Will it strip my paint?

Sound paint is unaffected. Paint that has already lost adhesion may lift, which is why a test patch goes on first.

There is a mild one during application that clears within a few hours.

Can the whole outside be planned in one go?

Yes, and getting the order right matters more than doing it all at once.

Is the water mains-fed?

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

Do you use a pressure washer at all on a wall visit?

Only on hard surfaces below it, like paving, and never on the wall finish itself.

How is a quote put together?

By elevation area, surface type and access, written down before anything starts.

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 smell for neighbours?

Mild and short-lived, and we avoid boundary elevations when someone next door has washing out.

Latchley wall cleaning without high pressure

Latchley, Cornwall - PL18

Where a Latchley wall has gone patchy rather than evenly dirty, the cause is nearly always local: a downpipe, a hedge, a shaded corner. That is where we look first.

Quote for a Latchley property

Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm

How the work is actually carried out

1.Anything found broken before we arrived is photographed before work starts, not after.
2.Where a bay window projects, its cheeks are treated separately from the main face to avoid a shadow line.
3.External light fittings are switched off at the consumer unit before the elevation around them is treated.
4.Any window left open is closed, or that section is skipped and left for a second visit.
5.Reach is taken from the ground with a telescopic lance wherever the elevation allows, which keeps ladders off soft render.
6.Kit is set down on a groundsheet rather than on planting or paving joints.
7.Weep holes above openings are left clear so the wall can drain the way it was designed to.
8.A wall with a visible damp patch inside is treated on the dry areas only until the cause is found.
9.A hose test on the nearest outside tap happens before anything is mixed, because flow rate changes how the day is planned.
10.Painted elevations get a small test patch first, low down and out of sight, so failing paint is found deliberately rather than by accident.

Reading the finish on a Latchley elevation

Thin-coat systems are thinner than people assume, and a jet held still in one place leaves a permanent shadow.
A rendered plinth takes more water than the face above it and is usually the first band to look tired.
Painted masonry can be cleaned, though a paint film that has already lost adhesion will lift where it was going to fail anyway.
Chalking paint is a rougher surface than new paint, which is why older painted walls green faster.
Rubble stone walls have deep joints that hold moisture and feed growth from within the joint.
Slate-faced walls shed water quickly but the bedding mortar does not.

The reasons behind the staining

Growth on a painted wall often sits on top of a paint film that has already begun to chalk.
North-east corners hold frost longest and thaw slowest, which extends the damp window every morning.
Roof debris shed from a mossy slope lands on the same band of wall year after year.
Pebbledash holds water in the shadow of every stone, so it stays damp long after a flat render has dried.
A wall under a mature hedge takes both shade and constant leaf litter, which is the worst pairing there is.
A path that slopes towards a house rather than away from it keeps the base of the wall wet after every shower.
Painted walls chalk with age, and chalked paint is a rougher surface than new paint.
North and east elevations dry last and green first, in that order, on nearly every property.
A downpipe discharging onto a hard surface next to the wall sends the water straight back at the brickwork.

Practical points to sort first

Let us know whether the gutters have been cleared in the last couple of years.
Note the position of the stopcock in case the outside tap needs isolating.
Mention any glazing you already know is cracked before work starts.
Warn us about a soft lawn or an unmade drive so boards come on the van.
If you have a pond, a water butt or a wildlife area, point it out in advance.
If there are children's toys or a trampoline against the wall, they need to move.
Point out any alarm sensor mounted externally on the elevation.
Unlock side gates the night before if you are not going to be in, because a locked passage stops a whole elevation.

How the wall is read first

01Whether the growth has spread onto glass and frames tells you how long it has been established.
02Anything that cannot be explained by water is treated with more caution, not less.
03Any staining that continues below ground level is a drainage question, not a cleaning one.
04The elevation is read from the pavement first and from a metre away second.
05Previous cleaning is usually visible as a slightly different texture rather than a different colour.
06Photographs taken before work provide the reference for judging the result later.
07Old repair patches are identified early, because they take treatment differently from the surrounding finish.
08A short section of hose test shows whether run-off drains away or ponds at the base.

Before you get in touch

Will it strip my paint?: Sound paint is unaffected. Paint that has already lost adhesion may lift, which is why a test patch goes on first.
Is there a smell?: There is a mild one during application that clears within a few hours.
Can the whole outside be planned in one go?: Yes, and getting the order right matters more than doing it all at once.
Is the water mains-fed?: From your outside tap where there is one. Where there is not, we bring it with us.
Do you use a pressure washer at all on a wall visit?: Only on hard surfaces below it, like paving, and never on the wall finish itself.
How is a quote put together?: By elevation area, surface type and access, written down before anything starts.
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 smell for neighbours?: Mild and short-lived, and we avoid boundary elevations when someone next door has washing out.

Latchley in plain facts

Nearest full coverage hub: Gunnislake (PL18), Cornwall Council.
Gunnislake sits about 0.6 miles from Latchley on our round, so visits are often shared.
Recorded character: village. Tamar-side village north of Gunnislake.
PL18 covers 2 town hubs and 3 villages or districts in our radius.
Postcode district: PL18. County: Cornwall. Approx 12.1 miles from the PL3 base.

See everywhere we cover in PL18

Also covered near PL18

Send a photo of the wall

One clear photo of the elevation and a postcode is usually all it takes to give you a written price.

Send a photo 07830 242403

Read a little further

The short version

Written scope first means nothing is discovered late. Every coated wall has a maximum pressure it tolerates, and it is much lower than most people assume. Wall growth is a moisture problem wearing a dirt costume. Treat the growth, sort the water, and the interval stretches out.