Greenwood EIFS Stucco Cleaning
Synthetic stucco and cement stucco both clean up well, and neither one should ever meet a high pressure tip. We let the solution loosen the algae and the dark streaks, rinse gently, and keep water out from behind the finish. Before we wash, we point out any patch or crack the wall already has. The quote is free. Call (318) 401-2772.
Two Finishes That Look Alike From the Curb
From the street, a synthetic stucco wall and a traditional cement stucco wall look about the same. Both are smooth or lightly textured, usually white or a pale color, and both are very good at showing dirt. Underneath they are built differently. Cement stucco is a hard mineral coat troweled over lath. EIFS, short for exterior insulation and finish system, is a thin acrylic finish over foam board, and if you press on it with your thumb it can feel slightly hollow.
That difference shapes how a wall gets cleaned, and it is why we ask what your building is clad in before anything comes off the trailer. A pressure wand can gouge the soft EIFS finish or crack the base coat beneath it. Worse, it can drive water past the finish into the foam and sheathing, where it sits out of sight and does real damage. Cement stucco is tougher, but it is porous and full of hairline cracks that take on water under pressure as well.
So neither finish gets high pressure from us. The cleaning solution does the work while it dwells on the wall. The rinse that follows runs at about the force of a garden hose. Done that way, both finishes come back bright with no risk to what sits behind them.
Greenwood weather is hard on a light wall. The humidity hardly lets up, heavy tree cover keeps some faces in shade most of the day, and spring pollen gives algae something to grab. A white stucco face shows every bit of it, especially the side that looks toward the woods.
What Algae Does to a Light Wall
Before and after shots from a commercial stucco job our crew washed elsewhere in the Ark-La-Tex.
The Slow Way Is the Safe Way
Every step is about keeping water on the face of the wall and out of it.
Soak the Hedges First
Hedges planted tight against a stucco wall sit in the splash zone for everything we do. We soak them and the bed with clean water before any solution goes up, so the leaves are already full of water and take in very little cleaner. Branches leaning on the wall get eased back while we work behind them.
Let the Solution Dwell
The mix goes on at low pressure, working from the bottom up so it does not leave runs. Then we wait. Algae and mildew let go of a textured finish once the solution has had time to work, and keeping the wall wet through that window does more than any amount of force could.
Rinse From the Top Down
The rinse starts at the top of the wall and works down, held back from the surface and never aimed up under a ledge, a trim band, or a window edge where water could slip behind the finish. Hedges get a second rinse at the end, and the walks are washed off so no cleaner is left sitting.
We Show You the Patches First
Before we wet anything, we walk the wall with you and point out what a wash will leave exactly as it is. Old patches that never matched the original finish. Hairline cracks running off the corners of windows. Spots where the coating has peeled or bubbled. A dent from a ladder or a mower. On EIFS, any soft area that gives more than the rest of the wall.
A clean wall makes those things easier to see. While the green is on it, a patch blends into the grime. Once the green comes off, that same patch stands out. The wall in the photo on this page is a good example, since faint tan marks stayed exactly where the old patching and peeling had been. Nothing went wrong in the wash. That is what the wall looked like underneath the whole time.
We are a washing crew, and stucco repair is outside what we do. If a crack or a soft spot needs attention, you will hear about it so the right trade can look at it, and we can wash around that section or hold off on it entirely. An open crack and a wet wall are a bad pair, so a damaged section may wait until it has been sealed.
Storefront Walls and Stucco at Home
If your building in the I-20 business district has a stucco or EIFS face, it is probably the first thing customers see from the road, and a dark streak running down from the parapet is hard to miss. We plan those jobs around your hours. The front face gets washed before you open or after you close, and the sides and back get done while you are working.
On homes, stucco often shows up as an accent: a front entry surround, a band above the brick, porch columns, or a chimney chase. We wash those pieces along with the rest of the exterior and switch methods as we go. The stucco gets its soft wash, and the brick or siding beside it gets whatever that surface needs.
A few things help on wash day. Close the windows on the wall we are cleaning, and keep pets inside until we pack up. Move cars that are parked close to the stucco, since a light mist drifts on a breezy afternoon. If outdoor furniture or a grill sits against the wall, we slide it out ourselves and set it back once the wall is dry enough to touch.
To see more finished walls before you call, the project gallery has jobs from around the Ark-La-Tex, and our EIFS stucco cleaning page lays out the full method. Every wall we wash carries our guarantee, so if any part of it is not right when we pack up, we return and fix it at no charge.
More Greenwood Services
Stucco is usually one part of a bigger exterior. These pair well with it on a single visit.
Greenwood Soft Washing
Vinyl and painted siding, soffits, and fascia washed at low pressure.
Greenwood Brick and Block Restoration
For the brick sitting right below a stucco band.
Greenwood Patio Cleaning
Stone, mortar joints, and porch floors done gently.
Greenwood Garage Washing
Metal shops, roll-up doors, and the concrete pad out front.
Got a Wall That Faces the Woods?
Shaded stucco is where the algae gets started, so it is usually the first face we look at. Greenwood is a short run down I-20 from Marshall, with no travel fee inside our service radius. Tell us about the building and we will set up a free quote.
Stucco and EIFS Cleaning Questions
How do I know if my wall is EIFS or real stucco?
Tap it. Cement stucco sounds and feels solid, like a sidewalk. EIFS sounds hollow and may give a little under your thumb, because there is foam board behind a thin finish. If you are not sure, we can check when we come out for the free quote, and both get the same gentle wash.
Why can’t you just pressure wash stucco?
High pressure can gouge the finish, open hairline cracks, and push water behind the wall where it soaks the foam or the sheathing. That damage stays hidden until it shows up later as staining or soft spots. A soft wash cleans the wall just as well without forcing water anywhere it should not go.
Will washing fix the cracks and old patches on my wall?
No. A wash removes algae, mildew, and dirt. It does not change the finish itself, so patches that never matched and cracks already there will still be visible, and sometimes easier to see on a clean wall. We point those out before we start so nothing comes as a surprise afterward.
Will the solution stain the sidewalk below the wall?
No. The runoff is mostly water by the time it reaches the ground, and we rinse the walk, the curb and any concrete under the wall before we leave so nothing dries there. Algae streaks washed down from the wall top get the same rinse, so the walk ends up cleaner than it started.
How long does a clean stucco wall stay clean here?
Shade and trees decide that more than anything. A sunny wall with good airflow holds up much longer than one facing the woods or sitting under pine. We usually suggest a wash once a year, and a shaded wall may want a lighter touch-up in between.
Can you wash a stucco storefront without closing our business?
Yes. We wash the front face before you open or after you close, and work the sides and back during business hours, since that part of the job happens away from your door. Walks get rinsed off behind us, and hoses stay out of the way of anybody coming in.
Let’s Get That Stucco White Again
You get a no-obligation quote, a straight answer on what washing will change and what it will leave alone, and a guarantee on the finished wall. Send us the address or give us a call and we will find a day.