Soft Washing in Falls Church, VA

Clearly Amazing soft washes exteriors for homes and businesses inside the City of Falls Church, stucco included, using eco-friendly products. Our crews come from our Northern Virginia office in Sterling.

Call (703) 723-7770 for a free on-site estimate.

Masonry, stucco and paint prep in the City’s guidelines

The City’s 2001 Design Guidelines for historic buildings include a “Masonry Tip” that begins by saying to clean masonry “only when necessary,” and it names three reasons: removing heavy paint buildup, halting deterioration and removing heavy soiling. The guidelines’ masonry section also has a stucco line, which reads “Repair stucco or plastering by removing loose material and patching with a new material that is similar in composition, color and texture.” That line is about repair, not washing. The painting tips in the historic-building chapter begin: “Ensure that all surfaces are free of dirt, grease and grime before painting.” The guidelines do not use the term soft washing, and this page does not say the City recommends it.

Repainting, routine maintenance and the historic overlay

The City Code’s historic overlay division lists “repainting in the same or a different color” and “replacement in kind of any features on the exterior of the structure” among changes that are not alterations. The overlay’s regulations are written for structures built as residences during or before 1910 and for other structures and sites the City designates. Its routine-maintenance clause says nothing in the division shall be construed to prevent “the routine maintenance or repair of any exterior elements of any building or structure so long as there is no change in form or materials.” None of that language mentions cleaning.

Peeling paint and permits

The City’s Property Maintenance Code, in section 33-5, says “all buildings shall be maintained substantially free of peeling paint and all surfaces shall be primed, painted, stained, treated or sealed.” The City’s permit overview says “You don’t need a permit to paint, patch, carpet, or replace drywall.” Neither line mentions washing.

What the City’s housing counts do and do not tell you

The Census Bureau’s 2024 five-year estimates put about 55 percent of the City’s 2,910 occupied one-unit homes as built before 1960, including about 43 percent built between 1940 and 1959. Those are build-year counts. They say nothing about what any exterior is made of.

Which address is inside the City

According to the City’s Address Finder, Merrifield, Seven Corners and Bailey’s Crossroads use Falls Church mailing addresses but are in Fairfax County. The guidelines and Code sections above are the City of Falls Church’s own, and the City has been independent since 1948.

What the service includes

Estimate. The free estimate happens on site.

Wash. House exteriors get a soft wash, stucco included, with eco-friendly products. We manage the runoff path.

Protect. We soak the nearby plants.

Soft washing in the City: questions