House and roof washing by Chattanooga neighborhood

Which side of the ridge you live on changes how often your house needs washing, and by more than most people expect. Chattanooga sits in a bowl with a river through it and ridges on three sides, which is a fine place to live and a hard place to keep a house clean. Humidity settles and stays. Mountain Creek, North Chattanooga and the streets under Missionary Ridge hold shade most of the day, and anything that holds shade in this climate grows something.

The housing stock runs the whole range. Brick and clapboard from before the war on the North Shore, mid-century ranches through Brainerd and Hixson, and newer builds with vinyl and hardboard out toward the county line. Each one goes dirty differently, which is why the quote comes after a look rather than over the phone.