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STAIN REMOVAL
Stain removal for Ham Lake and the north metro
Each stain is identified before anything touches it, spot tested on your surface, then lifted with chemistry made for that stain.
Orange fans on siding, dark spots on a driveway, white crust on brick and chalk that comes off on your hand can look alike from twenty feet away. They are different problems that need different chemistry, so Glass House identifies each stain and runs a spot test before any treatment begins.
Many north metro homes water their lawns with well water that carries iron and manganese, so staining here is common and rarely anyone's fault. Fresh stains come off best. Left to bond, a stain can become permanent, and the wrong product, such as bleach on rust, can set it for good.
OUR STAIN POLICY
Every stain job begins with a spot test, and we charge only for work we can complete.
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Insured to $2M
Owner-operated
Based in Ham Lake
WHY STAINS FORM HERE
Most staining here starts with the water
Groundwater across the north metro carries dissolved iron and manganese. When sprinkler water dries on a house, the iron oxidizes into an orange stain, and every watering cycle lays down another layer.
100%
of Ham Lake homes draw their water from private wells. With no city water system, sprinklers apply the water exactly as it comes out of the ground.
2002
The year Andover built its iron and manganese removal plant. At peak summer demand, the city says untreated wells still run and bring both metals back.
22
wells supply Coon Rapids, and the city reports iron and manganese in all of them. In summer, some pump straight into the system untreated.
2026
Ramsey opened an iron and manganese plant in spring 2026. Lino Lakes' first plant, built because manganese exceeded state health guidelines, is due in fall 2026.
Sources: Minnesota DNR, Blaine-Ham Lake area well interference fact sheet (2023); City of Andover, Water Department; City of Coon Rapids, City Water System; City of Ramsey, Water Treatment (2026); City of Lino Lakes, Drinking Water Report 2025.
FOUR QUESTIONS
How we identify a stain before we see it
Four answers separate almost every stain we are asked about. You can check them before you call, or we will walk through them with you by phone.
WHEN TWO ANSWERS COULD FIT
Some stains could be either of two things. When that happens, we say so and Carson looks at it in person, because a confident wrong guess is how a driveway gets damaged.
01
Check the color
Orange, red or tan points to iron. Dark brown to black from well water is usually manganese, a close relative of iron that is not rust. White can be efflorescence, oxidation or hard water, and green or black is usually organic growth, something living on the surface.
02
Note the surface
Concrete, brick, siding, glass and gutters each have their usual suspects. White crust on brick and white chalk on vinyl siding can look alike from the driveway, yet they are two different problems with two different treatments.
03
Wipe it with a damp rag
Wipe the area firmly with a damp white rag. Chalky white powder that comes off siding onto the rag is oxidation, meaning the surface itself is breaking down rather than holding a stain. A green, gray or brown smear points to algae or mildew instead.
04
Wet it with a hose
Wet the area with a garden hose and look again. Oil looks darker when wet. Faded siding that turns rich when wet still has color to recover. A haze on glass that looks the same wet and dry can mean the glass is etched.
IDENTIFY BEFORE YOU TREAT
Stains on concrete, brick and siding
Customers call all of these a stain. Here is what each one usually is, and the service that removes it.
WHAT YOU SEE
WHAT IT USUALLY IS
WHAT TAKES IT OFF
Orange, red or tan fans and streaks
Iron (rust) from well-water sprinklers, fertilizer or metal
Iron Stain Removal, with an acid or chelator. Bleach sets it permanently
Dark brown to black, often from well water
Manganese, a close relative of iron, but not rust
Iron Stain Removal, treated the same way with F9 BARC
White, crusty bloom on brick, block or concrete
Efflorescence: salts carried out of the masonry by moisture
Efflorescence Removal. A rust remover does nothing here
White chalk on siding that wipes off on your hand
Oxidation: the siding's own surface breaking down
Oxidation Removal. A house wash cannot fix it
Dark, spreading spots that look darker wet
Oil, absorbed into the pores of the concrete
Oil Stain Removal, with a degreaser. Acid makes it worse
Green, gray or black, often on the shady side
Organic growth: algae, mildew, moss or lichen
Not a stain. A soft wash removes it: House Washing or Concrete Washing
GLASS, GUTTERS AND MORE
Stains on glass, gutters, roofs and signs
These also look like dirt, yet ordinary cleaning will not remove them. Each one has its own treatment.
WHAT YOU SEE
WHAT IT USUALLY IS
WHAT TAKES IT OFF
White spots on windows
Hard water: calcium and other dissolved minerals left by sprinkler or hose water
Hard Water Stain Removal, added to a window cleaning
White or rainbow haze that will not come off
Mineral etching, in the glass itself
Carson looks first. Etched glass may not clear, and you will know before you spend anything
Black vertical streaks on the face of gutters
Tiger stripes: shingle carbon bonded to oxidized aluminum
Gutter Brightening. If the stripes do not come off, there is no charge
Black streaks running down the roof
Gloeocapsa magma, a cyanobacteria. Not dirt or age
Roof Washing, a soft wash. Never pressure
Spray paint or marker on brick, signs or siding
Graffiti
Graffiti Removal, with products matched to the surface underneath
Paint, adhesive or film residue on new windows
Construction debris
Construction Cleaning, with a signed waiver
A TRUE SPECIALTY
The wrong product can make it permanent
Stain work is not a stronger house wash. Each stain has its own chemistry, and a mistake can lock it into the surface.
Bleach sets rust
Rust is iron that has already oxidized, and bleach is an oxidizer, so bleach on rust sets the stain deeper and leaves chloride salts behind. Iron comes off with an acid or a chelator, which converts or binds the iron into a form that rinses away.
Acid makes oil worse
Acid etches concrete; it does not lift oil. On an oil stain it eats the surface and leaves a patch with a different texture, usually with the oil still underneath. Oil needs a degreaser, most often F9 Double Eagle, which emulsifies the oil so it can be flushed out.
Pressure is not the answer
Blasting a rust stain drives the iron deeper into the pores, and pressure cleans only the top of an oil stain while the oil below stays put. Oxidation needs a product made for it and a soft brush, because high pressure can etch siding and drive water behind the panels.
Sealing locks it in
If a surface is going to be sealed, rust, oil and efflorescence come out first. Sealed over, they are trapped under a film where nobody can reach them, and sealer will not bond to oil at all, which leaves dull spots and peeling directly over the stain.
Carson considers oil, efflorescence, iron staining, oxidation and sealing true specialties. Each requires expert execution to reach the best result without damaging the surface, and each carries real risk when done improperly, as roof and house washing do. That is why Glass House invests in the best products, equipment and processes, all in the hands of one owner-operator.
HOW IT WORKS
Identify, test, then treat
Every stain follows the same careful order, whatever it turns out to be.
01
Walk-around and identification
Carson confirms what the stain is, what surface it is on and where it is coming from, whether a sprinkler, fertilizer, metal or moisture in the masonry. The walk-around also confirms the right chemistry at the right strength for your surface.
ONE PRODUCT, TWO METHODS
The surface changes the method. On porous concrete, F9 BARC is left to dry into the slab, and the stain fades as it dries. On siding, stucco and sealed surfaces, it dwells a few minutes and is rinsed before it can dry.
02
Spot test first
The product goes on a small, out-of-the-way area first. The test shows what will lift and whether your surface tolerates the product before anything else happens. If it is not a job we can complete, you do not pay for it.
03
Clean in the right order
Oil comes off first, because it repels water-based chemistry and would otherwise be cleaned around. Organic growth comes next. Acid goes last and alone, after a full rinse, so it never meets bleach.
04
Treat with stain-specific chemistry
F9 BARC for iron and manganese, F9 Double Eagle for oil, OX-KNOX or Clonsol-BC for oxidation and a dedicated gutter degreaser for tiger stripes. Each is applied the way its surface requires and worked gently by brush, never forced off with pressure.
05
Rinse, neutralize and protect
Plants and surroundings are wet down before, during and after, so any overspray is diluted to the point of being harmless. Acid work is neutralized and rinsed again. Please keep people and pets off treated areas for at least 3 hours.
WHAT TO EXPECT
What stain removal can and cannot do
Fresh stains come off best
Iron left long enough bonds into the top layer of a surface, and past that point the surface is permanently discolored. Oil moves faster, penetrating concrete within the first 30 to 60 minutes after a spill. The sooner a new stain is treated, the better the result.
An active source brings it back
Treating a stain does not change its source. If a sprinkler head still reaches the siding, the rust returns, and efflorescence can return while moisture keeps moving through the masonry. We raise the source in the quote, not six weeks later.
Old stains can leave a shadow
Years-old iron and soaked-in oil improve substantially, but a faint shadow can remain. On old oil, some of what sits deep in the pores migrates back toward the surface as the slab dries. More than one application is normal and does not mean anything went wrong.
Some damage is in the surface
Etched glass and color that has faded out of siding cannot be cleaned back, because the damage is in the material rather than on it. When that is the case, you will hear it before you spend anything, along with the options that can help, such as polishing, paint or replacement.
HOW PRICING WORKS
No risk to you: the spot test comes first
YOUR STAIN JOB, AT A GLANCE
IN PERSON
Spot test on your surface
Always first
Every product on every surface, before any work begins
Specialty stain removal
Quoted
Iron, manganese, oil, efflorescence, oxidation and graffiti, each priced after Carson sees it
Hard water on glass
Quoted
An add-on to a window cleaning, judged once the glass is clean
Gutter brightening
From $200
Tiger stripes on the gutter face. If the stripes do not come off, there is no charge
A job we cannot complete
No charge
If the spot test shows it will not lift, you do not pay for it
Every stain is different
Test first
Stain removal is quoted in person, because the result depends on what the stain is, how long it has been there and the surface beneath it. Carson identifies 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.
ON: GUTTER BRIGHTENING
Brightening Guarantee
If the stripes do not come off, there is no charge.
Every stain job still begins with a spot test, and we charge only for work we can complete.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
What stain removal includes, and what it does not
Every stain job covers the same essentials. The source of a stain, and damage within the surface itself, fall outside what cleaning can change.
INCLUDED
In every stain job
• Identification of the stain before anything touches it
• A spot test, with no charge if we cannot complete the job
• Chemistry made for that stain, never a one-size product
• Plants and surroundings wet down before, during and after
• A thorough rinse, and neutralizing after any acid work
NOT INCLUDED
Outside stain removal
• Fixes to the source: sprinklers, wells or moisture
• A promise that old, bonded stains leave no shadow
• Etched glass or color faded out of siding
• Repairs, repainting or resurfacing
EQUIPMENT AND METHODS
The right tools, in the right order
Acidic products go on through a dedicated pump-up sprayer, never a pressure washer pump, and are worked in with soft-bristle brushes rather than force. Rinsing is gentle, ideally with the soft wash system at low pressure. Old oil stains may receive a poultice, an absorbent paste that draws oil back up out of the pores, and hard water on glass is worked in with an abrasive.
SAFETY AND CARE
Strong chemistry, handled carefully
Stain removal uses the strongest products we carry, so it follows our strictest safety rules.
PROTECTIVE GEAR
Gloves, respirator and glasses
Every acid treatment is applied in rubber gloves, a respirator and safety glasses. The iron treatment is similar to battery acid, and efflorescence and hard water treatments are acids as well, so the same protective gear goes on for each of them.
THE ONE RULE
Bleach and acid never meet
Bleach-based cleaners and acidic stain removers are never mixed and never used back to back without a full rinse and dry between them, because together they produce chlorine gas. That is why the order of a stain job is planned in advance, never improvised.
CONDITIONS
Right temperature, never left to dry
Most of these chemistries are used above 50°F and out of direct hot sun. No product is allowed to dry on a surface unless its label specifically calls for it, so the label, not a rule of thumb, governs every application.
YOUR SURFACES
Surfaces that react to acid
The iron treatment never goes on glass, polished or acid-sensitive stone such as marble and limestone, polished aluminum, or colored concrete, where it can bleach the pigment. Please mention specialty stone, powder-coated metal or dark finishes before we arrive.
THE OWNER
Why Carson identifies every stain first
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 since 2020. He runs every walk-around, spot test and treatment himself, then walks the finished job with you.
Much of the staining Carson sees across the north metro is nobody's fault. It comes from well water, sprinklers and trees while families go about living in their homes. Because the wrong product can make a stain permanent, he identifies first, tests second and charges only for work he can complete.
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
✓
Honest about what is permanent
PREVENTION
Stop the next stain before it starts
SPRINKLERS
Aim at grass only
Point every head at the lawn, never the house, driveway or walk. That one change solves most iron staining, and it is the conversation we have before every rust quote.
FERTILIZER
Sweep the concrete
Most lawn fertilizers contain iron. Blow or sweep stray granules off driveways and walks before they get wet, or each one can leave an orange dot.
OIL
Act within the hour
Cover a fresh spill with non-clumping clay cat litter, grind it in underfoot, leave it an hour or overnight, then sweep. The clock matters more than the product.
SPIGOTS
Filter the water
If staining keeps returning, filters on the outside spigots can strip minerals before the water leaves the house. They are not inexpensive, but they are sometimes worth it.
Watering rules only go so far. The cities we serve that have city water all use odd/even lawn watering schedules, and most ban midday watering. Private wells are another matter: Ham Lake has no city water at all, and Blaine and Lino Lakes exempt private wells from their rules, so a well-fed sprinkler can run any day, and every run lays down a little more iron.
WHERE WE WORK
Stain removal across the north metro
Glass House is based in Ham Lake, where every home runs on a private well, and treats stains throughout Anoka County and the Twin Cities north metro.
Each city page lists every service we offer there. The surrounding north metro is served as well, and we travel farther for a small trip fee.
STAIN QUESTIONS
Stain removal FAQ
How do I know what kind of stain I have?
Check four things: its color, the surface it is on, whether it wipes off on your hand and whether it looks different when wet. Those four answers separate almost every stain we see. If you are unsure, send us a photo, and when two answers could fit, Carson looks at it in person before anything is treated.
Can I use bleach on a stain?
Not on rust. Bleach is an oxidizer, and rust is iron that has already oxidized, so bleach sets the stain deeper instead of lifting it. Never use bleach and an acidic rust remover together, or one right after the other without a full rinse and dry, because the combination produces chlorine gas.
Why do you start with a spot test?
A spot test shows what will lift and whether your surface tolerates the product, before anything else happens. It is done on a small, out-of-the-way area. If the test shows the stain will not come off, or that it is not a job we can complete, you do not pay for it.
Will the stain come back?
It can, if the source is still active. A sprinkler that still reaches the siding brings rust back, and moisture moving through masonry can bring efflorescence back. We discuss the source before we quote, so you know what will protect the result, such as re-aiming sprinkler heads or adding filters to the outside spigots.
Is dark brown or black staining from well water rust?
No. Dark brown to black staining from well water is usually manganese, not iron. Manganese belongs to the same metal family and is treated the same way, with F9 BARC, but we do not call it rust, because it is not. A spot test comes first, as with every stain.
Can you get oil out of my driveway?
Fresh spills usually come out completely, and recent ones come out or nearly so. Old, soaked-in oil improves substantially but can leave a shadow, because oil deep in the pores can migrate back toward the surface as the slab dries. More than one application is normal and does not mean anything went wrong.
Will a house wash take care of it?
No. A house wash removes organic growth such as algae, mildew and moss, along with dirt and pollen. It does not remove rust, oxidation, efflorescence, oil or tiger stripes. Each of those is a specialty treatment with its own chemistry, which is why they are identified and quoted separately.
How much does stain removal cost?
Every stain job is quoted in person, after Carson identifies the stain and runs a spot test, because the price depends on what the stain is, how long it has been there and the surface beneath it. If the test shows it is not a job we can complete, there is no charge.
