Exterior Cleaning in Pilsen, Chicago

Exterior Cleaning in Pilsen

Pilsen is seven minutes from our shop. It's a neighborhood of greystones, two-flats, and a vibrant commercial strip along 18th Street. The murals are what make Pilsen different from every other neighborhood we work in. They're on the sides of buildings, on garage doors, and on the viaducts. We know how to work around them.

We state this plainly: we soft wash near murals and we never pressure them. A pressure washer will strip paint off a wall in seconds. We use a gentle detergent wash on the brick and stone around the murals, and we keep the stream away from the painted surfaces. We pre-soak the mural with plain water, work around it, and post-rinse. The mural stays intact.

The greystones in Pilsen need the same careful approach as the ones in Lincoln Park. The limestone is soft, and high pressure etches it. We soft wash with a sodium hypochlorite mix at low pressure. The detergent kills the algae and lifts the grime. The stone gets clean without damage.

The two-flats have the same issues as Bridgeport and Armour Square. Rear wooden stairs, alley-facing garages, and gutters that fill fast. We pressure wash the driveways and gangways, stain the rear stairs, and clean the gutters on a recurring basis.

The 18th Street commercial strip needs regular window washing and sidewalk pressure washing. The restaurants and shops get heavy foot traffic. We use a hot-water unit with a degreaser for the sidewalks, same as Chinatown and Armour Square.

We also do exterior house painting on the frame two-flats that need it. The wood siding takes weather from all sides, and the paint fades and peels. We prep, prime, and paint with a quality exterior latex.

For the murals themselves, we don't touch them. If a mural needs restoration, that's a job for a muralist, not a pressure washing crew. We respect the art and we work around it. Call (217) 722-5379 for a free estimate.

What I See Working in Pilsen

The murals are the single most important thing to know about working in Pilsen. They're everywhere. On the sides of buildings, on garage doors, on viaducts. A pressure washer will strip paint off a brick wall in seconds. We never point our wand at a mural. We soft wash the brick and stone around the mural with a gentle detergent, and we keep the stream at least three feet away from the painted surface. We pre-soak the mural with plain water before we start, work around it, and post-rinse. The mural stays intact.

The greystones in Pilsen are century-old limestone. High pressure etches the stone and blows out the mortar. We soft wash with a sodium hypochlorite mix at 200 PSI, not 3,000. The detergent does the work. The stone gets clean and the mortar stays intact.

The 18th Street commercial strip has the same grease and grime issue as Wentworth in Chinatown. We use a hot-water unit with a degreaser for the sidewalks. The restaurants vent grease onto the concrete, and cold water doesn't cut it.

Services Available in Pilsen

Full exterior maintenance. One crew, twelve services. Click any service for process details and pricing.

• Pressure Washing
• Window Washing
• Deck Staining
• Holiday Lighting
• Lawn Care
• Snow Removal
• Roof Washing
• Gutter Cleaning
• Driveway Sealing
• Polymeric Sanding
• Exterior House Painting
• Real Estate Sign Hanging

Neighborhoods in Pilsen

Pilsen is bordered by 16th Street to the north, the Chicago River to the east, and the railroad tracks to the west. The residential blocks run along 18th, 19th, and 21st Streets. The commercial strip along 18th Street has restaurants, shops, and galleries. The area near the Pink Line stations has higher foot traffic and more commercial frontage.

Pilsen Service Area Map

Nearby Service Areas

We also serve these nearby neighborhoods and suburbs:

• University Village
• Little Italy
• Bridgeport