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WASHINGTON COUNTY, MN
Deck washing in Hugo, MN
A clean deck from a soft wash matched to the boards, without blasting the wood.
Hugo decks sit under trees, beside lawns and in the shade of the house, so they green up, turn gray and collect a season of grime. Glass House soft washes them, so the chemistry kills the growth at the root and the boards never need force.
A properly sealed finish is what protects deck boards from rot and weather, so the finish is checked before any mix goes on. An unsealed or failing surface can discolor during washing, and it is better to know that before the work starts.
GENTLE BY DESIGN
High pressure never touches your boards. The soft wash is matched to wood or composite before it is applied.
★ Rated 4.9 on Google · 44 reviews
Insured to $2M
Owner-operated
Based in Ham Lake
HUGO SPECIFICS
What deck washing means in Hugo
The local conditions that shape how Glass House approaches deck washing in Hugo, and the standards it holds to on every visit.
LAKES
Oneka, Rice and Bald Eagle lakes
Oneka Lake sits near the center of the former Oneka Township, with Rice Lake nearby, and Hugo's southwest corner includes part of Bald Eagle Lake. The city lies in three watershed districts. Air near lakes holds more moisture, so roofs, siding and decks dry slowly after rain and morning dew, and algae, mildew and moss take hold where surfaces stay damp, usually on the shaded north side first. Decks near water stay damper and green up sooner than decks on drier lots.
HOMES
A median home built in 2003
The median Hugo home was built in 2003, and 38% of homes were built from 2000 to 2009. Algae and mildew begin as a thin film that washes off easily. Left for several seasons, the film spreads, works into the texture of siding and shingles and stains more deeply, so newer homes stay easiest to maintain when growth is washed off early. Decks that age have weathered many winters, so we check first for loose or rotted boards.
WATER
258 PPM of hardness
Hugo lists its city water at 258 PPM (parts per million) of hardness, well above the 180 PPM level the USGS calls very hard, and adds polyphosphate to keep iron and manganese from settling out in the pipes. Polyphosphate does not remove those minerals, so when sprinkler water dries on a house, calcium leaves white spots on glass and iron and manganese leave orange and brown stains on siding, brick or concrete. Keep sprinklers off the deck: hard water spots the boards, and iron stains them orange.
SAFETY
Active nests stop work
An active wasp or hornet nest makes that part of the deck unsafe to wash, because stinging insects cannot be worked around safely. Carson finishes everything else, tells you exactly what was skipped, and the remaining section is rescheduled once the nest has been treated. Our policies ask homeowners to deal with nests before we arrive, because that keeps everyone safe.
Sources: Washington County Historical Society, Hugo; City of Hugo, Watershed Districts; Point2Homes, Hugo demographics (U.S. Census ACS 2019-2023); City of Hugo, FAQ (Water Hardness) and Municipal Water System; USGS, Hardness of Water.
HOW WE WASH DECKS
The mix is matched to the boards
Wood and composite take different mixes and different dwell times (the minutes a solution stays on before it is rinsed). We always start with the lightest mix the surface will take and work up only if needed.
WHY NEVER HIGH PRESSURE
High pressure raises and splinters the grain of wood, leaving the boards fuzzy, and it can permanently scar composite and strip a finish. On a deck, force causes the very damage the cleaning is meant to prevent, which is why chemistry does the cleaning and the rinse stays gentle.
01
Walk it first
Every visit starts with a walk-around of the boards, railings, stairs and finish. Carson confirms the right mix for the surface and points out anything loose, rotted or failing before cleaning begins. Fragile surfaces, such as rotten wood or a failing coating, may call for a signed damage waiver.
02
Protect the plants
Planters, beds and landscaping around and beneath the deck are soaked with water before, during and after the wash, along with nearby windows. Any drift that lands on a pre-wet surface is diluted to the point of being harmless, which is why plants survive a soft wash.
03
Apply the right mix
A sodium hypochlorite solution, similar to a diluted household bleach, goes on at 1 to 3 percent, lighter on finished wood, and dwells 10 to 15 minutes to kill the growth at the root. Composite receives a lighter mix and a shorter dwell. A second application is normal; an overly strong mix damages finishes permanently.
04
Rinse delicately
The rinse runs at low pressure from top to bottom, railings and stairs included, so no solution is left behind to discolor the boards. High flow at low pressure rinses the deck thoroughly and efficiently, using less water overall than working at one surface for an hour.
05
Walk it, then let it dry
Carson walks the finished deck with you, and before and after photos are attached to your receipt. Keep people, pets and furniture off the boards for at least 3 hours while they dry.
FOR HUGO HOMES
What to know before your visit
SPRING
Ready for summer
A spring wash takes off winter grime and last fall's leaf marks before the furniture goes back out, so the deck is ready for the season.
SUMMER
Whenever it greens up
Shaded decks can green up in the middle of the season, and a soft wash kills that growth at the root, so the boards come back clean without high pressure.
FALL
Clear the leaves
Blow leaves off the deck before they mat down. Wet leaves left through winter hold moisture against the boards and leave tannin marks that show in spring.
BEFORE WE COME
Clear the deck
Move chairs, planters and cushions off the deck before the visit, and mention any cedar, teak, ipe or other specialty wood when you book.
HOW PRICING WORKS
Quoted by the size of your deck
YOUR DECK WASH AT A GLANCE
QUOTE FIRST
Deck washing
Quoted
Wood or composite deck, stairs and railings
Cedar restoration
Quoted
Wash, brighten and seal, the one wood we seal
Plant protection
Included
Landscaping rinsed before, during and after
Walk-around first
Included
Loose boards and failing finishes flagged before we start
Builders and commercial sites
In person
Quoted in person by Carson
Priced by the size of your deck
Quote first
Deck washing is quoted after Carson sees the deck, its material and its finish. Send a photo or book a walk-around, and you will receive an exact price before any work starts.
THE OWNER
The person who quotes your home does the work
Glass House is owned and run by Carson Brenny, with no crews, subcontractors or handoffs. He grew up in Ham Lake, went to Blaine High School and has worked full-time in exterior cleaning for six years. The person who quotes your home is the person who arrives, does the work and walks it with you at the end.
Every job receives the gentlest method that will do the work, because too much force or too strong a mix can cause damage that no cleaning undoes. Every homeowner receives a clear explanation of what is on the house, why the method was chosen and what cleaning can and cannot fix, before any money is spent.
IN CARSON'S WORDS
“It's my neighbors' homes: their biggest investment, one of the places they spend the most time, and where the people they care about most live. It's something everyone should enjoy, and I believe that.”
Carson Brenny, owner
WHAT IS INCLUDED
What deck washing includes, and what it does not
Glass House washes wood but does not stain or seal it, with one exception. Only the work on your approved estimate is included, and anything added on site is priced separately.
INCLUDED
In every deck wash
• Deck boards, railings and stairs
• Algae, mildew, pollen and dirt lifted
• A mix matched to wood or composite, lighter on finished wood
• Plants wet down before, during and after
• A delicate, low-pressure rinse
• Before and after photos attached to your receipt
NOT INCLUDED
Outside a deck wash
• Staining or sealing wood, except cedar restoration
• Fixing a peeling, failing or unsealed finish
• Rot, loose boards, splinters or structural repair
• Rust, oil, paint and other specialty stains
EQUIPMENT AND METHODS
A soft wash made for wood
The soft wash system applies sodium hypochlorite at 1 to 3%, lighter on finished wood and with no surfactant (the additive that makes a mix cling, and takes far more water to rinse). It dwells 10 to 15 minutes and is rinsed delicately. Composite receives a lighter mix and a shorter dwell, and no pressure wand ever touches the boards.
HUGO QUESTIONS
Deck Washing in Hugo: FAQ
Do homes near the water in Hugo cost more?
No. Being near Oneka, Rice or Bald Eagle Lake does not change the price, and those homes are quoted the same way as any other in Hugo. We do recommend deck washing more often there, because humid air keeps surfaces damp after rain and morning dew, and damp surfaces are where algae and mildew grow back fastest.
Do you serve all of Hugo?
Yes, every neighborhood in Hugo. Glass House is based in Ham Lake, and Hugo is part of its regular north metro service area, so there is no trip fee. Carson quotes, cleans and walks every job himself, wherever in Hugo your home is.
Will you pressure wash my deck?
No. High pressure raises and splinters the grain on wood and can permanently scar composite. Glass House soft washes decks instead: a mild solution matched to the boards is left to kill the growth, then rinsed away at low pressure, around 300 psi, which comes out much like a garden hose.
Do you stain or seal decks?
No, with one exception. Glass House washes wood decks but does not stain or seal wood, other than cedar. Cedar turns gray under any wash solution, so it receives a separate restoration: it is washed, brightened to restore its color, then sealed. Cedar is the only wood we seal.
Can you clean a composite deck?
Yes. Composite boards do not rot, but algae and mildew grow on the dirt and pollen that sit on top of them. Because the growth sits on the surface rather than in the board, composite receives a lighter mix and a shorter dwell than wood, followed by a low-pressure rinse.
How soon can we use the deck again?
Allow at least 3 hours after the final rinse before people, pets or furniture go back on the deck, so the boards can dry. Carson confirms the timing when he walks the finished deck with you, and before and after photos are attached to your receipt.
