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ANOKA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
Exterior cleaning and care in Ramsey, MN
Owner-operated from Ham Lake, with every service matched to Ramsey's very hard water, river air, and oak and ash shade.
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 Ramsey.
Local conditions decide how each job is done. Ramsey's water is very hard, oak and ash shade keeps roofs damp, and the air near the Rum and Mississippi Rivers slows drying. 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 RAMSEY
Four local conditions that shape Ramsey homes
WATER
Very hard water, 255–290 PPM
Ramsey classifies its city water as very hard, at about 255 to 290 PPM (parts per million). When sprinkler water dries, its minerals stay behind as white spots on glass and a dull film on siding. A new plant opened in spring 2026 to remove iron and manganese, but some homes are on private wells, where iron still rusts into orange stains on siding and concrete. We rinse glass with 0 PPM water and treat iron separately.
TREES
Sandy soil, oaks and ash
Ramsey soils are typically sandy, and emerald ash borer has turned up throughout the city since 2022. Oak shade keeps roofs and siding damp after rain and dew, which is what algae and moss need, while oak leaves and brittle ash limbs and twigs land on roofs and in gutters. We clear gutters by hand and flush them to confirm they drain. The city asks residents not to prune oaks from April through July, because of oak wilt.
RIVERS AND PARKS
Between the Rum and the Mississippi
Ramsey's surface water drains toward the Rum and Mississippi Rivers, and Mississippi West and Rum River Central regional parks sit within the city. Air near the rivers stays humid, so roofs, siding and decks dry slowly after rain and dew, and algae, mildew and moss take hold, usually on the shaded north side first. A soft wash, which cleans with chemistry at 50 to 300 psi, kills that growth at the root rather than blasting it off.
HOMES
A median home built in 1996
The median Ramsey home was built in 1996, and about 41% date from the 1990s and 2000s. After three decades of sun, vinyl siding and painted trim break down into a chalky film called oxidation. Rain running over it leaves streaks, and the rougher surface gives dirt and algae more to hold on to. A wash removes what sits on the siding, but oxidation is the siding itself, so it needs its own removal step.
Sources: City of Ramsey, About Water (FAQ) and Water Treatment (2026); USGS, Hardness of Water; City of Ramsey, Oak Wilt, Emerald Ash Borer and Odd/Even Water Restrictions; City of Ramsey, Stormwater; Anoka County Parks; Point2Homes, Ramsey demographics (U.S. Census ACS 2019-2023).
RAMSEY WATER
What Ramsey water does to a house
Very hard water marks a house in two different ways. Here is what each mark is, why the usual household fix makes one of them 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. Ramsey already requires a rain sensor on every in-ground system, which cuts wasted cycles. Staining from before the 2026 plant stays until it is treated, and if a head still reaches the wall, 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 Ramsey
SPRING
Clear the winter
Winter film and pollen come off the glass, and spring gutter cleaning clears seeds and catkins. Trim branches back so the roof dries faster, but leave oaks alone from April through July.
SUMMER
Watch the sprinklers
City water users follow odd/even watering from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with none from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aim the heads at the lawn, and treat new stains 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.
RAMSEY QUESTIONS
Questions from Ramsey homeowners
Do you serve all of Ramsey?
Yes, every neighborhood in Ramsey, with no trip fee. Glass House is based in Ham Lake, and Ramsey is part of its regular north metro service area. Carson Brenny, the owner, quotes every Ramsey home himself, does the work and walks the finished job with you before he leaves.
Can you clean my windows with Ramsey 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. Ramsey 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. Ramsey's plant, opened in spring 2026, now removes iron from city water, but homes on private wells still get it, and stains from years of untreated water stay until they are treated. 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 Ramsey house washed?
Every year or two for most homes. Homes near the Rum or the Mississippi, 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 Ramsey 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
Caring for Ramsey homes between two rivers
Glass House is owned and run by Carson Brenny, with no crews, subcontractors or handoffs. The business is based in Ham Lake, and Ramsey is on its regular route. Carson quotes each Ramsey home himself, does every part of the work and walks the finished job with the homeowner before he leaves.
Ramsey's water is very hard, at about 255 to 290 PPM, and with a median home built in 1996, many houses here show mineral spots, growth and early chalking at the same time. Carson identifies each one before anything is applied, because the right treatment for one can make another worse. A home is where a family spends much of its time, and it deserves that care.
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
