What about the windows afterwards?

Frames and glass in the spray path are wiped as the masking comes off.

Is the finish even across the wall?

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

Do you jet wash walls?

Not on render, pebbledash or paint. Pressure takes the finish off with the growth and brings the problem back sooner.

Is there any risk to the guttering?

No. It sits in the same spray path and gets wiped as part of the pass.

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.

How long does a visit take?

A typical two-elevation job is a few hours. A full wrap-around on a larger property is a day.

Do you need a parking space?

Somewhere within hose reach of the elevation is enough.

Can you treat one elevation only?

Yes, and it is common. Often only the shaded side has a problem and the rest of the house needs nothing.

TQ8 - Devon - 18.8 miles from PL3

Green walls in East Portlemouth? Start here

Wall cleaning in East Portlemouth is mostly a question of what the wall is made of. Ferry-crossing hamlet facing Salcombe. The nearest hub we cover in depth is Salcombe, and the building stock here follows the same pattern.

The wall finishes we meet around TQ8

A rendered wall under a failed drip detail restains within a season however well it was cleaned.
Render responds to dwell time better than almost any other finish, which is what makes softwash suit it.
A test patch low down and out of sight is how failing paint is found deliberately.
Gloss-painted details like cills are wiped rather than sprayed.
Stone elevations vary enormously in hardness, and the pointing is usually the weakest part.
Copings on stone boundary walls take the worst of the weather and the worst of the growth.

Conditions around East Portlemouth that feed growth

North-east corners hold frost longest and thaw slowest, which extends the damp window every morning.
Pebbledash holds water in the shadow of every stone, so it stays damp long after a flat render has dried.
Washing without a biocide simply resets the clock and leaves the roots in place.
Lichen prefers hard, alkaline surfaces, which is why it shows on mortar and cills before it shows on render.
Driven rain sticks to a wall face rather than running off it, which keeps the surface wet long enough for spores to settle.
A downpipe discharging onto a hard surface next to the wall sends the water straight back at the brickwork.
Salt-laden air roughens exposed surfaces slightly, and rougher surfaces hold more moisture.
Where a downpipe discharges into a gully that has silted, the overflow soaks the wall base each winter.
Growth returns fastest where the underlying cause was never dealt with, which is usually water going somewhere it should not.

Checks made before anything is applied

01Where a wall meets a roof abutment, the flashing is looked at first.
02Photographs taken before work provide the reference for judging the result later.
03Where the wall carries a previous coating over render, its edges are inspected for lifting.
04The mortar is tested with a key at a discreet point, since soft mortar sets the whole method.
05A slow walk of the gutter line from the ground finds most of the causes worth fixing.
06Hollow-sounding render is checked by tapping before any water is put onto it.
07The condition of the cills tells you how much water has been running down the face.
08Cracks are traced to their ends, because a crack that runs to an opening behaves differently from one that stops.

What happens on the day

1.Windows are checked from inside where access allows, because a closed window with a broken seal still lets water past.
2.Applications are kept off hot surfaces in direct sun, because a mix that flashes off has no dwell time at all.
3.On render below a flat roof edge, the drip detail is checked, because a failed one puts the stain straight back.
4.Where a porch roof sits mid-elevation, it is sheeted and its own tiles cleared before the wall above is touched.
5.Every hose junction is checked before pressure goes on, because a burst at a coupling floods a border.
6.Ridge and verge debris that has landed on the wall head is brushed off dry before anything wet goes on.
7.Vents serving a boiler or flue are checked and left uncovered, with the elevation around them worked dry.
8.Weep holes above openings are left clear so the wall can drain the way it was designed to.
9.Water is drawn from an outside tap where there is one, and carried on the van where there is not.
10.Kit is set down on a groundsheet rather than on planting or paving joints.

Access and preparation

Say whether the side passage is wide enough for a wheeled kit trolley.
Say if the elevation is overlooked by a neighbouring window that should stay shut.
Note where the electricity meter and consumer unit sit relative to the wall.
Point out any alarm sensor mounted externally on the elevation.
Let us know whether the gutters have been cleared in the last couple of years.
If there are children's toys or a trampoline against the wall, they need to move.
Say whether the property is occupied during the day, since that changes nothing technically but helps the plan.
Bring in washing, cushions and anything fabric that lives against the wall.

Coverage and travel

Recorded character: estuary hamlet. Ferry-crossing hamlet facing Salcombe.
Nearest full coverage hub: Salcombe (TQ8), South Hams District Council.
Postcode district: TQ8. County: Devon. Approx 18.8 miles from the PL3 base.
Salcombe sits about 4 miles from East Portlemouth on our round, so visits are often shared.
TQ8 covers 1 town hubs and 2 villages or districts in our radius.

See everywhere we cover in TQ8

Practical questions answered

What about the windows afterwards?: Frames and glass in the spray path are wiped as the masking comes off.
Is the finish even across the wall?: That is the main reason we work bottom-up and one elevation at a time.
Do you jet wash walls?: Not on render, pebbledash or paint. Pressure takes the finish off with the growth and brings the problem back sooner.
Is there any risk to the guttering?: No. It sits in the same spray path and gets wiped as part of the pass.
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.
How long does a visit take?: A typical two-elevation job is a few hours. A full wrap-around on a larger property is a day.
Do you need a parking space?: Somewhere within hose reach of the elevation is enough.
Can you treat one elevation only?: Yes, and it is common. Often only the shaded side has a problem and the rest of the house needs nothing.

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

Anything that keeps a wall wet for longer will bring the growth back sooner, whatever product goes on it. Shade, run-off and airflow decide how long a clean lasts. The treatment decides whether it worked at all. A wall is part of a system that includes the roof above it and the ground below it.

Quote for a East Portlemouth property

Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm