Washing a Historic Home in the Garden District, Uptown or the French Quarter

A house that has stood for a hundred years or more has seen a lot of humid summers. The paint has been touched up, the wood has dried and swollen a thousand times, and the brick has settled into its mortar. Washing a home like that isn't the same job as washing a house from a recent subdivision. The goal isn't just clean. It's clean without taking anything off the house that was meant to stay on it.

Why old houses need a lighter touch

Old paint isn't always sitting tight. On a historic house the coating can be thin, aged or already flaking in places, and a hard stream will lift it and take the sound paint along with the loose. Old wood siding, trim and porch columns have a soft, weathered grain that tears easily. Old brick and plaster often rest on soft mortar that wears away when a narrow stream is aimed at it. All of that points in one direction: low pressure, and let the cleaning solution do the work.

That's the approach we use on historic properties. We soft wash homes in the Garden District and Uptown, and even in the French Quarter, because a gentle method is the only one we'd trust on those surfaces. A customer once told us we cleaned what they thought needed painting, with no high pressure, and it looked like a fresh coat. On an old house, that's the best outcome there is.

Where the green hides on an older home

Historic houses come with details that collect growth. Deep porches and galleries stay shaded and damp. Wood shutters, lattice and decorative trim hold algae in their grooves. Brick steps and stucco foundations wick moisture up from the ground. Iron railings and fences can leave rust streaks on the surfaces beneath them. A good wash starts with a slow walk around the property to find these spots before anyone turns on a pump.

That walk-around is also when we notice the things that need extra care: a loose piece of trim, a cracked pane, a patch of bare wood. Better to spot it first and work around it than to find out with the wand in your hand.

Windows, wood and fixtures

Old windows and doors need extra attention. Glazing putty can be brittle, original glass can be fragile, and older frames aren't always perfectly sealed. We keep the pressure low and the spray away from the frames, rinse at angles that don't push water into the joints, and keep the wand moving. Light fixtures, mailboxes, house numbers and anything decorative get the same treatment: gentle, from a distance, and never aimed straight at the piece.

Gardens and courtyards

Part of what makes these properties special is what's growing around them. Live oaks, camellias, azaleas, ferns, banana trees, a courtyard planted over generations. Wash water and cleaning solution don't belong on any of it. Before we start, potted plants are moved out of the way, and we take a photo of where each one sat so it goes back exactly where you had it. In-ground plants are soaked with plain water first and kept wet while we work, and we put up tarps when a bed needs extra cover.

In a French Quarter courtyard, where everything is within arm's reach of everything else, that preparation matters even more. It also takes a little longer, and we'd rather take the time.

Tight lots and close neighbors

Uptown and Quarter lots are tight. Shotgun houses sit a few feet apart, side passages are narrow, and balconies hang out over the sidewalk. That means thinking about overspray, about where the runoff goes, and about the neighbors' cars, windows and gates. We also need a water source and access to every side of the house, so a quick conversation about the spigot and the side gate saves time on the day.

You don't need to be home. If you'd rather not stand on the porch with a coffee watching the crew, you don't have to. Leave gates open or give us the code, keep the windows shut, and we'll handle the rest. When we finish, you'll have a house that looks like itself again, only brighter.

If you own an older home and want to talk through what yours needs, call (504) 270-4925 or (225) 678-8904, or use the contact page. The estimate is free, and we'll look at the house with you before we recommend anything.