PL5 estates: pebbledash, wind off the Tamar and long gutter runs
PL5 runs from tight postwar estates down to the water at Barne Barton and out to the village edge at Tamerton Foliot. Almost all of it is pebbledash or painted render, and almost all of it is exposed to wind coming up the Tamar.
PL5 covers 10 places we work in, 2.8 to 4.6 miles from our base at 58 Reddington Road, Plymouth (Devon, Plymouth City Council) - all inside our 20-mile radius of Plymouth.
Exposure works both ways
Wind dries a wall, which is good, but wind-driven rain also loads the windward face with moisture and, near the water, with salt. The pattern we see in PL5 is a clean sheltered elevation and a heavily greened west or south-west face on the same house.
That means quoting per elevation rather than per house makes more sense here than almost anywhere else we work.
Estate housing and shared boundaries
A lot of PL5 is semi-detached and terraced in blocks, often with a shared gutter and a shared drive. We work one property at a time but we will tell you if the water coming down your wall is starting next door - it saves you paying twice.
Pebbledash again, but exposed
Dash on an exposed elevation weathers differently to dash in a sheltered suburb: less lichen, more of a flat green film, and more loose stone at the arrises. We check for loose dash before treating and keep pressure off it entirely.
Reached via Budshead Road, Crownhill Road, Biggin Hill, Wolseley Road. Recorded wall finishes: pebbledash, painted render, render. Roof coverings: concrete tile, slate, felt.
Towns and suburbs in PL5
Villages and neighbourhoods in PL5
Questions we get asked in PL5
- Only one side of my house is green - can you just do that side?
- Yes, and in PL5 that is often the sensible option. We price by elevation.
- Is the salt this far up the river a real issue?
- Down at Barne Barton and Camel's Head, yes. Further inland at Whitleigh it is much less of a factor.
- Do you clean render on a housing association property?
- We work for private owners and landlords. For association-owned fabric you would normally need their permission first.