Granite cottage with painted lime render
Lichen crusts treated and left to weather off; finish improved over the following six weeks.
Devon
Wall Cleaning & Softwash that suits Lydford
Lydford weather does a number on exterior surfaces, and wall cleaning & softwash is usually the first thing to suffer. Lichen growth in particular is heavier here than almost anywhere else we cover — and it's the slowest to come back once treated.
Why Lydford matters for this kind of work
Lydford weather does a number on exterior surfaces, and wall cleaning & softwash is usually the first thing to suffer. Lichen growth in particular is heavier here than almost anywhere else we cover — and it's the slowest to come back once treated.
Historic Saxon burh above the Lydford Gorge, which shapes how exterior cleaning here actually plays out. Working out of EX20 we're rarely more than 18.9 miles from a Lydford job.
What good wall cleaning & softwash looks like here
- 1Lower biocide concentration around old mortar joints on moorland village properties in EX20
- 2Window pre-wet so over-spray rinses clean - important on older glass in granite cottages and stone farmhouses
- 3Plinth and damp-course area always rinsed last on moorland village stock in Lydford
- 4Spot-treatment on lichen patches before the main softwash on Dartmoor granite and lime render
- 5Pressure-tested rinse line so we never overshoot fragile Dartmoor granite and lime render
Materials & methods we'd use here
Most Lydford properties we treat have Dartmoor granite and lime render walls and a natural slate roof. That changes a few of the choices we'd make.
- Method
Sodium hypochlorite mixed to a strength suitable for Dartmoor granite and lime render - never neat on moorland village stock
- Method
Low-volume rinse from a high-flow tank - critical on the softer finishes you see across granite cottages and stone farmhouses
- Method
Suitable for K-Rend, Weber and silicone renders — common on the newer moorland village properties around EX20
- Method
Painted brickwork treated by dwell-and-rinse only on moorland village terraces - no rotary
Common issues we see in Lydford
- Streaking down Dartmoor granite and lime render that's worse on the Mary Tavy-facing elevation than the rest of the house
- Pebbledash gone blotchy where a gutter has overflowed all season on granite cottages and stone farmhouses
- Surface lichen on the south side of Dartmoor granite and lime render - common on moorland village stock in EX20
- Discolouration where downpipes meet Dartmoor granite and lime render - near-universal on moorland village properties this far from PL3
- Green vertical patches behind drainpipes - a regular call from Lydford on moorland village stock
Recent wall cleaning & softwash in the area
Pebbledash bungalow, full elevation
Sea-facing pebbledash rinsed clean, salt film lifted with surfactant — owner's first clean in nine years.
Smooth-render four-bed detached
Whole-house softwash, two days from quote to clean, payment after photos approved.
Things Lydford customers ask us first
Most popular booking pattern in Lydford
wall cleaning & softwash done once thoroughly, then a much lighter top-up clean every 18-24 months. Cheaper across five years than a single 'when it's bad' job.
Wall Cleaning & Softwash in Mary Tavy
PL19 - approx 4 miles from Lydford
Wall Cleaning & Softwash in Brentor
PL19 - approx 2 miles from Lydford
Wall Cleaning & Softwash in Lifton
PL16 - approx 3 miles from Lydford
Window Cleaning in Lydford
Streak-free windows, frames and sills with pure-water poles up to four storeys.
One trip, no quote chasers - Lydford
We send a written price, then leave the ball in your court. No reminder calls, no doorstep follow-up, no pretend deadlines.