Pressure washing in West Haven, Connecticut.

Local conditions

Low, open, and facing the water.

West Haven holds about three miles of shoreline, a large share of all the public beach in Connecticut, running from Sandy Point along the Savin Rock boardwalk to Bradley Point. There is very little between that water and the houses behind it.

That matters for exterior cleaning in a specific way. Wind off the Sound carries salt spray several streets inland, so the salt film problem is not limited to the properties on Beach Street. It reaches the blocks behind them too, and it builds up on siding season after season.

West Haven also has tight lot spacing across much of the town. Houses sit close together, which means the north and side elevations get less direct sun and stay damp longer after rain. Damp siding in shade is where mildew and algae take hold first, and it is why one wall of a house often looks years older than the other three.