Wildfire ash and soot cleanup in Reno and Tahoe

What smoke season leaves behind

Ash does not stay on the roof. It works its way into gutters, settles on window ledges and screens, films over solar panels, and sits in the grain of a wood deck. Once it gets damp it stops being dust and becomes a sticky, slightly caustic film that dries onto the surface.

On glass and panels it shows up as a haze that wipes into streaks. On stucco and siding it reads as a dulling of the color rather than obvious dirt, which is why buildings look tired at the end of a smoky summer even when nothing is visibly dirty.

Our approach is a full exterior rinse with soft wash detergents: roof first where access allows, then walls, then hard surfaces, so nothing gets recontaminated by the runoff above it.

Photo coming soon

What we clean after a smoke event

• Roof surfaces and valleys where ash collects
• Gutters and downspouts, cleared and flushed
• Siding, stucco, soffits and fascia
• Windows, screens and frames
• Solar panels, rinsed with purified water
• Decks, patios, railings and outdoor furniture
• Driveways, walkways and entries

Why solar panels are worth including

A film of ash on a panel is shade, and shade is lost production. Panels are also the surface property owners are least likely to clean themselves, because they are on a roof and because the wrong approach can scratch the glass or stress the seals. We rinse panels with a purified water system, which leaves no mineral spotting behind as it dries.

Hard water is a real factor here. Rinsing panels or windows with a garden hose leaves mineral spots as the water evaporates, which is its own kind of shading and its own kind of streaking.

Questions we hear a lot

How soon after a fire event should we wash the property?

Once air quality allows crews to work safely outdoors. The sooner ash comes off, the less time it has to bond to surfaces with dew and humidity.

Is ash actually harmful to surfaces?

Wildfire ash is alkaline and holds moisture against whatever it lands on, which can dull finishes and stain porous surfaces if it sits through a season.

Can you clean solar panels without damaging them?

Yes. Panels are rinsed with low pressure and purified water, which avoids both scratching and the mineral spotting that hard water leaves.

Will one wash take care of it?

In most cases yes, though heavy deposits in gutters and textured surfaces sometimes need a second pass, which we will tell you about before doing it.

Where we work