Treating growth on painted render and stone in East Looe
Old harbour and quayside east of the bridge.
Everything below applies to painted render and stone elevations in East Looe, inside the PL13 area we cover in full. The method is set by the surface and the exposure, and nothing else changes it.
Quote for a East Looe property
Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm
Shade, damp and run-off
- Once lichen is established it holds water itself, which makes the surface beneath it wetter than it started.
- Wall growth often maps exactly to where a previous extension roof used to sit.
- Where a hose reel or water butt overflows against a wall, the staining follows the overflow path exactly.
- A conservatory or extension roof abutting a wall throws water back at it every time it rains.
- North and east elevations dry last and green first, in that order, on nearly every property.
- Nutrients from a nearby feeding lawn or planting drift onto a wall and give growth something to work with.
- A wall that faces a large expanse of glass on another building gets less sun than its aspect suggests.
- Rain shadow works both ways: the sheltered face stays dry of rain but also of the washing that rain provides.
- A leaking outside tap or an unlagged pipe can be the entire reason one corner of a house looks different from the rest.
East Looe at a glance
- Typical roof covering here is slate, which affects what washes down onto the walls.
- Looe sits about 3.7 miles from East Looe on our round, so visits are often shared.
- Access is usually via A387.
- Typical wall finish here is painted render and stone, which sets the cleaning method.
- Postcode district: PL13. County: Cornwall. Approx 15.7 miles from the PL3 base.
Surfaces this page is written for
- Cracks in render change the staining pattern, because water then sits behind the face as well as on it.
- A rendered wall under a failed drip detail restains within a season however well it was cleaned.
- Painted masonry can be cleaned, though a paint film that has already lost adhesion will lift where it was going to fail anyway.
- A test patch low down and out of sight is how failing paint is found deliberately.
- Lime mortar in a stone wall is softer than the stone by design, and that design is worth respecting.
- Treatment on stone is applied in stages so it soaks into the joints rather than running off the faces.
Reading the surface
- 01How quickly a splash of water darkens the surface says how porous the finish has become.
- 02The first question is whether the staining sits on the surface or has gone into the material, because only one of those cleans off.
- 03Where a wall meets a roof abutment, the flashing is looked at first.
- 04Where the pattern is vertical and narrow, plumbing is looked at before chemistry is.
- 05The presence of moss rather than algae suggests standing water rather than damp air.
- 06The elevation is read from the pavement first and from a metre away second.
- 07A slow walk of the gutter line from the ground finds most of the causes worth fixing.
- 08Where the pattern is even across the whole face, exposure and aspect are the cause.
Order of work, top down
Booking services out of order is the commonest reason a clean seems not to have lasted.
Small repairs to pointing are best done after cleaning, when what needs doing is visible.
Where gutters need repair rather than clearing, that goes ahead of any cleaning at all.
Roof work always precedes wall work, because everything released from the slope lands on the elevation below it.
Before the day in East Looe
- Say if there is a wasp or bird nest under the eaves, and we will plan around it.
- Let us know if a neighbour parks under the wall on certain days.
- Bring in washing, cushions and anything fabric that lives against the wall.
- Let us know if the property is listed or in a conservation area, as it affects method choice.
- If there are children's toys or a trampoline against the wall, they need to move.
- Note where hoses can be run without crossing a doorway.
- Tell us if a fence panel is loose, because sheeting gets pegged to something solid.
- Move cars off a drive that runs tight to the house if you can, and tell us if you cannot.
Also covered near PL13
Before you get in touch
- How soon after rain can you work?
- As soon as the surface is not running with water.
- Is there a smell?
- There is a mild one during application that clears within a few hours.
- What about the neighbour's side?
- We only work surfaces you own or have permission for, and we check before spraying near a boundary.
- What happens to the growth after it dies?
- It loses its grip and weathers off over the following weeks, which is why the wall keeps improving.
- Can you clean a wall with an electric meter on it?
- Yes. The box is bagged before anything is applied around it.
- Is timber cladding treated the same way?
- No. Cladding takes a weaker mix, and pressure is avoided entirely because it raises the grain.
- Can the whole house be done in one go?
- Often, depending on size and access. Larger properties split naturally into two visits.
- Can you work in cool damp weather?
- Yes. Wall softwash is fine in cool damp conditions. Heavy rain during application is the only real blocker.
Book the quiet method
Low pressure means a quiet visit and a finish that survives it.
The short version
A maintenance pass is far lighter work than a first clean, and it stays that way. The quiet visit is the good one. Noise usually means pressure. Anything that keeps a wall wet for longer will bring the growth back sooner, whatever product goes on it.