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IRON STAIN REMOVAL
Iron stain removal for Ham Lake and Andover
Orange rust stains lifted from siding, concrete and brick with iron-specific chemistry, never bleach, after a spot test on your surface.
Iron staining is the orange, red or tan streaking that sprinklers leave on siding, driveways and walks, usually in the shape of the spray. Glass House removes it with F9 BARC, an acid treatment made for metallic stains, applied evenly and rinsed gently, never with bleach and never with force.
Every home in Ham Lake runs on a private well, and even treated city water in Andover and Coon Rapids can carry iron when untreated wells run to meet summer demand. Iron left long enough bonds into the surface and becomes permanent, so the best time to treat a stain is the season it appears.
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OUR STAIN POLICY
Every job begins with a spot test, and we charge only for work we can complete.
★ Rated 4.9 on Google · 44 reviews
Insured to $2M
Owner-operated
Based in Ham Lake
WHY IT HAPPENS HERE
It starts with the well water
Iron staining is one of the most common problems we are asked about, and the cause lies in the groundwater beneath the north metro.
100%
of Ham Lake homes draw their water from private wells. The city has no municipal water system.
2002
The year Andover built its iron and manganese removal plant. At peak summer demand, the city says untreated wells still run and bring iron back.
0.3 PPM
The iron level, in parts per million, at which the Minnesota Department of Health says water begins to leave yellow, red or brown stains.
Clear
is how dissolved iron often looks coming out of the tap. It turns red or brown after it meets air, which is why the stain appears once the water dries.
Sources: Minnesota DNR, Blaine–Ham Lake area well interference fact sheet (2023); City of Andover Water Department; Minnesota Department of Health, Iron in Well Water.
WHERE IT COMES FROM
Four ways iron ends up on a house
Most orange staining around here traces back to one of these sources. Knowing which one tells us whether the stain will return.
Sprinklers and hoses on well water
The most common source here. Each watering cycle leaves another thin layer of iron that oxidizes as the water dries. That is why the stain is almost always a fan or an arc: it maps the throw of the sprinkler head, and seeing that pattern usually makes the cause clear.
Lawn fertilizer
Most lawn fertilizers contain iron. A broadcast spreader throws granules onto the driveway and walk, and when they get wet, each one leaves a small orange spot. That is the peppered pattern often seen on concrete after a spring feeding.
Metal left sitting
Furniture feet, planters, grills and anything metal left in place through a season leave rust rings, most often on concrete patios and steps. Rust needs only iron, oxygen and water, so metal that stays damp against concrete stains the surface beneath it in the shape of the object.
Iron inside the concrete
Rebar too close to the surface, or a crack that lets water reach it, can bleed rust from inside the slab. So can pyrite, an iron mineral in the stone of the concrete itself. Pyrite spots can return after treatment because the source is inside, and we tell you that up front.
YOUR CITY'S WATER
Iron and your city's water, town by town
Where your water comes from decides how likely iron staining is. Here is what each city we serve reports about its own water.
CITY
WHERE THE WATER COMES FROM
WHAT IT MEANS FOR IRON STAINS
Ham Lake
No city water system. Every home is on its own private well.
Untreated well water goes wherever your sprinklers point.
Andover
Eight city wells and an iron and manganese removal plant, built in 2002.
At peak summer demand, untreated wells run and bring iron and manganese back into the system.
Blaine
17 deep wells and four treatment plants that remove iron and manganese.
Treated city water is not the usual cause. Lawns watered from a private well skip treatment entirely.
Anoka
Six deep wells, and every plant filters out iron and manganese.
City water rarely stains, so look for other sources such as fertilizer, metal or a private well.
Coon Rapids
22 wells. The plants remove the iron and manganese found in all of them.
In summer, some wells pump straight into the system, untreated.
Ramsey
Eight wells. The city lists iron at 0.4 to 0.6 PPM, and a new treatment plant opened in spring 2026.
That iron level is above the 0.3 PPM where staining starts. The city now expects fewer stains over time.
Lino Lakes
Six wells, polyphosphate added to control iron, and the first treatment plant due in fall 2026. About 1,500 properties are on private wells.
Iron is held in the water, not removed, so it can still settle out where spray dries.
Circle Pines
Two wells through Centennial Utilities.
Very hard at about 310 PPM, so white mineral spotting is as likely as rust.
Hugo
Five wells, with polyphosphate added. The city says that means fewer rusty-water problems.
Less rusty water, but the iron is not removed. Irrigation still deserves a look.
Rogers
Seven wells. The city lists iron at 1.3 to 1.6 PPM.
That is several times the 0.3 PPM level where the Minnesota Department of Health says staining starts.
Sources: each city's water department pages and drinking water reports (Andover, Blaine, Anoka via the Minnesota Department of Health, Coon Rapids, Ramsey, Lino Lakes, Centennial Utilities for Circle Pines, Hugo, Rogers); Minnesota DNR, Blaine–Ham Lake well interference fact sheet (2023).
IDENTIFY BEFORE YOU TREAT
How to tell iron from its look-alikes
Customers call all of these a stain, and the fix for one can make another permanently worse. Color, surface and whether it wipes off tell us which is which.
WHAT YOU SEE
WHAT IT USUALLY IS
WHAT TAKES IT OFF
Orange, red or tan streaks, fans and arcs
Iron from well water, fertilizer or metal
Iron stain removal, with iron-specific chemistry
Dark brown to black spots from well water
Manganese, a close relative of iron
Treated the same way as iron
White spots on windows
Calcium and other dissolved minerals from the same hard water
Hard water stain removal, made for glass
White, crusty deposits on brick or concrete
Efflorescence: salts coming out of the masonry
An efflorescence remover. A rust remover does nothing
Dark, spreading, darker when wet, on concrete
Oil, absorbed into the pores
A degreaser. Acid makes oil worse
Green, gray or black on siding
Organic growth: algae, mildew, lichen
A soft wash house washing
HOW WE REMOVE IT
Iron needs chemistry, not force
Rust is among the most stable stains there is. It does not dissolve in water, and no pressure or scrubbing changes that. It comes off when the right product converts it into a form that rinses away.
01
Identify it and spot test
We confirm the stain is iron rather than manganese, efflorescence or oil, then test the product on your surface. Some stone, colored concrete and polished finishes can etch or bleach, and a test spot settles that before anything else happens.
02
Clean the surface first
WHY BLEACH MAKES IT WORSE
Bleach is an oxidizer, and rust is iron that has already oxidized, so bleach sets the stain deeper and leaves chloride salts behind. It is the most common mistake we see, and it is why iron and organic growth are treated as two separate jobs.
On concrete, the slab is first cleaned with a degreaser and a surface cleaner, the pressure-washing tool made for flat concrete, then rinsed thoroughly, so organic staining comes off before any acid touches it. Clean concrete has open pores, which let the treatment reach deeper and pull out more of the stain.
03
Apply evenly with a pump sprayer
We use F9 BARC, the trade standard for rust and well-water staining. It goes on evenly across the whole area on the first pass, rather than spot by spot, so you do not end up with clean patches around each stain or a mottled finish across the slab.
04
Let the surface decide the method
On porous concrete, the product dries into the slab and the stain fades as it dries. On siding, stucco and sealed surfaces, it dwells a few minutes while the stain visibly lightens, then is rinsed before it can dry. Where spots remain, a lighter second application follows.
05
Rinse gently, and protect everything
Plants and surroundings are wet down before, during and after, so any overspray is diluted to the point of being harmless. Please keep people and pets off treated areas for at least 3 hours afterward.
HOW PRICING WORKS
The spot test comes first
YOUR STAIN JOB, AT A GLANCE
QUOTE IN PERSON
Spot test on your surface
Always first
Every product on every surface, before any work begins
Iron or manganese removal
Quoted
Priced after Carson sees the stain and the surface
If it will not lift
No charge
If the spot test shows we cannot complete it, you do not pay
Well water still reaching it
Included
Advice on stopping the source, so the result lasts
Every stain is different
Spot test first
Iron stain removal is quoted in person, because the result depends on the age of the stain, the surface and the source of the iron. Carson inspects it, runs a spot test and tells you plainly what will lift before any work starts.
WAYS TO SAVE
Service Plan members
25% off any other work, holiday lighting included
Veterans
10% off any service
Same-day neighbors
15% off for both households
Preferred day
Another 5% off on top of any other saving, up to 25% in all
Seniors 65 and older
$50 off
Three projects together
10% off
Discounts don't combine — you receive whichever single saving is largest. Then a Preferred day can take another 5% off, up to 25% in all (Service Plan members aren't capped).
This season’s flash sale is shown at the foot of every page.
GUARANTEES
What backs the work, word for word
These are printed word for word on your quote, your work order and your invoice.
INCLUDED
Reapplication Guarantee
All stain removal services include a reapplication guarantee: when a stain needs more than one application, the follow-up application is part of the job, not an extra charge.
INCLUDED
Workmanship Standard
If we miss an area or leave normal cleanable residue, tell us and we'll re-clean or touch it up. Our guarantees cover the cleaning result — not repairs, replacements, permanent stains, or conditions that can't be safely corrected through cleaning.
Every stain job still begins with a spot test, and we charge only for work we can complete.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
What iron stain removal includes and excludes
Iron comes off with the right chemistry. Stopping the next stain depends on where the water comes from.
INCLUDED
In every iron stain job
• A spot test before the full job
• Iron-specific chemistry, never bleach
• Siding, concrete, brick, stucco and stone
• Dark brown manganese stains, treated the same way
• Plants and surroundings wet down before, during and after
NOT INCLUDED
Outside iron stain removal
• Sprinkler adjustments or well water treatment
• A promise that years-old, bonded stains come out completely
• Oil, grease and efflorescence, which need other chemistry
• Hard water spots on glass, a separate service
EQUIPMENT AND METHODS
Chemistry, not force
F9 BARC, from Front 9 Restoration, is the trade standard for metallic staining: non-abrasive, non-flammable and safer to work with than hydrochloric acid. It goes on through a dedicated pump-up sprayer, is worked gently with soft-bristle brushes and dwells 5 to 15 minutes. The rinse is gentle, ideally with our soft wash system.
SAFETY AND CARE
Iron-specific chemistry, handled safely
Rust stains need an acid treatment, not bleach and not force, and that calls for careful handling from start to finish.
PROTECTIVE GEAR
Gloves and a respirator
The iron treatment is similar to battery acid, so it is applied in rubber gloves and, ideally, a respirator, along with safety glasses. It is kept in a dedicated sprayer, separate from the pressure washer, because acid destroys pump seals.
NO FORCE
Never blasted
Driving water at a rust stain pushes iron deeper into the pores and makes it harder to remove. The treatment does the work, soft-bristle brushes help it along, and the stain itself is never blasted with a pressure wand.
WHERE IT NEVER GOES
Surfaces it could harm
It never goes on glass, polished or acid-sensitive stone such as marble, limestone or travertine, polished or chrome aluminum, or colored concrete, where undiluted acid can bleach the pigment. It never goes anywhere a test spot has not been done first.
BEFORE WE START
Tell us what is nearby
Please mention dark metals, powder-coated or aluminum finishes, specialty stone, prized plants or a pond near the stain. Knowing what surrounds the work lets Carson adjust the mix and the method before anything is applied.
THE OWNER
Why iron stains matter to Carson
Glass House is owned and run by Carson Brenny, with no crews, subcontractors or handoffs. He grew up in Ham Lake, where every home runs on a private well, went to Blaine High School and has worked full-time in exterior cleaning since 2020. He quotes the job, does the work and walks it with you at the end.
A homeowner with orange streaks under the windows is not careless; the house is on well water, like its neighbors. Iron is one of the few stains that grows harder to remove the longer it sits, so Carson explains plainly what can come out, treats it safely and shows how to keep the sprinklers from putting it back.
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
✓
A spot test before any treatment
✓
Charged only for work we can complete
✓
Prevention advice you can use the same day
WHAT TO EXPECT
What iron stain removal can and cannot do
Fresh stains come off best
Rust caught early is close to fully recoverable, because it has not yet bonded into the surface. Each additional watering cycle adds iron and gives the stain more time to set, so a new stain is worth treating promptly.
Old stains can leave a shadow
Staining that has sat for years improves substantially, but it can leave a faint shadow. Over time, iron bonds into the top layer of the surface, and past a point that surface is permanently discolored. More than one application is normal.
An active source brings it back
Treating the stain does not change the water. If a sprinkler head still reaches the siding or the slab, the stain will return. We raise that in the quote, not six weeks later, along with how to redirect the spray.
Sealing comes after, never before
If a surface is going to be sealed, the rust comes out first. Sealing over iron locks it under a film where nobody can reach it, and if a sprinkler keeps wetting the slab, new rust forms on top of the sealer.
DOING IT YOURSELF
Treating a small spot on your own
A small, fresh stain you can reach from the ground is a reasonable do-it-yourself job with a store-bought rust remover. Here is how to do it safely.
01
Gear up
Wear rubber gloves, eye protection and, ideally, a respirator. Many rust removers are similar to battery acid, so handle them with the same care you would give any strong acid.
02
Test a hidden spot
NEVER MIX WITH BLEACH
Rust removers are acids, and most house-wash mixes are bleach. Together they produce chlorine gas. If you have washed with bleach, rinse everything thoroughly and let it dry completely before any acid product comes out.
Test every product on every surface. Colored concrete, natural stone and some finishes can etch or bleach, so find out on a spot nobody sees before treating the whole area.
03
Apply, then brush softly
Apply with a pump sprayer, evenly across the whole stained area rather than spot by spot, and work it gently with a soft-bristle brush. Follow the label for dwell time, and do not let it dry on siding.
04
Rinse gently
Rinse at low pressure, as a garden hose does. Keep a pressure washer off the stain, because high pressure pushes iron deeper into the pores instead of removing it.
05
Fix the source
Aim the sprinkler head at the grass, or the stain will return within a few waterings. Treating a stain without redirecting the water only resets the clock.
PREVENTION
How to stop new iron stains
SPRINKLERS
Aim at grass only
Point every head at the lawn, never the house, driveway or walk. That one change solves most iron staining, because it removes the water that carries the iron.
HOSES
Stop the overspray
Keep garden-hose spray off siding and concrete, especially when filling pools or washing cars. Well water from a hose carries the same iron as the sprinklers.
FERTILIZER
Sweep the concrete
Blow or sweep stray fertilizer granules off driveways and walks before they get wet. Each granule left behind can leave its own small orange spot.
SPIGOTS
Filter the water
If staining still occurs, filters on the outside spigots can strip minerals before the water leaves the house. They are not inexpensive, but they are sometimes worth it.
Treated city water is not always free of iron. In Andover and Coon Rapids, untreated wells can run during peak summer demand, so these steps matter on city water as well as on a private well.
WHERE WE WORK
Iron stain removal across the north metro
Glass House is based in Ham Lake, where every home is on a well, and treats iron staining throughout Anoka County and the Twin Cities north metro.
Each city page covers local conditions. The surrounding north metro is served as well, and we travel farther for a small trip fee.
IRON STAIN QUESTIONS
Iron stain removal FAQ
Why do I have orange stains on my house?
Most likely, your well water. Water from private wells here carries dissolved iron. When sprinklers or hoses put it on siding or concrete, the water dries, the iron oxidizes and an orange stain forms in the shape of the spray. Fertilizer granules and metal left sitting on concrete are the other common sources.
Can I use bleach on rust stains?
No. Bleach is an oxidizer, and rust is iron that has already oxidized, so bleach sets the stain instead of lifting it. Never use bleach and a rust remover together, or one after the other without a full rinse and dry, because the combination produces chlorine gas.
Will pressure washing get it off?
No. Rust does not dissolve in water, so pressure alone cannot lift it, and blasting a rust stain drives the iron deeper into the pores. Iron comes off with an acid or chelating treatment that converts the rust into a form that rinses away, followed by a gentle rinse.
Will the stains come back?
Only if the source is still there. If a sprinkler head still reaches the surface, new staining will build up with each watering cycle, so aim the heads at the grass, stop hose overspray or filter the outside water. Pyrite spots are the exception, since their iron source sits inside the concrete itself.
What about black or dark brown stains?
Those are usually manganese, another metal found in our well water. Manganese belongs to the same family as iron and is treated the same way, with F9 BARC. We do not call it rust, because it is not, but the spot test and the removal process are the same.
Can you remove iron stains from windows?
Yes, but glass receives its own treatment, because F9 BARC never goes on glass. Mineral staining on windows, including the white calcium spots left by the same well water, is handled by our Hard Water Stain Removal service, added to a window cleaning and tested on one window first.
How much does iron stain removal cost?
Iron stain removal is quoted in person, after Carson sees the stain and runs a spot test, because the price depends on the stain's age, the surface and the source of the iron. If the spot test shows it is not a job we can complete, there is no charge.
Is it safe for my plants?
Yes, with care. Plants and surroundings are wet down before, during and after, so any overspray is diluted to the point of being harmless, and the product is applied with a pump sprayer rather than blasted. Tell us about prized plants or a pond, and we will take extra care around them.
