Can You Power Wash or Pressure Wash Stucco Siding?

Stucco is a unique type of siding that can be cleaned of mold and grime if the task is handled correctly. Excessive pressure is not recommended when cleaning stucco surfaces and a gentler approach is necessary. It is important to understand the siding surface that needs to be washed in order to understand how to clean it. Let’s first dive into stucco itself.

What is stucco siding?

Stucco siding has been used for centuries and is a prominent feature in Mediterranean and Spanish architecture. It is extremely resilient and found throughout the United States and in many areas of the world. Stucco is not quite as common as vinyl siding or hardiplank siding in Central Virginia or the Charlottesville area. There are still many homes with stucco surfaces and the swirling patterns are extremely appealing. Stucco is made by mixing cement, sand, water, and lime. It is applied as the final layer to both residential and commercial buildings. Stucco is extremely durable, the only problem with stucco is that mold and grime are very difficult to remove from the surface once it sets in.

Can you pressure wash stucco surfaces?

Stucco is a more delicate surface than other siding methods on houses. The force of power washing or pressure washing can damage the integrity of stucco and cause cracks and chips to the surface. If there are already cracks and chips in place from settling or the home being pressure washed beforehand, water could leak through from pressure washing and cause damage immediately or at a later time. The textured surface of stucco makes it hard to remove all of the dust and dirt with a pressure washer. Even if you can remove most of the dust and dirt, it is impossible to remove all of the mold using pressure washing or powerwashing. The reason for this is the amount of pressure needed to remove the mold would damage the integrity of the stucco surface. For all of these reasons, professional external cleaning companies do not recommend pressure washing or power washing stucco.

In summary to the question, “Can you pressure wash stucco surfaces?”, the answer would be no. You should not clean a stucco surface with a pressure washer or power washer. You could try but the result is likely to damage the stucco and your home. The swirling stucco patterns also prevent you from being able to remove all of the mold and grime from these surfaces.

How do I clean a stucco house?

Using a softwashing technique is an absolute must to keep your stucco home safe, free from damage, and mold-free. In addition to using a softwashing technique, a unique soap mix that kills mold but protects plants and shrubbery is a must. When softwashing, our team uses only the amount of pressure you would find in a home garden hose to soap the stucco surfaces. The soap used will kill the mold at its roots and eliminate all of the ugly discoloration and grime. A light rinse with water will then remove the dead mold, without forcefully cracking the stucco surface with excessive pressure.

The best soap mix to use to clean mold off of stucco siding is a combination of sodium hypochlorite, a base surfactant, a neutralizing agent, and water. The water to soap ratio should be around 3 to 1. If the mold is not killed using this ratio then you can move to a 2 to 1 ratio. This soap and water mix should be applied using a softwashing system. Applying the soap by downstreaming using a pressure washer would further dilute the mixture on a 20 to 1 ratio and the soap would be unable to kill the mold on the stucco surface.

Questions About Softwashing Stucco Siding?

If you have any questions about how to soft wash your stucco home or the process for how we would complete your individual project, please give us a call at 434-285-0234. You can also reach us at our Contact Us Page. If you have questions, our goal at Dr. Powerwash is to be able to answer them and to provide you with as much information as possible to make an informed decision.