Brick house vs. vinyl siding: totally different cleaning jobs

Brick and vinyl look equally weathered when they're dirty, but they need very different cleaning methods.

• Soft-wash with cleaning solution
• Low pressure at the wall (100–300 PSI)
• Rinse top-down
• Look out for warped panels that hide moisture behind

• Cleaning solution too, but different chemistry
• Special attention to mortar joints — they can be soft on older homes
• Never high-pressure old mortar; you'll blast it out
• Efflorescence (white salt deposits) needs a specific acid-safe cleaner

Homes built pre-1980 in Manchester often have softer lime-based mortar. Pressure washing those with a standard 3,000 PSI wand will erode the joints — I've seen homeowners create thousands of dollars in re-tuckpointing work by trying to DIY brick cleaning.

Painted brick is the trickiest of all. Old paint can flake off under low-pressure rinsing if it's already failing. I'll always test a small area first.

Brick jobs run about 20–30% more than vinyl of the same size, because they take more care and often more dwell time. Worth it — a properly washed brick facade looks like new construction.