New Construction Cleanup: Stucco Dust, Overspray and What Actually Washes Off

A brand new house looks finished the day you get the keys. Walk the outside slowly and you will usually find it is not. New construction leaves a specific set of marks, and most of them come off easily if you deal with them in the first few months.

What the builders leave behind

On a new build in Nocatee, RiverTown, Durbin Crossing or any of the newer St. Johns County neighborhoods, the usual list looks like this.

• Stucco and mortar dust. A fine gray film across the lower walls, windows and driveway. It is alkaline, and if it sits through a few rain cycles it etches glass.
• Paint overspray. Fine speckles on windows, light fixtures, soffits and sometimes the driveway. Usually from spraying the body color on a windy day.
• Thinset and grout haze on lanai pavers and entry tile.
• Tyre marks and oil on the driveway from trade vehicles parked there for months.
• Caulk smears and adhesive around windows and trim.

What washes off

Most of it. Stucco dust, construction grime, tyre marks and general dirt all come off with a standard house wash and a driveway clean. The dust in particular is worth doing early, because it is mildly abrasive and it holds moisture against the wall.

Paint overspray on glass can usually be removed with a razor and a proper glass solution, which is a window cleaning job rather than a pressure washing one, but it is often done at the same visit.

What does not wash off

Being straight with you is more useful than promising everything.

• Overspray that has cured onto rough stucco is mechanically bonded. Pressure strong enough to remove it would damage the finish.
• Etched glass from stucco dust left too long is permanent. The surface is physically marked, not dirty.
• Mortar staining on porous pavers often needs an acid based masonry cleaner, not water.
• Stains under the sealer on a pre sealed driveway. The sealer has to come off first.

Do it before the warranty window closes

This is the part most new owners miss. Builders typically give a limited warranty window, often around a year. Washing the house early does two things. It tells you what is dirt and what is a defect, and it gives you photographs with a date on them.

A hairline stucco crack hiding under construction film is a warranty item. The same crack found eighteen months later, after the window closed, is yours.

Timing

Wait until the landscaping is in and the irrigation is running, because a wash before final grading just gets undone. After that, sooner is better. In our climate a new wall can show the first green tint within a year, especially on north facing elevations that never get direct sun.

What we do on a new build

Low pressure soft wash on the walls, because new stucco and fresh paint do not want high pressure. Surface cleaner on the driveway and walkways. Windows rinsed, and overspray assessed before anything is promised. We will tell you on site which marks are coming off and which are not.

If you have just moved into a new build anywhere in St. Johns County or the Jacksonville area, get in touch and we will walk it with you.