Power Washing in Ocean Township That Makes Salt-Worn Siding Look New Again
Soft washing for the lagoon streets east of the Garden State Parkway and the pine-shaded lots west of it, about 25 minutes south of Toms River.
Green film on the shaded wall and black streaks running down the roof slope — that pairing is what most power washing in Ocean Township comes down to. The township fronts Barnegat Bay in Ocean County, about 25 minutes south of Toms River, and it is a bay town rather than a surf town: the water at the end of a lagoon street is a canal behind a bulkhead.
The Garden State Parkway splits the place in two. West of it is pine forest — pitch pine and oak, the country around Wells Mills County Park. East of it is where nearly every house sits.
What salt air and pine do to a house here
Salt air moves inland off the bay and settles as a fine film on siding, gutters and window trim. That film holds moisture, and moisture is all mildew and algae need. Three tidal streams keep humidity up too — Waretown Creek through the middle of town, Oyster Creek along the Lacey Township line, Lochiel Creek along the Barnegat Township line.
Lot size makes it worse. The lagoon neighborhoods, Sands Point Harbor among them, were platted as small canal lots, and the township’s zoning records show side-yard and lot-coverage variances requested year after year. Houses sit close together. North walls barely catch sun, so they never fully dry.
Much of that housing began as mid-century summer cottages later converted to year-round use, and plenty still wears its original vinyl or aluminum siding. That siding will not take a pressure wand. It gets a soft wash instead — cleaning solution, low pressure, thorough rinse — which lifts the growth without driving water behind the panels. Shingle roofs get the same treatment; those dark streaks are living growth, and blasting a roof costs you the roof.
West of the Parkway the job changes. Pitch pine and oak drop needles, sap and a heavy yellow pollen each spring that settles on decks and patios, then rinses down and leaves tannin staining in concrete. Those needles also pack gutters solid, which is how rainwater ends up running down a wall instead of away from it.
On the bayfront, tidal flooding is chronic — the township’s post-storm planning names Bay Parkway among the streets that go under — and a nor’easter leaves a salt and silt line across driveways and lower siding. Storefronts along Route 9 collect the same grime on walkways and entry pads.
If that tide line is still sitting on your driveway, or the shaded wall has gone green again, ask for a free estimate. Ask the company you’re connected with for a straight answer on what needs soft washing and what can take pressure.
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