Is there any risk to the guttering?

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

What about the windows afterwards?

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

Can you quote from photographs?

For most straightforward jobs, yes. Awkward access is worth a look in person.

Do you treat mortar joints separately?

The method is set by the mortar because it is nearly always the softest thing on the wall.

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.

How much water does a wall job use?

Less than a pressure wash, because the work is dwell time rather than volume.

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.

Do you clean garages and outbuildings?

Yes, if they are part of the same visit and take the same method.

TQ9 - Devon - 17.2 miles from PL3

Wall softwash for Harberton homes

Harberton property owners usually call about colour rather than dirt. Growth flattens the tone of a cob and lime render finish long before anyone would call the wall unclean.

Quote for a Harberton property

Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm

What helps before we arrive

Note any external socket or garden power run near the base of the wall.
Bring in washing, cushions and anything fabric that lives against the wall.
Say if the property has a flat roof section that we would be working above.
Mention any cladding or timber detail that you would rather was left alone.
Tell us if there is a septic tank and where its outlet sits.
Let us know whether the gutters have been cleared in the last couple of years.
Say if there is a wasp or bird nest under the eaves, and we will plan around it.
Let us know if the property is listed or in a conservation area, as it affects method choice.

Wall build-ups common in TQ9

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.
Any rinse on cob is minimal and directed downwards, never held on the surface.
Thatch or deep eaves above cob change how much of the wall ever gets wet.
Cement repairs in a lime wall create a hard band that holds water at its edges.
Where a lime wall is listed or in a conservation area, the gentlest workable method is the only one considered.

Diagnosis before treatment

01A wall that is warmer than its neighbours on a cold morning is likely holding moisture.
02Photographs taken before work provide the reference for judging the result later.
03The mortar is tested with a key at a discreet point, since soft mortar sets the whole method.
04Anything that cannot be explained by water is treated with more caution, not less.
05Any staining that continues below ground level is a drainage question, not a cleaning one.
06Where the pattern is a band at the bottom, splash from the ground is doing it.
07A damp meter reading inside a stained corner separates a cleaning job from a building problem.
08The angle of morning sun on the elevation tells you how long it stays damp.

Damp, airflow and what feeds growth

Cracked render lets water sit behind the face as well as on it, so the staining pattern follows the crack.
Where a wall sits below a bank or a raised garden, water arrives at it sideways rather than from above.
Where a downpipe discharges into a gully that has silted, the overflow soaks the wall base each winter.
Ivy pulled off a wall leaves suckers and a shaded, damp face that greens quickly afterwards.
Driven rain sticks to a wall face rather than running off it, which keeps the surface wet long enough for spores to settle.
Overflowing gutters feed the top of the wall continuously through the wet months.
A wall next to a busy road picks up a film of traffic grime that holds moisture on the surface.
Nutrients from a nearby feeding lawn or planting drift onto a wall and give growth something to work with.
Where two properties share a wall of different finishes, the finishes weather at different speeds and look mismatched.

Planning a full exterior in Harberton

If a decorator is due, the wall clean goes in first and is given time to dry fully.

Where only walls are being done, the gutter line is still checked, because it is the usual culprit behind the worst staining.

The number of elevations completed in one visit depends on their area, access, condition and weather.

Conservatory roofs go before the wall above them, then get a final rinse afterwards.

How a softwash visit runs

1.Windows are checked from inside where access allows, because a closed window with a broken seal still lets water past.
2.Where a wall meets a conservatory or lean-to, the roof glazing is sheeted before anything is applied above it.
3.Downpipe backs and the strip of wall behind them are done by hand, because a sprayed pattern always misses them.
4.The same operator works a whole elevation so the application rate stays consistent across it.
5.Fixings for hanging baskets and washing lines are unloaded before the elevation is worked, then put back.
6.A final walk of each finished elevation happens with the property owner where they are home, and by photograph where they are not.
7.Anything that has to be moved - bins, planters, a bike - goes back exactly where it was found.
8.Any surface that will be walked on afterwards is left rinsed rather than left with residue.
9.Airbricks are covered for the duration and uncovered before we leave, without exception.
10.Sheeting comes off from the top down so nothing collected on it lands on cleaned work.

Questions Harberton owners ask

Is there any risk to the guttering?: No. It sits in the same spray path and gets wiped as part of the pass.
What about the windows afterwards?: Frames and glass in the spray path are wiped as the masking comes off.
Can you quote from photographs?: For most straightforward jobs, yes. Awkward access is worth a look in person.
Do you treat mortar joints separately?: The method is set by the mortar because it is nearly always the softest thing on the wall.
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.
How much water does a wall job use?: Less than a pressure wash, because the work is dwell time rather than volume.
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.
Do you clean garages and outbuildings?: Yes, if they are part of the same visit and take the same method.

Guides worth a look first

Where Harberton sits on our round

Typical roof covering here is slate and clay tile, which affects what washes down onto the walls.
Recorded character: village. Church House Inn village south-west of Totnes.
Postcode district: TQ9. County: Devon. Approx 17.2 miles from the PL3 base.
South Brent sits about 3.4 miles from Harberton on our round, so visits are often shared.
TQ9 covers 1 town hubs and 15 villages or districts in our radius.

See everywhere we cover in TQ9

Within a short run of Harberton

Small job, same care

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

Ask about a small job 07830 242403

To sum up for TQ9

The visit is quiet, low pressure and unremarkable to watch. The result is the interesting part. Ask what will be used and how long it will be left on. The answers tell you everything. Nothing on this page needs a site visit to price if you can send a couple of clear photographs. Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm.