Exterior cleaning · Coming Coming

Windows and facades, cleaned from the ground

Tethered drones wash glass and cladding with pure water and low-pressure soft wash, while the crew stays on the ground. This service is coming; register your building to be assessed first.

Coming

This service is launching. Register your site and we'll contact you when it opens in your area.

The method

Pure water on glass, soft wash on cladding

Glass is mostly cleaned with pure water. Tap water is filtered through reverse osmosis and deionizing resin until the dissolved minerals are close to zero. That water dissolves and lifts the dirt, and because nothing is left in it, it dries without the spots that ordinary water leaves. Ground crews have used the same principle on water-fed poles for years. The drone simply carries the nozzle higher than a pole can reach.

Cladding with algae, mildew or traffic grime usually needs a soft wash: a cleaning solution applied at low pressure, a dwell time so it can work, then a pure water rinse. A surfactant helps the solution spread across the surface and hold on vertical walls. Low pressure matters on facades because high pressure drives water past sealant joints, behind cladding and into wall assemblies, which is exactly where a building does not want it.

The drone does not scrub. That is its main limit. Anything that needs agitation or a blade (construction film, paint overspray, labels, concrete splatter, hard-water etching) needs hands and tools, and we will say so on the site assessment rather than promise a result the method cannot give.

Pure water on glass, soft wash on cladding: Illustration

Know your glass

Glass types, coatings and what they mean for cleaning

Glass or finish	What to know	Cleaning approach
Insulating glass units with low-E coatings	Most low-E coatings sit on the inner faces of the sealed unit, away from the exterior. Some are on the outer face.	Confirm which face is coated. Exterior coatings follow the glass maker's instructions.
Tempered and heat-strengthened glass	Can carry fine fabrication debris on the surface that scratches when a blade is dragged across it.	A non-contact rinse avoids scraping. Stuck debris is a hand job with the glass maker's guidance.
Hydrophilic self-cleaning glass	A thin photocatalytic coating on the exterior face that helps rain sheet off. Abrasives and silicone-based products can damage it.	Pure water, no abrasive pads, no silicone products.
Hydrophobic treated glass	Aftermarket or factory treatments that make water bead.	Mild cleaning only. Ask who applied it and what they allow.
Reflective, tinted and spandrel glass	Reflective coatings show every streak and scratch. Spandrel panels hide the floor edge.	Even coverage and a thorough rinse matter more than on clear glass.
Metal panels with factory finishes	Coating makers publish cleaning guidance, generally mild detergents, low pressure and a full rinse.	Soft wash within the finish maker's limits.
Stucco, EIFS, brick, stone, fibre cement	Porous or layered surfaces that trap water if forced.	Low pressure, compatible cleaner, test area first.

What goes wrong

Common problems with facade cleaning

Spots return a week later

Tap water or poorly filtered water leaves minerals behind. Hard-water staining from sprinklers or concrete runoff can etch glass and will not wash off.

How we handle itComing: water quality checked on site, and etched glass flagged for restoration rather than rewashed. →

Water inside the suite

Pressure aimed at window frames, weep holes or failed sealant pushes water indoors.

How we handle itComing: low pressure and a pre-clean look at joints. If an inspection shows open joints, fix them first. →

Warranty questions after the fact

Glass, coatings and cladding often have cleaning instructions buried in the warranty package.

How we handle itComing: we ask for the paperwork at assessment and plan to it. →

Balconies and cars get sprayed

Drift and runoff land on furniture, plants and parked cars.

How we handle itComing: notices, balcony clear-out requests and ground closures in the plan. →

On the day

How a facade clean will run

Set up the ground

Skid placed near the water source, hose run, drains protected, the area under the working face closed off.

Check wind and water

Wind at height is often stronger than at street level. Water quality is checked before spraying glass.

Work top down

Overlapping vertical passes from the parapet down, one elevation at a time, so dirty water never runs over clean glass.

Rinse and look

Each elevation is rinsed and checked from the ground and the air. Missed areas are repeated while the rig is set up.

Hand detail

Ground-floor glass, entries, recesses and anything needing a blade is done by hand, often by a partner window cleaning crew.

Record

Photos and notes go into the building's DroneLink project, including any defects seen along the way.

How a facade clean will run: Illustration

The people around the job

Who is involved in a facade clean

Glass and curtain wall supplier

They need from you: Cleaning to stay within their instructions.
You need from them: Those instructions, and which face carries a coating.
On the DroneLink record: Warranty documents are attached to the project so every crew works from the same page.

Envelope consultant

They need from you: To know nothing is being forced into the wall.
You need from them: A list of sensitive areas and known failures.
On the DroneLink record: Photos of problems spotted during cleaning are pinned on the image and shared.

Residents and tenants

They need from you: Notice, times, and to know no one will film into their home.
You need from them: Balconies cleared, windows closed.
On the DroneLink record: Notices go out from the manager with dates from the project schedule.

Questions

Can a drone clean windows as well as a person?

On large flat glass with ordinary dirt, a pure water rinse gives a clean, spot-free result. A person with a squeegee and blade still wins on stuck residue, detail and frames. The best result on most buildings mixes both, as drone versus rope access explains.

Will a cleaning drone damage low-E or coated glass?

Most low-E coatings are sealed inside the glass unit, so the exterior wash does not touch them. Exterior coatings such as self-cleaning glass have their own instructions, which we follow. Pure water and low pressure are gentle on both.

Does drone window cleaning work in winter?

Pure water can freeze on glass and on the ground below it, so cold days are poor cleaning days. Rain before or during the job also undoes the work. Spring through fall is the usual season on the coast.

Can a drone clean the inside of windows?

No. Drones clean exterior surfaces only. Interior glass is a separate job for a ground crew.

How high can a drone clean a building?

Tethered systems are used on mid-rise and taller buildings. Hose weight, pump pressure, wind at height and airspace rules set the practical limit, and we confirm it for your building on the assessment.

Does a drone look into apartments while cleaning?

The aircraft has cameras for navigation and results. Our plan limits recording to the work, and residents are told the dates in advance. See strata and property managers for how notices and privacy are handled.

What will affect the cost of drone window cleaning?

Building height and shape, how much glass, access for the skid, water supply, how many elevations face busy sidewalks, and how much hand work is needed. We explain these on the assessment; the site decides the quote.

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