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WASHINGTON COUNTY, MINNESOTA
Exterior cleaning and care in Hugo, MN
Owner-operated from Ham Lake, with every service matched to Hugo's hard water, lake air and newer homes.
Glass House cleans windows, washes siding, roofs, decks and concrete, clears gutters, and removes iron stains, hard water spots and oxidation, the chalky film on aging siding. In winter, the work turns to roofline holiday lighting and steam ice dam removal. Each service below has its own page for Hugo.
Local conditions shape every job. Hugo's water is very hard, the air near Oneka, Rice and Bald Eagle lakes stays humid, and whole neighborhoods built in the same few years are now aging together. Every quote is confirmed with a quick walk-around, so each surface receives the right method and mix.
OWNER-OPERATED
Carson Brenny quotes your home, does the work himself and walks the finished job with you before it is called done.
★ Rated 4.9 on Google · 44 reviews
Insured to $2M
Owner-operated
Based in Ham Lake
ABOUT HUGO
Four local conditions that shape Hugo homes
WATER
258 PPM of hardness
Hugo lists its city water at 258 PPM (parts per million) of hardness, well past the 180 PPM mark the USGS calls very hard. Polyphosphate is added to keep iron and manganese from settling out, but the minerals are still in the water that reaches your sprinklers. When it dries on your home, it leaves white spots on glass and orange iron and brown manganese stains on siding, brick or concrete.
LAKES
Oneka, Rice and Bald Eagle lakes
Oneka Lake sits near the center of old Oneka Township, Rice Lake is nearby, and Hugo's southwest corner takes in part of Bald Eagle Lake. The city spans three watershed districts. Air near lakes stays humid, so roofs, siding and decks dry slowly after rain and morning dew, and algae, mildew and moss take hold, usually on the shaded north side. Homes near the lakes do best with a yearly wash.
HOMES
Newer homes, median 2003
The median Hugo home was built in 2003, and 38% were built from 2000 to 2009. Algae and mildew start as a thin film that washes off easily. Left for a few seasons, the film spreads, works into the texture of siding and shingles and stains deeper. A soft wash, which cleans with chemistry at 50 to 300 psi, removes it without forcing water behind the siding, so early washing keeps a newer home easy to maintain.
GROWTH
Population more than doubled
Hugo's population more than doubled, from 6,300 in 2000 to an estimated 14,082 in 2013, so whole neighborhoods went up in the same few years. Their siding, roofs and windows are now reaching about 20 years old together, the age when vinyl starts to chalk in the sun and roofs carry algae streaks. A wet white rag tells the two apart: chalky powder is oxidation, the siding's surface breaking down, while a green smear is algae or mildew.
Sources: City of Hugo, FAQ (Water Hardness) and Municipal Water System; USGS, Hardness of Water; Washington County Historical Society, Hugo; City of Hugo, Watershed Districts; Point2Homes, Hugo demographics (U.S. Census ACS 2019-2023).
HUGO WATER
What Hugo water does to a house
Treated city water still carries its minerals to your sprinklers, and they mark a house in two ways. Here is what each mark is, why the usual household fix makes one worse, and what prevents most of it.
Two stains from the same water
Iron and manganese oxidize into orange and brown streaks on siding, brick and concrete, while calcium and other dissolved minerals dry into white spots on glass. Each needs its own treatment: acid-based chemistry for the metal stains, and hard water stain removal on the glass once a normal cleaning shows how deep the spots go. Both bond to the surface over time, so the sooner either is treated, the better it comes out.
Why bleach makes rust worse
Bleach is the usual household fix, and on rust it backfires. Bleach is an oxidizer, and rust is iron that has already oxidized, so bleach oxidizes the iron further and sets the stain. Iron comes out with acid-based chemistry, applied in protective gear and worked gently with soft bristles. Acid and bleach must never meet, because together they make chlorine gas, which is why rust is not a job to attempt after washing your own siding.
What prevents most of it
Most of this staining starts at a sprinkler head, and the stain usually traces the arc of its spray. Aim every head at the grass, never the house, and keep hose spray off siding and glass. Polyphosphate keeps iron in solution in Hugo's pipes, but the iron still lands on your house if a sprinkler reaches it. If a head still reaches the wall after treatment, the stain returns.
How we clean with your water
We connect to your outside spigot and run the water through reverse osmosis, carbon and deionization filters in our van until it reads 0 PPM. With nothing dissolved in it, the rinse water dries on glass without spotting. Hard water wears the filters out faster, so we check the meter during the job, and once a reading reaches 15 PPM, the resin is replaced before the next job. Please leave the spigot on and reachable.
THROUGH THE YEAR
A year of home care in Hugo
SPRING
Clear the winter
Winter film and pollen come off the glass, and spring gutter cleaning clears seeds and catkins. Branches trimmed back from the roof let it dry faster, which slows algae and moss.
SUMMER
Watch the sprinklers
Hugo residents on city water have watered on odd or even days since 2001. Aim the heads at the lawn, and treat new stains early, before they bond.
FALL
Gutters before the freeze
Gutters are cleaned once the leaves are down and before the first hard freeze, so wet debris does not freeze in place. Exterior cleaning wraps up November 15.
WINTER
Ice dams and lights
When storms create ice dams, they are removed with steam only, melting the ice rather than chipping it. Roofline holiday lighting installs begin November 1, with takedown and storage included.
HUGO QUESTIONS
Questions from Hugo homeowners
Do you serve all of Hugo?
Yes, every neighborhood in Hugo, with no trip fee. Glass House is based in Ham Lake, and Hugo is part of its regular north metro service area. Lake lots do not change the price. Carson Brenny, the owner, quotes every Hugo home himself, does the work and walks the finished job with you before he leaves.
Can you clean my windows with Hugo water?
Yes. We connect to your outside spigot and run the water through reverse osmosis, carbon and deionization filters in our van until it reads 0 PPM, meaning no dissolved minerals are left to spot the glass. Hugo water is very hard and wears the filters out faster, so we check the meter during the job. Please make sure the spigot is turned on and easy to reach.
Why are there orange stains under my windows?
Usually iron, carried by sprinkler or hose water and left behind when the water dries. Hugo adds polyphosphate to keep iron from settling out in the pipes, but that iron is still in the water when a sprinkler puts it on your house. It takes an iron-specific, acid-based treatment, never bleach, which sets the stain. The sooner it is treated, the better it comes out.
How often should I have my Hugo house washed?
Every year or two for most homes. Homes near Oneka, Rice or Bald Eagle Lake, and homes on shaded lots, should be washed every year, because algae and mildew return faster where siding stays damp. Aiming sprinklers away from the house and trimming shrubs a foot or two back from the walls help the siding dry and slow the return.
How do quotes work?
Send a photo or book a walk-around. Every online quote is verified in person with a quick walk-around before the work starts, so Carson can confirm the surfaces and choose the right mix for each one. You will have the exact price before any work begins, and if anything needs attention, he explains it and works out a plan with you first.
When is your season?
Exterior cleaning runs March 1 through November 15. Roofline holiday lighting installs begin November 1, so both can be booked in the first half of November. Through the winter, ice dams are removed with steam only, whenever storms create them, and interior window cleaning remains available.
Who will do the work on my home?
Carson Brenny, the owner, does every job himself. Glass House is owner-operated, with no crews or subcontractors, and is insured to $2M. The person who quotes your Hugo home is the person who does the work and walks it with you at the end, so one standard applies from start to finish.
What if the weather turns?
Weather reschedules are always free and never count as a cancellation. We text you the day before with your arrival window, and again when Carson is on the way. For any other change to an appointment, please let us know at least 48 hours in advance, as the service policies explain.
THE OWNER
Keeping Hugo's newer homes looking new
In Hugo, the person who looks at your home is the person who cleans it. Carson Brenny owns and operates Glass House without crews, subcontractors or handoffs, and Hugo is on his regular route from the company's base in Ham Lake. He prices the job, completes it and reviews the finished work with you before he calls it done.
Hugo more than doubled in population between 2000 and 2013, and with a median home built in 2003, many streets are reaching the same age together. Carson washes growth off early, before it works into siding and shingles, and shows homeowners how to aim sprinklers away from the house. A newer home is still the largest investment most families make, and good habits keep it looking new.
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
