Category Archives: Blog

Everyone enjoys the look of sparkling clean windows. Even so, getting them to shine without leaving streaks behind is something that’s easier said than done. Here are five reasons you might notice window streaks after cleaning them.

#1. Washing in direct sun

If the sun is beating down on your windows, this could cause the cleaning solution to evaporate before you get to a certain section. The area where the cleaner has evaporated will be noticeable by its streaks.

#2. Using the wrong tools

Soft cloths, newspaper, and even paper towels are not absorbent enough to prevent streaks. For best results, use a long-handled squeegee with a sponge on one side. Clean your windows first with the sponge then squeegee your windows dry.

#3. Making your own window cleaner

Window cleaner must contain just the right formula if you are to avoid leaving streaks. In particular, vinegar-based solutions are notorious for streaking. If you don’t like the idea of harsh chemicals, use a solution of mild dish soap and water instead.

#4. Not dusting your windows beforehand

If your windows are covered in cobwebs, you will need to remove them with a broom first. Simply spraying the cobwebs and then wiping the window will leave obvious streaks. Likewise, if your windows have a layer of dust, you could benefit from using a chamois cloth to lightly dust them just prior to cleaning.

#5. Not performing touch-up cleanings

Bird droppings, fingerprints, and other spots should be removed from your windows at least weekly. If you do this, you’ll find it easier to achieve streak-free windows when you do clean the entire surface.

These are just a few reasons you may have window streaks despite vigorous cleaning. Of course, if you are looking for streak-free windows, you can always contact us instead. We use professional techniques to ensure your windows are streak free and sparkling clean.

Leaves, twigs, seeds, dead insects and other debris often accumulate in rain gutters. It’s easy to overlook them until serious problems develop. Be sure to clean out your gutters to avoid these consequences:

1. The detritus will prevent troughs from drying out in the sun, so they might grow mold. This substance is unsightly and difficult to remove. Clogged gutters can also promote indoor mold growth.

2. Troughs will overflow when it rains, and the excess water may find its way into your home. A variety of problems could result from this. For example, the roof might leak and stain or destroy ceiling tiles.

3. Neglected guttering has the potential to create ice dams. Water may freeze at the edge of your roof because it can’t enter the clogged troughs. This often triggers shingle damage and further leakage.

4. Rainwater might run down the side of the house. Frequent exposure to excessive moisture will cause siding, window frames, decks and doors to rot. Exterior paint could also decay prematurely.

5. Overflowing water may harm your home’s foundation and flood the basement. If it freezes, it might create harmful cracks. Some homeowners have to spend thousands of dollars on foundation repairs.

6. Wild animals or insects might build nests in the clogged troughs. Ants, bees and rodents have been known to inhabit guttering when it provides them with shelter, food, water and easy access to your house.

7. The weight of an overloaded gutter can cause it to collapse and fall to the ground. This may damage brackets, windows, siding, doors or light fixtures. The troughs could also break in the process.

If you’d like to avoid these negative outcomes but prefer to forgo messy, dangerous tasks, hire a gutter-cleaning professional. If you’d like help to clean out your gutters, please contact us today for further details!

Illuminating. Twinkling. Festive. Inviting. Outdoor lights can add more magic to the holiday season. And, now is the time to plan for your outdoor holiday lighting display. Hiring a professional to install your lights is a smart investment. It can save you time and will ensure a beautiful, functional display of holiday fun and cheer.

Convenience In A Smart Investment

The emergence of professional holiday light installation has afforded previously limited homeowners the opportunity to enjoy seasonal outdoor lighting. Past limitations may have involved:

• time
• physical ability
• tools, including access to ladders, clips and satisfactory string lights
• or simply patience (See below)

Professional holiday light installers are trained and experienced. They know the equipment and tools, and have knowledge of which string lights will work best where. Many professional holiday light installers offer sourcing and purchasing-direct options for their customers, allowing the owners to keep their lights for use in successive years.

Are you one who likes to change it up from year to year? Professional lighting installation companies generally own various lighting products and displays they can use on your home for just the season, allowing you to opt for something new the next season. These professionals have all the tools – including safe, quality extension cords – needed to complete the job quickly and safely. They have the training, along with the accompanying patience, to get the lights up and glowing, usually within a couple of hours if no Clark Griswold design is at play (though that is an option many can pull off, too, if desired!).

Hiring a Christmas Light Installation Company

When hiring a professional to install holiday lights, take a look at their business ahead of time. Many companies provide holiday lighting installation as a seasonal component of a larger business. They often do landscaping, gutter and window cleaning, pressure washing, or the like, year round. Does your potential pro have recommendations from previous clients? Do they make available pictures of previous holiday lighting work? Are they licensed to conduct work in your area? Have they earned reputable awards or certifications? CLIPA is a national Christmas light installer certification program. Hiring a professional who has earned membership in CLIPA provides the homeowner with greater peace of mind. Attainment of the certification requires testing and training; a proven history of experience; proof of commercial liability insurance; and vetted letters of recommendation.

Holiday Trends and Inspiration

The options available for outdoor holiday lighting have grown exponentially over the years. What we grew up with might have simply involved large, colorful bulbs in primary colors. These types of lights are still around for all of us retro-loving folks; but, today we can also find LED lights in a rainbow of colors and pre-planned color schemes, including blues and silvers, gold and red, color-switching and blinking options and more. A popular modern trend is all-white lighting and, again thanks to LED technology, you can pick the warmth of your white, i.e., warm cozy cream, cool icy white, nearly-blue white, etc.

Delight Your Family, Friends and Neighbors

Ready to get into the holiday spirit? Seeking to brighten up your street for your friends and neighbors? Want to surprise your family with a light-up display they’ll remember for years to come? Consider partnering with a professional holiday lighting installer to get your twinkle going.

Patriot Services an experienced professional Christmas light installation company based in the DFW suburb of Grapevine, Texas. In addition to dependable professional holiday lighting installation, they offer window and gutter cleaning and power washing. We love delighting customers with beautiful light displays available in easy and affordable price packages. Contact us today for a quote.

Getting a home ready for an open house can be stressful. Cleaning and improving the interior radically improve prospective buyers’ first impressions of the house. Creating good exterior curb appeal matters just as much for setting the right tone. Here are five ways that professional window washing can help:

1. Clean windows are immediately noticeable as visitors drive up.

Prospective home buyers’ first impressions start forming the second they see the property. Having gleaming, highly reflective windows makes the whole face of the building look cleaner and well-maintained. That immediate association with cleanliness starts the interaction off right.

2. Emphasizing the windows makes the house look larger.

People want larger houses, and the windows can make the property either look smaller than it is or larger than it is. Making small adjustments like adding decorative shutters, features above the windows, and shallow window flower boxes make the windows look larger. Cleaning the windows and the seals and profiles also emphasize the windows.

3. Improve the interior natural lighting.

Natural lighting makes any home interior look more beautiful. The last thing you want is to show a dim property with lots of shadows. So open the curtains and make sure the windows are crystal clear so even cluttered layouts feel more open.

4. Make the house look move-in ready.

Homebuyers usually want properties that are move-in ready, and they like properties they can picture themselves living in. Dirt, stains, and other buildup on windows are a barrier to that, even if the prospective buyers love all of the features of the house.

5. Professional washing can make old windows look years younger.

Replacing old windows might not be in the renovation budget. But professionals can remove years of embedded dirt and dust is impossible to remove with general cleaning tools. Just restoring the seams to a bright white can take years off the windows and make them look much more appealing.

Schedule a window cleaning appointment with Patriot Services today. We can also pressure wash and soft wash the rest of the house’s exterior.

Fall is right around the corner. Even though it’s still hot outside, it’s time to start cleaning your home’s exterior and clearing away all of the leaves, pollen, and debris from the spring and summer. One of the best ways to deep clean your home’s exterior in preparation for fall and winter is with pressure washing. Here are three reasons why you should hire a professional instead of adding it to your to-do list:

1. Different surfaces need different pressures and different cleaning agents.

Hard surfaces like concrete and brick can handle a lot of pressure. Depending on how much your driveway has absorbed the rubber and road chemicals from your cars’ tires, they might need that high level of pressure to get clean. But grout lines and siding are more fragile. Using the same pressure can make them crack or crumble. Your roof is even more vulnerable and needs soft washing techniques to keep the shingles sealed and in place. Professionals can methodically clean your home’s exterior from top to bottom without either damaging softer surfaces or leaving hard surfaces partially dirty.

2. Precision matters.

The different surfaces on your home’s exterior need different pressure levels to really get cleaned. But those different materials are right next to each other: your garage door’s weatherstripping is right next to the driveway, the roof line is right up against the gutters, and your garden beds touch the edge of the sidewalk. Trained professionals can clean all of these different surfaces without accidentally cutting into a fragile surface. They can also ensure every surface gets cleaned right up to the edge instead of leaving the edges with a gradual gray fade-out.

3. Heights can be hard to reach.

There’s a lot of pushback on even the best pressure washing tools you can find in big box stores. Climbing a ladder and turning on the pressure washer wand is incredibly dangerous. But the force weakens over distance, so pressure washing from the ground can leave the siding splotchy or grayed out.

Contact Patriot Services today to schedule an appointment for a soft wash. We can pressure wash your home’s exterior to make it ready for the fall and holiday season.