Pressure Washing in Mission

Mission sits on the north slope above the Fraser River, and a lot of the housing stock, especially in Cedar Valley and the older hillside neighbourhoods, is built under mature tree cover that blocks direct sun for much of the year. Add roughly 1,500 to 1,700 mm of annual rain (Environment and Climate Change Canada normals) and those shaded roofs, walls and driveways stay damp long enough for moss and algae to take hold and spread without the drying-out period sunnier lots get.

Properties out toward Hatzic and Steelhead see the same pattern on north-facing walls and any concrete tucked under trees, green growth that comes back within months if it is only rinsed rather than treated at the root. Roof valleys and north-facing dormers are usually the first spot where moss becomes visible, since they hold shade and moisture longest even on an otherwise well-drained roof — a detail we look for on every quote.

Mission's hillside streets and the distance from where most Fraser Valley crews are based mean a lot of companies either skip the city or tack it onto the end of a route as an afterthought. We quote Mission the same way we quote Chilliwack or Abbotsford: a real on-site visit, a real price, and a crew that shows up on schedule instead of treating the city as out of the way.

That gap in service is exactly why moss and algae get so established on Mission roofs and siding before anyone treats them — a property that has gone untouched for several years because nobody would drive out for the job is a common story on the hillside.

Older homes on the north slope often have original stucco, wood siding or early vinyl that is more brittle than newer materials, and full pressure can crack, lift or drive water behind all three. We soft-wash these surfaces first, a biodegradable detergent at under 500 PSI that kills moss and algae at the root instead of just blasting the visible growth off, then reserve higher pressure for concrete walkways and driveways that can take it.

That matters more on a 30- or 40-year-old house than a new build, where the siding and stucco have already weathered decades of damp hillside shade. Wood siding in particular can trap moisture under paint or stain if it is blasted at close range, which is why we keep the wand further back and let the detergent do the work instead of relying on mechanical force.

We start with a free on-site quote, because a shaded lot in Cedar Valley with years of moss buildup needs a different treatment plan than a driveway that just needs a seasonal rinse. Siding, stucco and roofs get the soft-wash treatment first: biodegradable detergent that dwells on the surface long enough to kill moss and algae at the root, then a low-pressure rinse.

Concrete walkways and driveways get the full-pressure pass afterward, since they can take higher PSI without the risk that comes with blasting stucco or wood siding. Most Mission properties, including hillside homes with steep or awkward access, are finished in a single visit.

The quote depends on square footage and how established the moss and algae are — a driveway-only wash, a full exterior soft wash and a combined house-and-driveway service each scope differently, which is why we price from an on-site visit instead of a phone estimate. Heavily shaded hillside properties with years of buildup take more treatment time on the first visit, then cost less on repeat cleans once the growth is under control.

Sunny, open lots in the Fraser Valley can often go a full year between washes, but shaded north-slope properties, especially anything backing onto trees in Cedar Valley or along Steelhead, often need attention every 8 to 12 months, because moss and algae re-establish in shaded, damp conditions almost twice as fast as they do on a sun-exposed lot in the same city.

Spring, right after the wet season lets up, is the best time to book a Mission property: it strips a winter's worth of growth before the drier months set in, and a soft wash then keeps spores from re-establishing as quickly once the rain returns in fall.