Atlantic Coastal Cleaning is a veteran owned exterior cleaning company based in Brunswick, and we have been washing houses, roofs, driveways and windows on Sea Island for years, from the cottages along the ocean to the homes on the river side of Sea Island Drive. Everything here is soft washed, at low pressure, with the landscaping protected first. Call (912) 571-0639 for a free quote, or read on for what the island does to a house and how we handle it.

What Sea Island does to a house

Three things make Sea Island harder on a house than Brunswick, and harder even than St. Simons.

Direct ocean exposure

There is nothing between the beach side of the island and the Atlantic. Salt spray carries across the dunes on every onshore wind and settles on stucco, glass, metal and paint. It leaves a grey film that a rainstorm does not remove, and it holds moisture against every surface it lands on, which is what mildew needs to start.

The architecture

Sea Island cottages are not small, and they are not simple. The Mediterranean style that came with The Cloister means stucco walls, tile roofs, arched loggias and wrought iron. The newer and older shingle style homes use cedar shake, painted wood and tabby. Every one of those materials is damaged by high pressure: stucco pits, tabby loses its shell face, cedar fuzzes and paint lifts. None of them can be cleaned the way a concrete driveway is cleaned, and most of the horror stories we hear on the island come from somebody trying.

Heavy landscaping and deep shade

The oaks, palms and hedges that make the island beautiful keep the north walls, the courtyards and the shaded roof slopes damp for days after a rain. Add the year round humidity and algae grows on the shaded side of a house almost as fast as it does in a swamp.

Soft washing first, always

Our rule on Sea Island is simple: nothing above the driveway gets high pressure. We use a low pressure application of cleaning solution that lifts the salt film, the mildew and the algae, then a gentle rinse that leaves the surface as it was built. It works on stucco, tabby, cedar shake, painted wood, brick and Hardie, and it is the only method we would put on a house worth what these houses are worth. Read about soft washing Sea Island siding for how the solution works and what it does not do.

Before the solution goes on, the beds and hedges under the walls are wetted down, and they are rinsed again when the wall is done. On a property with the kind of landscaping Sea Island has, that step takes almost as long as the wash, and it is not skipped.

Roofs, gutters and windows on the ocean side

Roofs

Tile and shingle both streak on Sea Island, and the ocean facing slope goes first. Tile holds algae in the overlap and the shingle roofs grow the same black streaks the mainland gets, only sooner. Both are cleaned with the same low pressure method as the walls, because pressure cracks tile and strips shingle granules. See low pressure roof cleaning on the island for the detail.

Gutters

Oak leaves, palm fronds and pine straw pack gutters here, and the copper and painted aluminum gutters on these homes are worth clearing before they overflow and stain the stucco below. We clear, flush and haul the debris, and check the hangers while we are up. Read about clearing Sea Island gutters.

Windows

Ocean facing glass on Sea Island clouds with salt faster than anywhere else in the Golden Isles, and the large panes and French doors these homes have make it obvious. Our salt film window cleaning covers inside and out, screens and tracks, and the outdoor light fixtures beside the doors.

Atlantic Coastal Cleaning truck at a stucco home on Sea Island, Georgia

Working in a gated community

We are used to Sea Island. We arrange access through the gate ahead of time, we park where the property manager or the owner tells us to, we keep to the community's working hours, and we leave the property as tidy as we found it. If you are not on the island when the work is done, we send photos when we finish. Property managers who look after several homes on the island are welcome to put us on a schedule rather than call each time.

Second homes and rentals: timing a wash between stays

Many Sea Island homes are second homes or are let out for part of the year, and the owner is not there to notice the house going grey. Two things worth knowing.

Spring, after the pollen has finished and before the family arrives for the summer, is the best time for a house wash and a window clean. If the house is used at the holidays, a second window and fixture clean in late fall keeps the ocean side looking right when the family is there to see it.

If the house is let, we can work between stays on the days the manager gives us, and we can put the property on a standing schedule so nobody has to remember to call. The mainland side of our route and our other island work is on the St. Simons side of the causeway.

Soft wash rig parked at a stucco home on Sea Island, Georgia

Frequently Asked Questions

Will soft washing damage stucco, tabby or cedar shake?

No. Soft washing uses cleaning solution and low pressure, which is the only safe method for those materials. High pressure is what damages them, and we do not use it on any wall or roof.

Can you work while we are away?

Yes. With gate access arranged and a manager or a key holder to let us on the property, we do the work and send photos when we are done.

How often does a Sea Island home need washing?

Most homes on the island are washed once a year, with the ocean facing glass and fixtures cleaned twice. Homes right on the beach often need the walls done every eight or nine months.

Do you clean the tile roofs?

Yes, with the same low pressure method as the walls. Tile is never pressure washed; it cracks and the underlayment is damaged.

Get a quote for your Sea Island home

(912) 571-0639

Call or text (912) 571-0639, or send a message through the site. We come out, walk the property with you or your manager, and give you a written price with no charge for the visit. Every service we offer on the island is on our complete list of exterior cleaning services.

Call (912) 571-0639 for a Free Quote

Pressure Washing and Soft Washing on Sea Island, GA