Exterior cleaning in Saltash
Saltash is the first town in Cornwall over the Tamar Bridge, a little over four miles from our base. Victorian terraces in the old town, 1970s estates and newer riverside flats sit side by side, finished in painted render and granite under Cornish slate or concrete tile.
The river valley keeps some streets damp and shaded, so north-facing walls and steps tend to be the first places growth shows.
Granite does not stain, mortar does
A granite wall is effectively impervious. What discolours on these buildings is the lime mortar between the stones and any painted band or render patch, which is where growth takes hold first.
Treating the whole face rather than chasing the visible marks gives a much more even result, because the growth in the joints is what feeds the rest.
River valley damp and shaded lanes
The lanes down to Weir Quay and Cargreen are tree-lined and hold moisture into the afternoon. Walls facing into them are permanently in the damp shadow of a hedge bank, and they green up faster than anything in the town.
Cutting back a hedge or a branch often does more for the wall than cleaning it a second time would.
Saltash town and modern estates
The newer estates around Burraton and Hatt have modern render and interlocking tile. Standard softwash and moss treatment work well and results are quick, because the surfaces are smooth and sound.
Questions from Saltash
- Will cleaning damage old lime mortar joints?
- Not at low pressure. It is the pressure lance that scours out soft mortar, which is exactly why we do not use one on stone.
- My wall greens again within a year - why?
- Usually shade and overhanging growth. If nothing changes above the wall, nothing changes on it.
- Do you cover the river villages north of Saltash?
- Yes - Cargreen, Landulph, St Dominick and Pillaton are all inside our radius.