Filthy Concrete Walkways and Algae Covered Siding Restored in One Visit

The Problem: Years of Buildup on Every Surface

This Kankakee homeowner called us about the walkways. They were embarrassed by them. Years of dirt, algae, and organic growth had settled into the concrete until the surface read as a dull gray-green instead of the clean light gray it started as. The buildup was worst along the edges and in the shaded stretch near the house, which is where moisture sits longest in an Illinois summer.

When we walked the property for the estimate, the concrete was only part of the story. The north side of the home had green algae growth on the siding. The gutter faces carried the black streaking that comes from oxidized runoff. The soffits had a film of mildew, and the backyard shed was in worse shape than the house.

Cleaning the walkways alone would have made the rest of the property look worse by comparison. So we quoted the full job: concrete walkways, a soft wash on the house and shed, and gutter brightening to pull the streaks off the fascia.

Our Process: Pretreat, Dwell, Surface Clean

Most homeowners think power washing concrete means pointing a wand at it and pulling the trigger. That method leaves stripes, etches the surface, and only removes what sits on top. The organic growth in the pores stays, which is why a DIY driveway looks dirty again by the next season.

We work the surface chemically first and mechanically second.

Step 1: Pretreatment

We applied our concrete pretreatment across the full walkway surface and let it saturate. The solution kills the algae, mold, and mildew at the root rather than knocking it loose. This is the step that separates a clean that lasts from a clean that fades.

Step 2: Dwell Time

The solution sat on the concrete and did the work. Rushing this step is the most common mistake we see. Give the chemical time and the pressure stage becomes easy. Skip it and you end up compensating with pressure, which is how homeowners carve wand marks into their own walkways.

Step 3: Surface Cleaner Pass

We ran our surface cleaner across the walkways in overlapping passes. The rotating bar delivers consistent pressure across the entire width at once, which is what produces an even finish with no zebra striping. This is the tool that makes the difference between a professional result and a rental unit result.

Step 4: Edge and Joint Detail

The surface cleaner cannot reach expansion joints, edges against the grass, or the tight spots near the foundation. We detailed those by hand with the wand so the clean carried edge to edge with no dirty border framing the walkway.

Step 5: Soft Wash on the House and Shed

With the concrete finished, we moved to the structures. We wet down the landscaping, applied our soft wash solution to the siding, soffits, and gutter faces, let it dwell, and rinsed at low pressure. The algae released without us ever putting damaging pressure on the vinyl. The shed got the same treatment. We finished with a gutter brightening pass to lift the oxidation streaks off the fascia.

Services Used on This Job

Every service on this project is available on its own or bundled. Most Kankakee homeowners save by combining concrete and house washing into one visit.

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