Is the finish even across the wall?

That is the main reason we work bottom-up and one elevation at a time.

Do you leave a written record of what was done?

Photographs of before and after the visit, plus anything found in poor condition.

What if the render is hollow in places?

It is tapped and mapped first, and hollow sections are treated dry-side only rather than soaked.

Will the wall need doing again next year?

Not usually. How long it holds depends on shade, run-off and airflow rather than on the treatment.

Will it damage the pointing?

No. That is exactly what pressure does and softwash avoids.

Does anyone need to be home?

No. It is outside work. Access to the elevations, ideally an outside tap, and windows shut for the visit.

Can you clean a wall covered in ivy?

The ivy needs removing first. Once it is off, the shaded face behind it is treated as normal.

Is it safe around pets?

Keep them indoors during application and for a couple of hours after, and there is nothing to worry about.

Ashburton wall cleaning without high pressure

Ashburton, Devon - TQ13

Cleaning walls in Ashburton is a slow, quiet job done at low pressure. It is nothing like a driveway wash, and on painted render, granite and slate-hung that difference is the whole point.

What Ashburton walls are usually finished in

Render cleans up well at low pressure and badly at high pressure, because pressure removes the finish along with the growth.
Render that has lost its water repellency absorbs surface water instead of shedding it, which extends every damp spell.
Cleaning before repainting is not optional, because paint over live growth fails from underneath.
Where a painted wall has been patch-repainted, the patches clean at a different rate.
Treatment kills lichen and lets it weather off, which is slower to look finished than a pressure wash but leaves the face intact.
Where granite has been repointed in cement, that band behaves differently from the rest of the wall.

Low pressure, longer dwell

1.Any window left open is closed, or that section is skipped and left for a second visit.
2.Cills, frames and glass are wiped down as the masking comes off, so nothing dries as a film on the joinery.
3.Fence panels tight against a wall are wetted first so run-off does not sit on dry timber.
4.Where a property is rendered onto insulation, extra care goes into avoiding water at the bead edges.
5.Dwell time is the active ingredient. The treatment is left on the growth long enough to kill it rather than being chased off with water.
6.Where a pond or water feature sits below an elevation, it is covered and the run-off diverted well away from it.
7.Gutter faces and fascia boards are wiped as part of the same pass, since they sit in the same spray path.
8.The finished wall is photographed in the same light as the start photograph, so the comparison is honest.
9.Rinsing, where it is needed at all, runs top down at a pressure you could hold your hand in front of.
10.Airbricks are covered for the duration and uncovered before we leave, without exception.

Small things that make the visit smoother

Clear the base of the elevation of pots, ornaments and loose paving where you can.
Unlock side gates the night before if you are not going to be in, because a locked passage stops a whole elevation.
Mention any glazing you already know is cracked before work starts.
Note where the electricity meter and consumer unit sit relative to the wall.
Say if a conservatory or lean-to abuts the elevation, so glazing can be sheeted.
Point out any window that does not seal properly, so it gets sheeted rather than sprayed near.
Say if you would prefer the front done on a different day from the back.
If you have a pond, a water butt or a wildlife area, point it out in advance.

Facts on record for Ashburton

TQ13 covers 0 town hubs and 2 villages or districts in our radius.
Typical wall finish here is painted render, granite and slate-hung, which sets the cleaning method.
Typical roof covering here is slate, which affects what washes down onto the walls.
Postcode district: TQ13. County: Devon. Approx 19.6 miles from the PL3 base.
Recorded character: village. Stannary town on the eastern Dartmoor edge.

See everywhere we cover in TQ13

What is actually growing on the wall

Where a downpipe discharges into a gully that has silted, the overflow soaks the wall base each winter.
A blocked hopper head can soak the same square metre of wall for an entire winter without anyone noticing.
Where a wall carries a heavy climbing plant, the fabric behind it is nearly always damper than the rest.
A cracked cill throws water back at the wall instead of clear of it.
A drying rack or store built against a wall keeps that panel of it permanently shaded.
Sheltered gable ends collect airborne spores because there is no wind to move them along.
A patio laid up against a wall reflects splash onto it every time it rains hard.
Cold bridging at a lintel can keep a narrow band of render damper than everything around it.
Overhanging eaves protect the top of a wall and leave the unprotected lower band to take everything.

Assessing a TQ13 elevation

01Weep holes are counted and checked for blockage while the wall is being read.
02Colour matters: green suggests algae, black suggests fungal spotting, grey-white crust suggests lichen.
03Where a wall meets a roof abutment, the flashing is looked at first.
04Where the pattern is a band at the bottom, splash from the ground is doing it.
05Any staining that continues below ground level is a drainage question, not a cleaning one.
06Nearby properties with the same finish are a useful reference for what is normal on that street.
07Anything that cannot be explained by water is treated with more caution, not less.
08A damp meter reading inside a stained corner separates a cleaning job from a building problem.

Nearby villages and districts

Common questions about wall softwash

Is the finish even across the wall?: That is the main reason we work bottom-up and one elevation at a time.
Do you leave a written record of what was done?: Photographs of before and after the visit, plus anything found in poor condition.
What if the render is hollow in places?: It is tapped and mapped first, and hollow sections are treated dry-side only rather than soaked.
Will the wall need doing again next year?: Not usually. How long it holds depends on shade, run-off and airflow rather than on the treatment.
Will it damage the pointing?: No. That is exactly what pressure does and softwash avoids.
Does anyone need to be home?: No. It is outside work. Access to the elevations, ideally an outside tap, and windows shut for the visit.
Can you clean a wall covered in ivy?: The ivy needs removing first. Once it is off, the shaded face behind it is treated as normal.
Is it safe around pets?: Keep them indoors during application and for a couple of hours after, and there is nothing to worry about.

Describe the staining and we will name it

Green film, black spots or grey crust all behave differently. Tell us which one you are looking at.

Describe it 07830 242403

In a sentence or two

Prep takes longer than application, and that is the right way round. Photographs and a postcode are enough to start a conversation about the work. A treated wall keeps changing for a fortnight, which is the sign the method worked. Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm.

Quote for a Ashburton property

Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm