Got a letter from your HOA about mildew on your house? Don't panic, and don't toss it in the junk drawer: check the deadline, get the house cleaned the right way before that date, and send the HOA proof it's done. In North Carolina, an HOA generally has to give you notice and a chance to be heard before it can fine you, so most folks have time to fix it before it costs them a dime.
We hear about these letters a lot around New Bern, Trent Woods and River Bend. Here's how to handle one without stress.
Why the letter showed up
Mildew and algae love eastern NC. It's warm, it's humid, and the Neuse and the Trent keep plenty of moisture in the air. Add a big oak or a stand of pines shading one side of the house and you've got the perfect spot for that green or black film to take over.
We see this a lot on shady lots in Trent Woods and River Bend. The north side of the house goes green first, then the shady corners, then the gutters and trim. It usually builds up slowly enough that you don't notice it from the driveway. Your HOA's inspector notices it from the street.
So if you got a letter, it's not because you're a bad homeowner. It's because you live here.
Step 1: Read the letter closely
Before you call anybody, sit down with the letter and find these things:
What they want cleaned. Siding only? Or gutters, trim, driveway and walkways too?
The deadline. Write it on the calendar right now.
How to respond. Some HOAs want an email, some want a form, some want a call.
Whether a hearing is mentioned. If there's a hearing date, note it.
Who to contact. Usually a board member or a management company.
If anything is unclear, ask the HOA. A quick "I got your letter and I'm scheduling a cleaning" goes a long way.
Step 2: Know how fines work in North Carolina
I'm a pressure washing guy, not a lawyer, so take this as a plain-English summary and check your own HOA documents.
Under North Carolina's Planned Community Act (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47F-3-107.1), unless your HOA's declaration spells out a different process, you're entitled to notice of the charge, a chance to be heard and present evidence, and notice of the decision before a fine is charged. The law says a fine can't be more than $100 for the violation. If the problem still isn't fixed more than five days after the decision, the fines can keep adding up for each day without another hearing.
FirstService Residential's guide to NC HOA rules explains it the same way.
The takeaway: the letter is usually a warning, not a bill. But once a decision is made, waiting gets expensive fast. Fix it early and you never have to find out how much.
Step 3: Get it cleaned the right way
Here's where a lot of folks make it worse. They rent a pressure washer on Saturday, blast the siding, and it looks great for a week. Then the mildew comes right back, because high pressure knocks it loose but doesn't kill it. Too much pressure can also damage vinyl, force water behind the siding and chew up paint.
High pressure is for concrete. Your house gets a soft wash.
That's what our Perfectly C.L.E.A.N.™ process is built around:
Cover: wet down and protect your plants and fixtures first
Low-pressure: apply the cleaning solution gently, no blasting
Eliminate: kill the algae and mildew at the root so it doesn't bounce right back
After-rinse: rinse everything off, plants included
Notify: send you photos when we're done
Most house washes take about an hour and a half to two and a half hours. If the letter also mentions the driveway or walkways, that's where high pressure belongs, and we can do it the same trip. Gutters looking streaky or full? We clean those too.
Step 4: Send the HOA proof
This is the step people forget. Don't just get it cleaned and assume the HOA will notice.
Since we send photos when the job is done, you already have your proof. Forward them to your HOA or management company with a short note: the date it was cleaned and a thank-you. Keep a copy of the letter, your reply and the photos together in case anybody asks later.
Don't wait until the week of the deadline
Everybody's busy, and a deadline that's three weeks out feels like forever. Then it's Thursday and the inspector's coming Monday.
Getting started is easy. We do free estimates on weekday evenings. It takes about 15 minutes, and you get a written quote before we leave. If you've used us before, we can get you a quote without a visit. When you call, tell us your deadline so we know what we're working with.
Keep the next letter from coming
Mildew comes back here. That's just life near the water. A few things slow it down:
Trim back branches so the shady side gets more sun and dries faster
Keep the gutters clean so water isn't spilling down the siding
Wash on a schedule instead of waiting for a letter
That last one is why we built the Perfectly Clean™ Plan. Every year you get your house wash, driveway, window cleaning and gutter cleaning, priced from your home's measurements at 20% off our regular prices, and paid monthly over 12 months. Plan members are also first on the schedule when the season opens. Fewer surprise letters, and no more scrambling to get on somebody's calendar in a rush.
Got a letter on the counter right now?
Call or text us at 252-422-4377 to set up a free estimate, or get a quote at quote.ncprowashpressurewashing.com. And if you're not happy with how it looks when we're done, we come back and fix it free.
Mike Reynolds, Pro Wash Pressure Washing. Veteran-owned, 700+ homes cleaned around New Bern, Trent Woods and River Bend.
