House Washing in Ira Township

On a lake-side home in Fair Haven or Anchorville, the wall facing Dixie Hwy carries two problems at once. M-⁠29 carried about 15,400 vehicles a day from Church Rd to Palms Rd in SEMCOG's 2020 counts, and exhaust, brake dust and tire wear settle on the street-facing siding. Because the shore runs west-northwest to east-southeast, that same wall faces north-northeast and sees little direct sun from fall into spring, so dew holds the film in place and algae grows into it. Plow spray adds salt each winter, heaviest on the lower courses. The mix is oily and living at once, and a plain rinse smears it. A degreasing detergent with several minutes of dwell lifts the film, and green under it gets the treatment on our soft washing page.

Away from the paved shore road, the grime is mineral. The township buys limestone for gravel stretches of Perch Rd and Swan Creek Rd, and for the Bouvier Bay subdivision streets near Perch Point, and passing cars on a dry day raise a pale dust that drifts onto the nearest wall, the window glass and the porch. Spring thaw turns the same roads to mud that splashes the foundation. Both layers hold moisture against the lowest courses of siding, and green growth tends to begin in that damp band. Detergent, a short dwell and a low rinse take off both in one visit.

The bay wall is a different case. It faces south-southwest and dries in afternoon sun, so on many lakefront homes it needs detergent for dust, cobwebs and June fish fly remains more than algae treatment. A wall shaded by the house next door on a narrow lot can still grow green. Each wash covers each wall and story, soffits, fascia and gutter faces, cobweb and nest removal, window frames and shutters, porch ceilings, and plant protection. The written quote lists which walls get detergent and which get algae treatment.

Pressure Damage on Lots Under 50 Feet

Too much pressure causes most of the damage. A narrow tip held close can crack siding, drive water behind the laps into the sheathing and strip paint from older trim, and the wand marks it leaves stay visible in low sun for years. On a lot under 50 feet wide, high pressure also throws mist and grit onto the house next door. Runoff is the other risk. Concentrated detergent sent down a driveway onto Dixie Hwy can reach the storm drains covered by the township's stormwater permit, and on a seawall lot it can drain straight into Anchor Bay.

When to Book House Washing in Ira Township

Along M-⁠29, a spring wash after salt season clears winter film from the street wall. Shoreline homes often wait until early July, after the June fish fly hatch, and add window cleaning for screens and sills. Gravel-road homes suit late summer, when dust peaks. On the shaded north-northeast street wall, treated algae stays off two to three years, longer on the sunny bay wall. Dixie Hwy film returns each plow season, so that wall may need a rinse between washes.