Pressure washing uses high-pressure water alone to blast dirt off hard, durable surfaces like concrete driveways and pavers. Soft washing uses low water pressure combined with a cleaning solution to kill algae, mold, and mildew on softer surfaces — roofs, siding, screens — without stripping paint, granules, or caulking. Fort Lauderdale Pressure Washing picks the method by surface, not by request.
Which surfaces get which treatment?
The split comes down to what the surface can physically take.
- Pressure-washed: concrete driveways, paver patios, brick walkways, block walls
- Soft-washed: asphalt shingle roofs, painted siding, pool screens, awnings, painted stucco
What happens if the wrong one gets used?
High pressure on a roof strips the granules off asphalt shingles and can force water up under the shingle edges — damage that shows up months later as a leak, not immediately. High pressure on old paint or a screen enclosure tears or delaminates it on contact. Soft washing, on the other hand, won't fully lift ground-in tire marks or rust stains off concrete — that needs the mechanical force pressure washing provides.
Does soft washing actually kill the growth, or just rinse it off?
A pressure-only rinse knocks the visible algae and mildew off the surface but leaves the roots behind, so it grows back fast in Florida's climate. The cleaning solution used in soft washing kills the growth at the root, which is why a soft-washed roof or siding job stays cleaner noticeably longer than one that was just blasted with water.
Is soft washing safe for a roof?
Yes — it's the standard method professionals use specifically because it doesn't strip shingle granules the way high-pressure spray can. Low pressure plus a cleaning solution does the work instead of force.
Does Fort Lauderdale Pressure Washing offer both?
Yes. Across the 20 communities it serves, the crew chooses pressure washing or soft washing based on what's on the property, not one method applied to every job. That's part of what backs its 5.0 rating from 13 Google reviews.
Can I just ask for pressure washing on everything to save money?
You can ask, but a reputable crew won't run high pressure on a roof or old paint regardless of the request — the risk of damage isn't worth the shortcut.