Drone Exterior Cleaning in Chapel Hill, NC
Chapel Hill's larger buildings center on UNC-Chapel Hill and the UNC Health medical campus, with a growing number of multi-story apartment and mixed-use buildings downtown and in the Blue Hill District. Much of downtown is compact and walkable, where a boom lift or scaffolding is the last thing anyone wants blocking the sidewalk.
Built for Chapel Hill's mix of properties
Each kind of building in Chapel Hill calls for its own approach. Academic halls, residence halls, and athletic venues on UNC-Chapel Hill's campus are built from brick, stone, concrete, and more, and each surface needs a method matched to it. Medical and office buildings near UNC Hospitals and out at Eastowne need patient entrances and parking open as much as possible, and a drone needs them cleared only briefly, if at all. And for multi-story apartment and student housing buildings, a drone can keep disruption to residents and parking to a minimum.
Our Chapel Hill service area
Chapel Hill is a university town with a hospital at its center and fast-growing apartment districts at its edges. These are the parts of town in our service area.
UNC-Chapel Hill
Academic and research buildings and residence halls across UNC's campus, from the brick and stone halls around McCorkle and Polk Places to newer buildings in concrete and glass.
Kenan Stadium & the Dean Smith Center
UNC's large athletic venues, with seating bowls, press boxes, scoreboards, and signage that are hard to reach without a lift.
UNC Health & Manning Drive
UNC Hospitals and the multi-story medical buildings around Manning Drive, plus UNC Health's medical buildings at Eastowne off US 15-501, where patient access comes first.
Franklin & Rosemary Streets
Newer multi-story apartment, student housing, and mixed-use buildings downtown, where the sidewalks below are full from morning until late at night.
Blue Hill District
The fast-growing stretch where new multi-story apartment and mixed-use buildings line Fordham Boulevard and Elliott Road.
Off-campus apartments
Multi-story student and multifamily housing along Estes Drive and the NC-54 corridor.
Why Chapel Hill buildings get dirty
Chapel Hill's humid Piedmont climate is hard on exteriors, and it shows on roofs, masonry, and siding all over town.
Moss, lichen, and algae
Roofs and walls that stay in shade, especially on north-facing sides, rarely dry out completely in the humid Piedmont climate. That is ideal for green algae on siding and masonry, and for moss and lichen on shaded roofs, which hold moisture against the surface and shorten its life.
Pollen and leaf litter
Late March through April brings the yellow pine pollen that coats everything in the Triangle. Fall brings leaf litter that collects on low-slope roofs and in roof valleys, holding damp debris against the surface for months.
Black streaks on shingles
The dark streaks on the shingle roofs of so many Chapel Hill apartment and student housing buildings are Gloeocapsa magma, a cyanobacteria that feeds on the limestone filler in asphalt shingles. Shade and humidity let it spread fastest on north-facing slopes. A soft wash kills it; pressure washing strips the protective granules.
Algae and growth on old brick
Older brick and soft mortar soak up moisture, which feeds green algae and dark biological growth on shaded walls. High pressure erodes soft brick faces and mortar joints; a low-pressure soft wash removes the growth without that damage.
Red clay and irrigation stains
Piedmont red clay splashes onto lower walls, curbs, and sidewalks around landscaping, and irrigation overspray can leave mineral and rust-colored stains. Concrete calls for a power wash, and we will tell you up front if a stain needs a specialty treatment.
Dust from nearby construction
Wherever new buildings are going up nearby, construction dust settles on facades, glass, and ledges and bonds to them in the humidity. A low-pressure soft wash removes it without the surface wear that high pressure can cause.
Chapel Hill questions
Can you clean historic brick buildings in Chapel Hill?
Usually, yes. Many of Chapel Hill's older multi-story buildings are brick with soft mortar, which is exactly where a low-pressure soft wash beats pressure washing. Cleaning by drone also means no scaffolding anchored into the wall. We will assess the brick and mortar first, and if a facade is too fragile or has preservation requirements, we will tell you and point you to a specialist.
Can you clean a medical building near UNC Hospitals without closing the entrance for days?
Yes. The drone works from a small, mobile footprint, so there is no lift parked by the door for days. We may need to keep a small area clear for a short time while cleaning directly overhead, then move on, and we will plan the work around patient entrances and parking with your facilities team.
How tall a building can you clean in Chapel Hill?
Our drone reaches up to 150 feet. On taller buildings, we can clean the lower stories, podium levels, entry canopies, signage, and attached parking decks. If your building is taller than we can serve, we will tell you during the assessment.
Our HOA wants the black streaks off our roofs. Can you help?
Yes. The black streaks are Gloeocapsa magma, a cyanobacteria common on asphalt shingles in the Triangle's humidity. A soft wash applied by drone kills the growth without anyone walking on the roof or pressure washing away the shingle granules. Individual homeowners can book roof cleaning directly, and associations can set up a community-wide plan covering clubhouses, amenity buildings, and other common structures.
Do you work with HOAs and apartment communities in Chapel Hill?
Yes. Associations and property managers can set up a single recurring plan covering clubhouses, amenity buildings, apartment buildings, and other common structures, with consolidated scheduling and billing. We will schedule around residents, and individual homeowners can book roof, solar, and skylight cleaning on their own.
More answers are on our main FAQ page.