Hoboken's brownstones and brick row houses are the reason the streets look the way they do. They're also among the most sensitive exteriors to clean, because the materials are old and the details are original.
Start with the stoop and sidewalk
The stoop and the sidewalk in front of it are what everyone sees first, and they take the most abuse. Cleaning those two surfaces changes how the entire property reads from the street, and they're usually the most forgiving surfaces to clean.
Treat the façade gently
Brick and brownstone should almost never see high pressure. Aged mortar joints erode, and brownstone in particular can be soft and prone to spalling where it has already weathered. Low-pressure soft washing with appropriate solutions is the standard approach.
Don't forget the details
- Iron railings and gates collect grime and shed rust staining onto stone
- Window lintels and sills catch dirt runoff and streak the façade below
- Garden-level and basement entries sit in shade and grow organic film
- Cornices and upper trim show dirt lines that are visible from across the street
Sequence the work correctly
Order matters. Wash the building first, then clean the windows, then finish the stoop and sidewalk. Doing it the other way round means the glass gets spotted and the walkway gets re-dirtied by runoff from above.
Watch the rear as well as the front
Rear elevations and courtyards get far less sun than the street side and are often where organic growth appears first — but because nobody sees them from the sidewalk, they get skipped. If you're already having the front done, it's worth including the back.