Every fall, we get the same call from homeowners across Northern Kentucky: “I wish I’d done this before winter.” Autumn is honestly the smartest time of year to clean the outside of your home, and here’s the checklist we recommend to our own neighbors in Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties.
1. Clean your gutters before the leaves win
Our maple and oak trees dump everything into your gutters between October and Thanksgiving. Clogged gutters overflow, and that water ends up against your foundation, behind your siding, and in winter it becomes the raw material for ice dams. A thorough gutter cleaning after most of the leaves are down is the single best thing you can do for your house before winter.
2. Wash the siding while it’s still warm enough
Algae and mildew don’t die over winter. They sit there, feed on your siding, and get worse in spring. Soft washing works best when temperatures are still above freezing, so October and November are ideal. If you can see green on the north side of your house right now, it will look worse in April.
3. Clean the concrete before the first freeze
Here’s the one people miss. Dirt, algae, and leaf stains hold moisture on your driveway and sidewalks. When that moisture freezes and thaws all winter, it works into small cracks and makes them bigger. Clean concrete sheds water better, and if you add concrete sealing, you protect it from salt damage too.
4. Check your roof for black streaks
Those dark streaks on roofs all over Northern Kentucky are algae, and they hold moisture against your shingles. A gentle soft wash removes them without damaging the roof. Never let anyone put high pressure on your shingles.
5. Get your deck and patio ready for spring
Leaves left on a wood deck over winter leave tannin stains that are much harder to remove in spring. Ten minutes with a blower every week or two saves you a headache later.
Want it done before the snow flies?
We run fall cleaning routes through Walton, Florence, Union, Independence, and all across Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati into November, sometimes December if the weather holds. Call Liberty Power Wash at 859-493-2664 for a free estimate. The price we quote is the price you pay.