In most places on earth, death and taxes are considered the only certainties.
However, in Bermuda, you can add the build-up of mould, moss, algae, dirt and rust stains, on a vast variety of exterior surfaces to that list.
Our very damp climate is the perfect breeding ground for the growth or development of such irritants on the roofs, walls and grounds of our properties.
To address those concerns, property owners are calling on entrepreneur Seth Ming for assistance.
Mr Ming, set up Peak Performance Pressure Washing in April 2024 and now serves both residential and commercial clients seeking to maintain and refresh their properties.
The business restores properties by offering both pressure washing and soft washing services, stain removal, and roof and tank cleaning.
Mr Ming said pressure washing and soft washing are the perfect treatment for surfaces such as concrete driveways, mouldy walls, patios, brick and stone.
He has built his own soft washing system where he can apply measured solutions with the turn of a switch.
The low-pressure cleaning approach is used on house washes and brick to get rid of mould.
Mr Ming said: “I also use it to pre-treat and post-treat concrete areas.”
He said the process uses a gentle mixture of cleaning solutions to result in a deep clean with long-lasting results. Bacteria are killed at the source, without damaging delicate surfaces, or painted surfaces.
Chemicals in the cleaning solution do most of the work, killing black mould, algae and mildew off walls, concrete or any other surface.
It is a longer process than pressure washing as the solution must stay on the target surface for up to 20 minutes to remove the residue before Mr Ming administers a freshwater wash.
The detergent used, which is a percentage mix of water to chemical solution, is altered to fit the task.
Mr Ming said: “I customise the ratios according to the job. I have a different solution mixture from pressure washing to soft washing.”
Bringing an idea home
He first had the idea to begin a pressure washing business when he saw a soft washing job being done while enrolled in a heavy equipment operator’s course in Florida.
Returning home from the course in 2010, Mr Ming operated heavy equipment for a range of employers in the construction sector before becoming a driver in the trucking business in 2014.
All the while, he was thinking about the promising potential of a pressure washing business in Bermuda.
Mr Ming said: “I’ve had it in the back of my head ever since. I was thinking of things that could be a valuable business and help people on the island at the same time because this island breeds mould.
“I’ve been on a countless amount of site visits where I have slipped and slid due to the black mould.
“When people call and ask what else I can clean, it’s pretty much everything external on a residential or commercial property that I can clean. I’ve got special solutions for everything!”
In the beginning, Mr Ming worked his trucking job alongside the launch of Peak Performance, offering power washing services to family and friends so that he could build up a portfolio of work.
He went full-time with Peak Performance this January after a busy pre-holiday period last Christmas.
“Last summer was pretty busy with a lot of pool decks, patios, house washes and roof jobs, but everybody wants stuff clean for Christmas. My schedule was through the roof!
“Nobody wants their auntie coming with the Christmas turkey and slipping on the drive and falling. That’s the time that people want stuff spic and span.
“I’ve also got people calling me because they have elderly people staying in their properties, and they want to avoid ‘slip and falls’, so I can help people in that regard too.”
Plans to grow
In addition to being hired by property owners, Mr Ming said the business is now getting referrals from painting contractors, who need exterior walls or roofs cleaned before they start their projects.
Sometimes, he said, residential customers prefer a soft wash of exterior walls rather than a full paint job.
The service is customised to the property being worked on. An SKB roof, for example, is treated differently than a traditional limestone slate roof by adjusting the pressure of the water being applied.
Mr Ming said: “With an SKB roof, you can get a little more aggressive with pressure. With the older style roofs, you are gentler when you are washing them clean and getting the dirt off the roof.
“I did a house last year that was built in 1703, which is without a doubt the oldest roof I’ve stepped foot on. You’ve got to be extra careful with an old cottage like that.”
As a teenager, Mr Ming and his older brother assisted their father, Roderick Ming, who operated Ming’s Contracting.
He said: “I left my full-time job to operate Peak Performance Pressure Washing because I like to be independent, I like to make my own hours, and I like to do my own work.”
Now that the business has his sole attention, Mr Ming said he wants to hire summer students and plans to expand Peak Performance in the future.
Already, five or six people are reaching out to him daily, offering their services and expressing an interest in learning the business.
Peak Performance has a presence on Facebook and Instagram and soon will launch a Google Ads campaign.
Mr Ming said: “It’s going well, but there is definitely plenty of room for growth. It’s just how fast I want to grow. I want to expand in the right way.
“My plan is to be the biggest exterior cleaning company on island.”
