Why are there so many pressure washing companies on the West Coast?

If you just moved to the West Coast from the East or the interior of North America, you might look around at all the moss, algae, and lichen growing everywhere and it'll make sense to you right away why every 10th vehicle on the street seems to be the truck or van of some power washing company. No matter where you go on the West Coast, be it Vancouver or even Portland, the roar of pressure washers can be heard everywhere. Becoming a pressure washing expert and starting a business is a low entry job, but so is lawn mowing and so why don't we see lawn mowing companies everywhere? The fact that pressure washing is a low entry job doesn't explain why the West Coast has way more moss, lichen, and algae than the East Coast. In the East, you'll almost certainly find that every small town has more than enough lawn mowing companies, but you'll only find a few companies specializing in pressure washing.

The real reason why there are more pressure washing companies out West is because our climate calls for it. The Atlantic sees a lot of arctic winds coming down from the north. They call these "northwesterlies" in the Maritimes, and they can bring in frigid storms. But out here near the Pacific we get a lot of tropical winds blowing up from the south. We also have a warmer climate with more humidity, perhaps due to these tropical winds. And moss, algae, and lichen thrive in these conditions! We also have a lot more tall trees and mountains on the West Coast, giving moss the shade it needs to stay moist in the summer. Here in Victoria BC where our pressure washing company operates, moss can easily grow out of hand, and that is how we're able to stay busy even though we're a much smaller company than a lot of our big competitors. People need our services. If we were to move to the East Coast, our phone would never ring. The unique climate of the West Coast requires more pressure washing companies to exist, and so we've sprouted up to provide the exterior cleaning services people need, as the moisture and shade makes rooftops and driveways perfect breeding grounds for fungi. To see this yourself, go for a long drive up through Colwood or any area on Vancouver Island where there is lots of tree cover near the coast. You'll for sure see that many houses are absolutely covered in moss.

In the interior of North America you might only need to pressure wash your driveway every three years, and this will be to get rid of grime and oil stains rather than moss and lichen. On the West Coast, algae and lichen, not to mention pollen and bird poop thanks to our higher number of trees, also accumulates on the driveways, sidewalks, and patios, making it necessary for pressure washing companies to come to most homes at least once per year for exterior cleaning maintenance. And in every West Coast city it's no different. Take a look at the photo below that we found of moss growing in a parking lot.