Deciding to get your house Pressure washed can be a wonderful thing, there is no better feeling than coming home to a completely clean home, removed of that ugly green growing everywhere. When it come to choosing the right company there are many to choose from. Some things to take into consideration are: How long has the company been in business. Are they Insured. Do they have a license. Do they have Workmans comp. What type of equipment will be used, as well as what soaps. Not to mention what process will they be doing the work. And last but not least, How much will this cost.

    How Long the pressure washing service has been in Business : This is important for a couple of reasons. I do believe you have to start somewhere, but often times over the years, we have seen 'Fly by Night' companies come and go. And to be honest, the last thing you want is to have someone brand new to the trade working on your largest investment with zero training. It's okay to ask how long they have been doing this, or who did they work for previously. Without some sort of training, it is VERY easy to cause damage to your home or to themselves.
    
    Are they Insured: Now this should go without saying, having the proper insurance is so important. If damage is caused to your property, you definitely want to ensure it is covered and the damaged areas can be replaced without the homeowner having to float the bill. But not only ask for proof of insurance, call the insurance company to verify, too many times I've seen 'companies' pay for just the first month only to get the certificate.

    Do they have a License: The pressure washing industry, much like lawn care, is very easy to get into. Believe me when I say there are a bunch of so called companies out there that aren't even companies. A quick call or email to your county office and now days even online and you will have your answer.

    Do they have Workmans Comp: Another important factor, the last thing anyone wants is to see someone injured or hurt. Verifying that the employees are covered can save you thousands in medical bills if the injured party decides to sue. This like a license, is a quick call or internet search on the States website will reveal the answer.

    Equipment needed to pressure wash a house: We've all heard the phrase, " the right equipment for the right job" this applies here as well, too much pressure, or too little will either damage your home or not get it clean. Generally speaking, when washing a house, p.s.i. doesn't matter, the gallons per minute is where its at. The GPM equates to speed, where the p.s.i. equates to power.. You don't want a lot of p.s.i. on vinyl siding or wood. Pressure is great for concrete, but not on your house, fence or deck.

    Chemicals needed to wash your house: Never let a company tell you," its proprietary" or "special blend" even, "oh, its our own house mix, its a secret". As a homeowner, YOU have every right to know what is being used on your home. Simple as that. The primary ingredient  we all use is sodium-hypochlorite (bleach). The bleach you use in your laundry is around 3%SH, where what we use averages around 10%-12%, mixed with water and a surfactant to help it cling a little better.

    How to pressure wash your house: This is another important bit of knowledge. The recommended method is what's called a down stream or softwash. This uses low-pressure to apply the soap and low- pressure to rinse. If done properly this wont damage your home. There is no need to get on ladders, depending on your machine, you can wash safely from ground, even a two or three story home. NEVER apply too much pressure to a home.

    How much does it cost to pressure wash your home: Now this can be a big variable. A LOT of things go into pricing such as square footage, material of your home (i.e.- A vinyl siding home will be cheaper than a stucco home). On average ,here in Knoxville, for a 2,800sqft vinyl siding home, you can expect to pay $250 - $350, where as a stucco home of the same size $350 - $500. For pressure washing a driveway anywhere from $75 - $600 depending on the size. Most companies do have a sqft price of .10 - .17 cents. Like concrete a deck can run anywhere from $150 and up depending on size and type (some intricate spindles add cost) as well as levels, etc..

     Final Note: It's always best to get more than one estimate, but most importantly go with your gut feeling. If your 'Spidey senses' are tingling, don't ignore it because of price. Ask for references, do some research of previous work. Don't always go by reviews, you'd be surprised how easy 'good reviews' can be purchased.

   On a recent Window Cleaning job, we noticed the shower door was covered in soap scum and hard water staining. Since this home is only a couple years old, the build up is quite heavy for our area, but the good news is, with regular maintenance this can be remedied, and the glass in your shower can look new the entire life of the glass. 
   Now obviusly the first thing that can be done is softening the water, but that is not always a viable option for homeowners. If this route is taken you will have to remoove the existing scale, the same method for regular maintenance.
​  Depending on the level of scale, this may take multiple applications to remove, but it is still a great idea to impliment into your cleaning ritual every month. We like to beigin with 0000 Steel wool, now this isnt the same as what you would use to clean pots, this product is very fine, and made for glass surfaces so it will not scratch the glass, I promise... Its only good for one time use, the fibers are very fine and will rust within a couple of days. 
   Once you have your fine steel wool, dip it in a mixture of water and soap, easy on the soap, were just using it as a lubricant to help it glide smoother so the soap isnt releavant either, in a circular motion start from the bottom and work your way up applying light pressure and let the product do the work. Follow up by cleaning the glass as normal. For lighter stains the results will be immediate, for harder stain build up it will take multiple applications.​
, 
     

    Here is another question asked by own of our followers and customers, especially since April is here and it is rain season, “ What happens when it rains”, “Will it ruin the work”. Well the answer is yes and No at the same time. A lot depends on what service is being performed and how much it is raining. My goal is to discuss this a little further, as to what I take into consideration when looking at the weather. But ultimately, its YOUR choice, YOU are the home owner, I’m here to help you.
      When is comes to providing service, whether it be Window Washing, Pressure Washing, Concrete cleaning or Roof Cleaning, you must approach these differently. First off, if Lightning is in the forecast, the answer is absolutely NO! As we know, lightning can strike from 20 miles away, and since all of our equipment is a great conductor, we will not work.
         
​            Window Cleaning, Traditionally rain does not make your windows dirty, but if you have trees and such, yes a brief storm can transfer everything to the clean glass, so a light rain will not effect it too much but a heavy rain will. Since we are washing all the dirt and grime off your glass, its unlikely it will immediately  be back on there as soon as we leave.

          House Washing, again this depends on the amount of rain, once we spray the soap on your home, it must have a short dwell time to kill the mold and algae, heavy rains will wash the soap off, light to moderate rain wont, but if its windy… we end up getting more soap on the neighbors house, so we will pause. Light rain, in fact will help wash soap off any plants nearby, saving us from having to rinse them off.

         Concrete Cleaning, yes this will effect, We do a pre treat to help break up the dirt and a post treat to help kill the tougher algae, and the rain will wash this away.

        Roof Cleaning, The same that applies to concrete cleaning, applies to roof cleaning, as roofing has more texture and tougher algae, and since pressure can not be used, we wont be cleaning the roof . I have had a pop up shower wash away hundreds of dollars of soap… not fun :P

         SO to some it up, window cleaning and House Washing is okay in the rain, the other services, not so well. Part of my job is to ensure you have the best possible service, with uncompromising quality, and since we do put a warranty on all our work, Please do have a little patience this time of year, we may have to re-schedule.

​         Innovative Glass, James Long.

​     Here we are, it’s already April, and you remember the saying, “April Showers bring May flowers”. Not only is it time to start mowing your yard, but soon the flowers will be in full bloom, bee’s will be out buzzing. And with all that, comes allergies, mold and pollen. Even though our yards will be gorgeous, this will play havoc on your home.
     
As pollen spores begin to grow and fly about, they land on anything and everything. All around Knoxville, every home and structure will be covered in yellow dust. And then comes the sneezing. If you have bad allergies this is a wonderful time to do a basic maintenance wash on your home. Using a mild soap when pressure washing, is a sure fire way to remove the pollen which in return will lower your allergy level, and give YOU the ability to breathe a little easier. The basic House wash, starts from the top of your home, all the way down to the foundation, and since there is mild soap, when your home is getting it low pressure wash, all the pollen gets washed away in the rinse.
       
           With these Spring Showers, if you watch the weather report on your local news, mold is starting to take shape and form. As the season goes on the mold begins to grow and grow, and before you know it, Around you gutters and soffits as well as your siding, you will see a lite greyish look, this is the mold. To combatant this we boost up the soap, adding a mold killer when down streaming to kill 100% of the mold spores, and just like the pollen, it gets washed away in the rinse.

        Every spring, people go through the phase of Spring cleaning, and this is a great way to add that extra cleanliness to your home. And for that extra touch, add exterior window cleaning. Many companies either include this, or it’s a slight additional charge that will really add that extra WOW factor to your home. After all, who doesn’t love clean windows.

 Call Innovative Glass TODAY! 865-455-9871 for a FREE Quote

   This is probably one of the most common questions I receive. As the owner of one of the top Window cleaning companies in Knoxville, I will do my best to shed a little bit of light and answer this question. First off, different companies do have different rates, I’m not going to say go with the highest estimate, or the lowest, or even the middle one. You should always go with what company and price YOU feel comfortable with. Following that rule first will insure you are have a good experience.
       
      When pricing windows there are a few variables that do come into play. For example, type of window, are they single hung, double hung, casement. Do you have storm windows? What type of service are you wanting, Exterior only? Inside/ Outside? Sills and tracks? How about screens? On a normal estimate these things are something we take into consideration. But that’s not all…
     
      Another thing we look at is what type of contamination is on the glass. Hard water stains can be on the extreme side, and removing this requires a different process and can be an additional cost. When was the last time your windows were washed? If done yearly, this will fall under a basic window clean. If they haven’t been cleaned in years, dust and dirt will be built up. Is there over spray from the pest control company? These are a few things to consider.

     Another thing that factors in cost is Construction Clean up, this type will be on the higher end of the spectrum. Between drywall dust, paint over spray, maybe even a little mortar dripped on the glass. But keep in mind, if new windows, take great care in cleaning, fabrication debris can scratch the glass, and often times, with a scratch waiver, if damage is caused, the window could be ruined. Be sure to ask your service provider questions about the process they use before proceeding.
   
    We here at Innovative Glass do our best to fit the service to your needs. Sometimes we find that the interior windows are spotless already, and that’s okay, we will happily do exterior with our a la carte pricing break down. We also do put a limited warranty, but only if we do both Interior and exterior.

    You drive through Any neighbor hood in the Northern Hemisphere and you will see green on the home, and yes in the Southern hemisphere it grows on the South side of the home. Since this side of the house gets less Sun than the other, moisture doesn’t evaporate as fast thus Algae grows at a much faster rate. Other circumstances do play a roll, such as how long the ground stays saturated after rain, or if you live within proximity of trees this too will aide in fungi growth.
    Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about this, external factors will determine if your home needs to be washed every year or two to five years. But there are a few steps you can take to reduce the time frames between Pressure Washing your home. First off, be sure to trim trees and bushes a foot or more off your home. This will allow more airflow thus allowing to dry faster. If water seems to stand you may benefit from installing a French Drain, helping water travel away from your home.
       
     Another tip is to keep your gutters clean. Proper working gutters, help keep water from overflowing next to your foundation, but make sure the down spouts take the water away, at least two to three feet.
 
     When you do get your house washed, make sure you or your service professional uses some sort of soap mix that contains an algicide that kills the algae. Just using water or even hot water just adds to the moisture. Even though your home maybe clean when complete, rest assured mold and algae will be back quickly. Using an algicide in the soap mix allows Innovative Glass to put a one-year warranty on all pressure washing jobs.

As we leave winter behind and spring is upon us, its time to get your home ready for the year and prepare for those outdoor activities.  If you’re like me, you have a full list from cleaning out those unwanted items in your home, to making sure the Sprinklers are ready, even sharpening the blades on the lawn mower. While you check things off your list, more pop up. Sometimes You need a little extra hand to help you get caught up. We here at Innovative Glass would love to help you with your check list. Here are a few of the things we like to do around our own home.
First is Gutter cleaning, throughout Fall and Winter leaves may have fallen in your gutters causing them to clog and over flow. Its very important to get those cleaned out before they damage your eaves and soffits, or worse your foundation.
Next is Roof Cleaning, with the heavy rains we’ve had this year, algae and mold will be in full growth mode leaving ugly black streaks. This is also a good time to inspect your roof for any damage and schedule a reputable company. And remember, NO Pressure!!
With the ground saturated with water, the North side of your house is sure to be Green. A complete House wash may be just what you need. Removing the mold and algae is a great way to make your home clean on the outside, after all its not just about the inside. This is also a great time to inspect your home for loose siding or clogged dryer vents, maybe even switch out those floodlamp bulbs for more energy efficient ones.
Don’t forget the Windows! With Inside and outside window cleaning, this is sure to make your home feel and look both cleaner and brighter. Be sure to wipe down those window frames, vacuum out the tracks and clean those screens.
And let’s not forget the Driveway and Sidewalk. Pressure Washing the concrete can really make your home pop! Not only will this wash away the grime reducing slips and falls, If your home in on the market, this can really ad curb appeal and set your house apart.
And if you don’t have the time, give Innovative Glass Window Cleaning & Pressure Washing a call 865-455-9871, Winner of Best of Knoxville in Exterior Maintenance and Favorite in Cleaning Service. Were guaranteed to help you with your Spring-Cleaning list.

  As the owner of a Window Cleaning Service in Knoxville, I have probably seen about every type of window out there, some good, some bad and some I hope I never see again. This also means I’ve seen everything that can go wrong, from Low-E failure, Seal failure, warping and sash rot on wooden frames. I decided to write a brief check list on things to consider when replacing your windows. Some of this is also what we do as an inspection on an estimate when cleaning windows.
  One of the first things to consider is the warranty. Not only what it covers, but also for how long. Since we mainly do residential, that is what we will focus on since commercial usually as a completely different warranty. Often times Window Manufacturers have anything from 10-20-year warranties and even a few have a lifetime warranty on Low-E and seal failure. Those are the two most common problems that can affect your glass, while seal failure is easy to spot (looks fogged up), Low-E failure is a little different but easily seen from the outside as it will have a color change, much like oil on water. And YES, I have seen this happen in Brand NEW windows.
   The next thing is repairing if something does go wrong, for example, one manufacturer has a code on every window which you can call and give the code and they will send out a replacement part, while another locks up ALL replacement parts and you have to use their provider. Personally, I prefer windows that your local handyman can fix if needed or the home owner themselves. In the ‘mechanical’ side of the warranty, check with the company and see what exactly is covered, as couple companies will cover this as well.
   So you’ve picked your brand, you’ve picked a date for installation, now what. ALWAYS inspect! And don’t make the mistake of testing the window and calling it good. Go outside and look for that color change (low-E failure). Also inspect with certain angles of light. Light scratches can and Do happen, these can be hard to see till later down the road. Check to make sure they are secure in the frame and the operation is smooth. A poorly installed window will be tight and not work properly. Check the caulking, both inside and outside (if needed).
   After all of that, the most important thing is to enjoy your new view! But don’t forget to maintain that view. With new windows your going to want to keep them clean. Although we do recommend hiring a professional with the first few cleanings, as this will help remove fabrication debris which can scratch the glass if not cleaned properly. It is important to mention, that ALL window companies have a clause in their warranty that does not cover damage caused by fabrication debris In fact this can void all warranties. Written by James Long with Innovative Glass, Knoxville,Tn.

​ Drive through any Knoxville neighborhood and you can see those black streaks on just about every roof, mainly on the North side of the roof slope. These black marks on a roof can make your home unsightly and cause your home to lose curb appeal and if your home is for sale, this could possibly cost you a sale.
 
What are those black stains? They are a form of algae that grows in the shady areas on your roof. The good news is they can be cleaned using the proper mixture as well as technique, restoring the look of your home’s shingles and giving you that extra WOW factor. We here at Innovative Glass have reached out to just about all shingle manufactures that cover our area as well as local roofing companies and have discussed how to remove them and maintain your roof.
 
First off, and I have seen this many times, do not use a normal pressure washer on your roof, recently many pressure washing services have begun to offer roof cleaning, but using a high pressure on your roof will damage the granules on the shingle and your 25yr warranty just went to zero as this voids it. Using very low pressure (or soft wash) which operates at around 40 psi, using a mixture of high concentrate bleach and surfactant, gently spray on the effected areas and let sit for 20 minutes, then begin rinsing again using no pressure, although this will clean the roofing surface, over time they will come back.
 
 For the home owner, if the roof is walkable a pump sprayer will suffice and rinse with a water hose. It is very important to spray with clean water all plants around your home, as well as use proper PPE, i.e. Safety glasses, mask, and clothes you don’t mind getting ruined.
 
 For us, learning the proper processes to clean your home was very vital. We teach our employees to inspect a roof for damage, and this is also a great time for the home owner to brush up on roof damage and inspect your own roof.
 
 The recommended Roof Cleaning mixture should be close to a 50/50 ratio of bleach to water, with a surfactant to help it ‘stick’ to the roof while it does its job. For tougher areas where lichen and full on algae growth has formed, you may have to come back and gently remove that dead algae being careful not to damage the granules.
 
After speaking with roofing manufactures and roofing companies, they do offer a algae resistant shingle, but this only covers certain types of algae and mold, not all. But it is recommended to get your roof cleaned occasionally to maintain the roof as well as appearance.
 
If you live in Knoxville or the surrounding areas, give Innovative Glass a call 865-455-9871 for a FREE estimate on all your roof cleaning or Pressure Washing needs. We are happy to assist you, even if it is to just answer questions.

   I’ve read many articles about pressure washing, from How to’s to the DIY power washing, so today were going to talk about want NOT to wash, when getting your home ready for spring. Last time we made some points on If you should Hire a Professional, and with temperatures warming up, its about time to think about getting your home ready for the year.
 
 
     As you’ve pulled your power washing machine out of the garage, hooked up your hoses, got your wand, which tip should you use? Well first off DO NOT use the little red tip, I have seen more damage caused by that guy then any other one, While the Yellow is great for concrete this too can cause significant damage, Now the green may ‘be good for brick, depending on if mortar is cracking the white tip will suffice, Now for siding and higher areas, Lowes sells what’s called a Second Story kit, a pink / light blue tips that are great for soaping and rinsing the high areas and its gentle enough to use on siding if you stand back away from your home at lower levels.
 
     When it comes to chemicals, most professionals all use the same basic soaps to wash your home, there is NO “secret mix”. The primary ingredient is Liquid Pool Shock, which is 12% Sodium-hydrochloride, diluted with water and add a surfactant to help it stick to the surface longer. IMPORTANT: Always make sure you use Sodium-Hydrochloride, some pool shock is Calcium-Hydrochloride, and this has a severe chemical reaction when mixed with water. ALWAYS insure you are using Sodium based. It is also important to rinse off plants around your home with water both before and after as these soaps can cause damage to plant life.
 
    Now that you are ready to wash your house, we look at some of the things you should avoid. Some may seem common sense but are often over looked. The first is electrical outlets, not only should you not directly spray but I have seen (even professionals) have runoff that gets behind the plug and start a fire. Another area to avoid is use of pressure on windows, you can blow out caulking, seals, glazing, and cause sever damage to your windows. Also, be mindful of doors, using a high pressure on the door causes it to ‘break’ the weather seal, allowing water to enter the home, before you know it 5 to 10 gallons of water is on your floor if your home is brick, be gentle around the mortar as you can cause the joints to be exposed. This also applies to EIFS. Roofs???
 
   So now you have all the proper power washing equipment, Soap the sides of your home starting with the bottom and working your way up. Leave the soap on and give it time to dwell, usually around 20 minutes, its important not to leave the soap on too long as this can cause damage as well, it’s okay if you must soap it twice, if needs be just do one side at a time, as this will be more manageable. Now that your ready to rinse, start from the top and work your way down, A good tip to remember is ‘Soap up, rinse down’.
 
   Now when it comes to your roof, I HIGHLY recommend hiring a professional, this is one of the most dangerous area to work. Also this requires specific equipment that we use called ‘soft washing’ machine, that operates at roughly 60psi. Never ever use, or let a company use pressure on your roof.
 
This article was written by James, owner of Innovative Glass Window Cleaning & Pressure Washing, located in Knoxville, Tn.