Cleaning cedar and lake-house siding without wrecking it

The lake homes up here — the cedar shakes at Harbor Springs, the log-and-stone places on Torch and Walloon — are gorgeous and genuinely easy to damage. Cedar doesn't forgive a heavy hand.

Why cedar is different

Cedar is soft and porous. High pressure furs the grain, opens it up to more moisture, and can strip stain and sealant unevenly, leaving blotches that are worse than the algae you started with. On shaded, lake-facing walls that grow a green film, the temptation to blast it is exactly the wrong instinct.

The right approach

Cedar and painted wood get soft washed: low pressure and a solution matched to the surface that lifts algae, mold and gray without tearing at the wood. It's the safe prep before re-staining or sealing, and it keeps the natural character of the wood intact.

Log and stone homes

Log walls and stone need the same gentle treatment plus attention to the chinking and mortar joints, which a pressure blast will chew out. Careful, low-pressure work protects both the wood and the joints.

For homes you're not standing in

Most of these are second homes. We quote from photos, protect the landscaping, document the work start to finish, and take payment remotely — so cedar gets the careful hand it needs whether you're there or not.