Soft washing built for waterfront cottages. We lift algae, moss, and grey off decks, docks, boathouses, and siding without gouging the wood or blasting water behind the cladding. Our guide walks through how often to re-stain a cottage deck so the finish lasts, and we break down what cottage staining costs around Collingwood.
Decks, docks, siding & walkways. From $299. Site quote first.
Waterfront looks great and grows algae fast. The fix is the right wash, not a harder blast.
The right method for every surface, with the growth treated so it stays gone.
We cover South Georgian Bay from Collingwood. What grows on a surface, and what damages it, changes noticeably across that area, so the method changes with it.
Escarpment properties take prevailing wind straight off Georgian Bay, and wind-driven moisture is why chalet decks and siding here grow algae faster than identical surfaces a kilometre inland. The shaded north and east faces are usually the worst, and on chalets that sit sealed from April to November the growth has eight uninterrupted months to establish. Most of what we wash in the Blue Mountains is cedar and pressure-treated softwood, which is exactly the material that high pressure ruins, so this area is almost entirely soft washing rather than a pressure wand.
Soft washing on cedar and softwood. Best booked late May or early September.
Collingwood splits into two jobs. The harbour and waterfront condo stock is mostly siding, balcony, and small deck work where the constraint is access and water management rather than surface area, and where wind off the bay drives the same moisture problem the escarpment gets. Inland and up toward Pretty River Valley the properties are larger, with real decks, docks, and outbuildings, and the wash is usually the first half of a stain job rather than an end in itself.
Residential and condo work. Washing sequenced ahead of staining where both are wanted.
Waterfront properties west of Collingwood carry the heaviest wood loads we deal with: docks, boathouses, and large lake-facing decks that take standing water and full sun on the same surface. Docks are the specific opportunity here, because they come out of the water in the fall and are suddenly accessible from all sides, which is the only time of year a dock can be washed and sealed properly. Bundling the wash with dock removal is both cheaper and better work than doing it in place.
Dock washing bundled with seasonal removal in the fall.
The Wasaga problem is sand rather than algae. Sandy soil and a high water table mean grit works into deck boards and the base of siding continuously, and it is abrasive: left in place it wears the finish from underneath. Properties near the beach areas also see wind-blown sand accumulate in places no rain reaches. Out in Clearview the surfaces are usually farmhouse siding and outbuildings, where the growth is heavier but the wood is more forgiving.
Grit removal at the base of decks and siding as standard in the beach areas.
Whatever the area, the washing window is the same two stretches: late May to mid June, and the first three weeks of September. We work through why those windows matter and what staining costs if you are planning both.
Pressure washing uses high-pressure water and suits hard surfaces like concrete walkways and patios. Soft washing uses low pressure plus the right cleaning solution and is what you want on wood decks, docks, and most siding, where high pressure can gouge the wood, strip stain unevenly, or drive water where it should not go. We use whichever the surface calls for, which is why we lead with soft washing on waterfront cottages.
Not when it is matched to the surface, which is the whole point of soft washing. The damage people fear, furred wood, stripped stain, water behind siding, cracked shingles, comes from blasting everything at high pressure. We dial pressure and cleaner to each surface and treat wood and roofs gently.
Yes, and that is the right order. Cleaning is step one of any good stain job: stain will not bond to a grey, dirty, or algae-covered surface and will peel early. We wash, let it dry to the proper moisture point, and can coordinate the staining so it actually lasts. It pairs naturally with our seasonal dock service.
Late spring through early fall, when surfaces can dry properly. Spring is popular as part of opening the cottage, getting the deck and dock guest-ready for summer; early fall works well if you are staining before closing up. We will fit it to your visit schedule.
Most decks and docks benefit from a wash once a year, typically in spring, because the lakeside damp grows algae and moss faster than an inland property. Siding is usually every one to two years depending on tree cover and exposure. We can build it into your seasonal routine so you never have to think about it.
Collingwood, The Blue Mountains, Thornbury, Craigleith, Lora Bay, Clarksburg, Wasaga Beach, and Meaford. Surface area and access affect the quote, so larger or hard-to-reach properties get a quick look first.
