Headquarters Plantation
• The Villages in St. Johns Woods
• Rushland Plantation
• Brownswood Village

What We Clean in Johns Island

House washing

Johns Island has everything from older brick ranches and painted wood farmhouses to brand new fiber cement in communities like Kiawah River and Stonoview. We match the soft wash mix to the siding, keep the pressure low, and give extra attention to shaded walls where mildew grows first. Rust stains from well water irrigation can be treated during the same visit.

Roof cleaning

Black streaks on a shingle roof are Gloeocapsa magma, an algae that feeds on the limestone filler in asphalt shingles. Under oak canopy it spreads quickly. We soft wash roofs with no high pressure on the shingles, which kills the algae instead of blasting off the granules that protect the roof. Metal roofs on farmhouses and outbuildings can be cleaned the same way.

Driveways and concrete

Long driveways and walkways under trees collect leaf tannins, mildew, tire marks and dirt from unpaved roads. We clean concrete and pavers with a rotary surface cleaner, which leaves an even finish with no stripes or wand marks. Orange rust from irrigation wells is common on rural lots, and we can remove it from flat concrete as well as siding.

Decks and screened porches

Plenty of Johns Island homes back up to marsh, a tidal creek or a wooded lot, with decks and screened porches that rarely dry out completely. We clean wood, composite and IPE at low pressure, so the boards come out clean without fuzzing or gouging. Screen enclosures, railings and porch ceilings, where pollen and mildew pile up, get cleaned too.

Spartan Soft Wash is locally owned, licensed and insured, and has cleaned more than 900 homes and businesses across the Charleston area. Siding and roofs are covered by our soft washing service. We also offer deck cleaning in Johns Island and driveway cleaning in Johns Island.