Pressure washing costs in Jackson

Old brick in Jackson's Belhaven neighborhood keeps a record of how it was cleaned. The city's design guide for its two Belhaven historic districts lists what a bad cleaning leaves behind: chipped or pitted brick, washed-out mortar, rounded brick edges, or a residue or film. Belhaven and Belhaven Heights are both on the city's list of local historic districts. The guidelines suggest checking a cleaning contractor's references and methods for exactly that damage, and having test patches done on the building first.

The guidelines set a high bar for washing masonry at all. Clean it only when you need to remove heavy paint buildup, halt deterioration or lift heavy soiling. Rinse with a low-pressure wash, equal to the pressure in a garden hose. Don't sandblast any masonry.

Stucco gets its own note. The guidelines say it may be cleaned with a low-pressure water wash and a soft-bristled brush, but its rough surface can make it hard to get clean. Painting, they say, may be the next option for a cleaner look.

The firmest line is about paint. The guidelines say not to use a high-pressure water wash, sandblasting or open flames to remove paint from masonry, soft metal or wood. They also warn that older paint layers may contain lead, and that the work has to follow local, state and federal rules.