Can the whole house be done in one go?

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

How do I know it is algae and not damp coming through?

Surface growth wipes and lightens. Damp coming through darkens the wall from behind and returns as soon as it dries out.

Is it worth cleaning a wall in winter?

Yes. Cool damp conditions suit the method, and heavy rain during application is the only real obstacle.

Do you work on flats and shared buildings?

Yes, with permission from whoever is responsible for the elevation.

What if there is a wasp nest under the eaves?

We stop and leave that section. It gets picked up after the nest has been dealt with.

Will my drive be slippery afterwards?

Anything walked on is rinsed clear before we leave.

Do you have a minimum size of job?

A single gable or a porch is still worth doing properly.

Will you tell me if the gutters are the real problem?

Yes, and it is common enough that the gutter line is checked on every wall visit.

TQ11 - Devon - 15.9 miles from PL3

Softwash for walls in and around Dean Prior

Most enquiries from Dean Prior start with one elevation that has gone darker than the rest. Nine times out of ten the reason is how long that face stays damp, not how dirty it is.

The wall finishes we meet around TQ11

Rubble stone walls have deep joints that hold moisture and feed growth from within the joint.
Loose stones and open joints are recorded and left alone rather than washed.
A cob wall relies on staying dry inside, so any method that soaks it is the wrong method.
Where cob has been cement-rendered at some point, that render traps moisture and the wall behaves badly.

Conditions around Dean Prior that feed growth

Black spotting on white render is a different organism from the green film beside it, and it clears at a different rate.
North-east corners hold frost longest and thaw slowest, which extends the damp window every morning.
Any surface that holds a drop of water long enough to be seen will hold it long enough to feed growth.
Where a wall carries a heavy climbing plant, the fabric behind it is nearly always damper than the rest.
Soil banked above the damp course keeps the base of a wall permanently wet.
Lichen prefers hard, alkaline surfaces, which is why it shows on mortar and cills before it shows on render.
Tree canopy overhead drips long after the rain has stopped and drops organic debris onto the wall face.
Concrete render plinths wick moisture upward from the ground more readily than the face above them.
Roof valleys concentrate run-off, so the wall under a valley outlet is loaded more heavily than anywhere else.

Checks made before anything is applied

01The condition of the cills tells you how much water has been running down the face.
02The angle of morning sun on the elevation tells you how long it stays damp.
03The presence of moss rather than algae suggests standing water rather than damp air.
04A wall that is warmer than its neighbours on a cold morning is likely holding moisture.
05The first question is whether the staining sits on the surface or has gone into the material, because only one of those cleans off.
06A wall that feels chalky under the hand is telling you the coating has aged, not that it is dirty.
07A test patch at low strength shows what the surface will do before the full elevation commits to it.
08Colour matters: green suggests algae, black suggests fungal spotting, grey-white crust suggests lichen.

What happens on the day

1.Work stops if a wall turns out to be wetter inside than out, because cleaning is not the answer to that.
2.Rinsing, where it is needed at all, runs top down at a pressure you could hold your hand in front of.
3.The lance is held at a distance and an angle that lets the fan open fully instead of hitting the wall as a jet.
4.Windows are checked from inside where access allows, because a closed window with a broken seal still lets water past.
5.Where the growth sits mostly in the lower metre, that band is treated twice and the rest once.
6.Where a wall abuts a neighbour's boundary within a metre, the fan is narrowed and the pass slowed.
7.Chimney stacks are treated from a position that keeps the operator off the roof covering entirely.
8.The wall is left to dry naturally rather than being wiped, which is what keeps the finish even.
9.The job is worked one elevation at a time from end to end so that nothing dries out mid-wall.
10.Gutter faces and fascia boards are wiped as part of the same pass, since they sit in the same spray path.

Access and preparation

Mention whether the drive drains to a soakaway that already struggles in heavy rain.
Note where the electricity meter and consumer unit sit relative to the wall.
Say whether the property is occupied during the day, since that changes nothing technically but helps the plan.
Let us know if a neighbour parks under the wall on certain days.
Point out where the render was patched, since patches clean differently from the original.
Mention shared access or a right of way that we will be crossing.
Flag any recent repair or repaint, because fresh work is treated more gently.
Tell us if there is a septic tank and where its outlet sits.

Coverage and travel

TQ11 covers 0 town hubs and 4 villages or districts in our radius.
Typical wall finish here is cob and stone, which sets the cleaning method.
Typical roof covering here is slate and clay tile, which affects what washes down onto the walls.
Recorded character: farming hamlet. Parish beside the A38 south of Buckfastleigh.
Access is usually via A38.

See everywhere we cover in TQ11

Practical questions answered

Can the whole house be done in one go?: Often, depending on size and access. Larger properties split naturally into two visits.
How do I know it is algae and not damp coming through?: Surface growth wipes and lightens. Damp coming through darkens the wall from behind and returns as soon as it dries out.
Is it worth cleaning a wall in winter?: Yes. Cool damp conditions suit the method, and heavy rain during application is the only real obstacle.
Do you work on flats and shared buildings?: Yes, with permission from whoever is responsible for the elevation.
What if there is a wasp nest under the eaves?: We stop and leave that section. It gets picked up after the nest has been dealt with.
Will my drive be slippery afterwards?: Anything walked on is rinsed clear before we leave.
Do you have a minimum size of job?: A single gable or a porch is still worth doing properly.
Will you tell me if the gutters are the real problem?: Yes, and it is common enough that the gutter line is checked on every wall visit.

Neighbouring places we work

Tell us what did not last

If a previous clean came back quickly, that is useful information before we quote.

Tell us 07830 242403

Summary

Ask what will be used and how long it will be left on. The answers tell you everything. If a previous clean did not last, the cause was probably never dealt with. If a wall is greening in one strip, the answer is usually plumbing rather than cleaning.

Quote for a Dean Prior property

Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm