Is the water mains-fed?

From your outside tap where there is one. Where there is not, we bring it with us.

Do you work weekends?

We work Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm.

Can you treat a wall that has already been jet washed?

Yes. The damaged band is worked at a reduced strength because it is more open than the rest.

Will the colour come back?

If the original finish is sound, the colour underneath is usually still there and comes back with the growth removed.

What happens if it rains on the day?

Light rain is workable. Persistent rain moves the visit rather than compromising the treatment.

Do you clean stonework?

Yes, with the method set by the softest part of the wall, which is almost always the mortar.

Can the whole house be done in one go?

Often, depending on size and access. Larger properties split naturally into two visits.

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.

Render and wall cleaning in Barne Barton

Post-war naval housing overlooking the Tamar.

If the walls on your Barne Barton property have gone patchy or green, the finish itself is usually sound. Post-war naval housing overlooking the Tamar, and growth on pebbledash and painted render sits on the surface rather than in the structure.

Working out what is wrong on a Barne Barton wall

01Hollow-sounding render is checked by tapping before any water is put onto it.
02Previous cleaning is usually visible as a slightly different texture rather than a different colour.
03Whether the growth has spread onto glass and frames tells you how long it has been established.
04The age of the finish is estimated before a strength of mix is chosen.
05Photographs taken before work provide the reference for judging the result later.
06How quickly a splash of water darkens the surface says how porous the finish has become.
07A damp meter reading inside a stained corner separates a cleaning job from a building problem.
08Whether the property is exposed or sheltered is judged on the day, not from a map.

Material first, method second

Modern render, whether sand and cement or a thin-coat system, has a slightly porous face that holds airborne spores.
A rendered wall under a failed drip detail restains within a season however well it was cleaned.
The stones are bedded in a mortar layer that detaches under pressure, which is why the whole surface is treated chemically.
Dashed plinths at ground level collect splash and silt as well as growth, and those are rinsed rather than treated.
Cleaning before repainting is not optional, because paint over live growth fails from underneath.
Gloss-painted details like cills are wiped rather than sprayed.

Why this keeps happening on PL5 elevations

Where a gutter joint weeps rather than pours, the stain is thin, vertical and very persistent.
The lowest metre of any wall takes splash-back off the path and stains from the ground up, not the top down.
Lichen anchors into the surface rather than resting on it, which is why brushing achieves nothing and pressure achieves damage.
Rain running off an unsealed timber fascia carries tannin down the wall as a brown stripe, not growth at all.
A wall under a mature hedge takes both shade and constant leaf litter, which is the worst pairing there is.
Where a downpipe discharges into a gully that has silted, the overflow soaks the wall base each winter.
A wall next to a busy road picks up a film of traffic grime that holds moisture on the surface.
Once lichen is established it holds water itself, which makes the surface beneath it wetter than it started.
Where a wall sits below a bank or a raised garden, water arrives at it sideways rather than from above.

On site in Barne Barton

1.Mortar joints that have already lost material are pointed out and left alone rather than washed further open.
2.Weep holes above openings are left clear so the wall can drain the way it was designed to.
3.Anything found broken before we arrived is photographed before work starts, not after.
4.Paving, steps and paths below the elevation are rinsed clear at the end of the visit.
5.Treatment goes on from the bottom of the elevation upwards, which stops clean streaks forming where liquid runs onto dry surface.
6.Windows are checked from inside where access allows, because a closed window with a broken seal still lets water past.
7.Painted elevations get a small test patch first, low down and out of sight, so failing paint is found deliberately rather than by accident.
8.Applications are kept off hot surfaces in direct sun, because a mix that flashes off has no dwell time at all.
9.The wall is left to dry naturally rather than being wiped, which is what keeps the finish even.
10.Downpipe backs and the strip of wall behind them are done by hand, because a sprayed pattern always misses them.

Local detail that changes the job

PL5 covers 7 town hubs and 3 villages or districts in our radius.
Recorded character: estate. Post-war naval housing overlooking the Tamar.
Postcode district: PL5. County: Devon. Approx 3.6 miles from the PL3 base.
St Budeaux sits about 0 miles from Barne Barton on our round, so visits are often shared.
Typical wall finish here is pebbledash and painted render, which sets the cleaning method.

See everywhere we cover in PL5

Preparing a estate property

Say if the elevation is overlooked by a neighbouring window that should stay shut.
Say whether the property is occupied during the day, since that changes nothing technically but helps the plan.
Tell us about pets in the garden before the day rather than on it.
Close and latch every window on the elevations being worked, including any small top lights.
Say whether the elevation backs onto a public footpath.
If you have a pond, a water butt or a wildlife area, point it out in advance.
Tell us about any planting you particularly care about at the base of the wall.
Point out ground-floor windows that are painted shut, as they need different masking.

First, next, last

Where the property is being sold, walls are the single most visible thing to do first.

Rendering or repair work should always finish before cleaning starts, never the other way round.

Where a roof clean is planned for later in the year, walls are worth leaving until after it.

Patio joints are checked before the wall above them is treated, since loose sand washes into puddles.

Straight answers before you book

Is the water mains-fed?: From your outside tap where there is one. Where there is not, we bring it with us.
Do you work weekends?: We work Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm.
Can you treat a wall that has already been jet washed?: Yes. The damaged band is worked at a reduced strength because it is more open than the rest.
Will the colour come back?: If the original finish is sound, the colour underneath is usually still there and comes back with the growth removed.
What happens if it rains on the day?: Light rain is workable. Persistent rain moves the visit rather than compromising the treatment.
Do you clean stonework?: Yes, with the method set by the softest part of the wall, which is almost always the mortar.
Can the whole house be done in one go?: Often, depending on size and access. Larger properties split naturally into two visits.
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.

Other Devon places on the same round

Where to go next

The essentials

The best time to book is before the wet months, not after them. A wall in poor condition is better found before cleaning than discovered halfway through. Gentle and patient beats fast and forceful on any coated finish. Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm.

Straight answer, no chasing

You get a price, then you get left alone to think about it.

Get the price 07830 242403

Quote for a Barne Barton property

Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm