Cleaning tired walls in Minions
granite walls, slate roofs, 17.9 miles from the yard.
This page is about one job in one place: cleaning granite walls in Minions, Cornwall. Softwash means chemistry and dwell time doing the work rather than pressure.
The Cornwall detail
- Access is usually via A38 and A390.
- Postcode district: PL14. County: Cornwall. Approx 17.9 miles from the PL3 base.
- Typical roof covering here is slate, which affects what washes down onto the walls.
- Typical wall finish here is granite, which sets the cleaning method.
- Nearest full coverage hub: Liskeard (PL14), Cornwall Council.
granite and what it needs
- Granite dressed centuries ago has an open surface that holds water in a way polished stone does not.
- The mortar between granite blocks is usually lime, which sets the whole method for the wall.
- A granite elevation is judged corner by corner, because exposure varies more than on a rendered face.
- Iron staining from old fixings in granite is a separate problem from growth.
Application, dwell and rinse
- 1.Steps and thresholds get a plain water rinse at the end so nothing is left slippery.
- 2.Painted elevations get a small test patch first, low down and out of sight, so failing paint is found deliberately rather than by accident.
- 3.Reach is taken from the ground with a telescopic lance wherever the elevation allows, which keeps ladders off soft render.
- 4.Rainwater goods are checked while the elevation is being worked, since a blocked hopper explains most single-strip staining.
- 5.The colour keeps improving for a fortnight after the visit as dead growth loses its grip and weathers away.
- 6.Where a wall meets a conservatory or lean-to, the roof glazing is sheeted before anything is applied above it.
- 7.The wall is left to dry naturally rather than being wiped, which is what keeps the finish even.
- 8.Where the growth sits mostly in the lower metre, that band is treated twice and the rest once.
- 9.Waste water is directed to a soakaway or drain that can take it rather than allowed to pond on a lawn.
- 10.Anything that has to be moved - bins, planters, a bike - goes back exactly where it was found.
The survey we do in Minions
- 01A short section of hose test shows whether run-off drains away or ponds at the base.
- 02The direction the growth thickens in points at the source of the moisture.
- 03The condition of the cills tells you how much water has been running down the face.
- 04A damp meter reading inside a stained corner separates a cleaning job from a building problem.
- 05Where a wall meets a roof abutment, the flashing is looked at first.
- 06Previous cleaning is usually visible as a slightly different texture rather than a different colour.
- 07Nearby properties with the same finish are a useful reference for what is normal on that street.
- 08A wall that is warmer than its neighbours on a cold morning is likely holding moisture.
What to book before and after the walls
Where a roof clean is planned for later in the year, walls are worth leaving until after it.
Driveways come after walls so that run-off from the elevation is rinsed away as part of the drive work.
Solar panels are cleaned separately from the roof slope they sit on, and after it.
Where gutters need repair rather than clearing, that goes ahead of any cleaning at all.
What to tell us in advance
- Mention whether the drive drains to a soakaway that already struggles in heavy rain.
- If you have a pond, a water butt or a wildlife area, point it out in advance.
- Note where hoses can be run without crossing a doorway.
- Let us know if scaffold or a tower is already up for other work.
- Tell us if a fence panel is loose, because sheeting gets pegged to something solid.
- Bring in washing, cushions and anything fabric that lives against the wall.
- Point out where the render was patched, since patches clean differently from the original.
- Point out any window that does not seal properly, so it gets sheeted rather than sprayed near.
Asked most often in PL14
- Can you work while builders are on site?
- Better after they finish, so their dust and debris does not land on clean work.
- 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.
- Do you move furniture and pots?
- Anything within the spray arc is moved and put back where it was found.
- Can two elevations be done on separate days?
- Yes, and splitting a larger property over two visits is normal.
- Will the drive get messy?
- Anything below the elevation is rinsed off before we finish.
- Do you clean soffits and fascias?
- They are in the same spray path, so they are done as part of the wall visit.
- Do you clean under the eaves?
- The soffit line is in the spray path and gets a pass as part of the work.
- 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.
Close to Minions
Minions wall softwash, in short
The wall is nearly always sound. What has changed is what is living on it. Wall growth is a moisture problem wearing a dirt costume. Treat the growth, sort the water, and the interval stretches out. Ask what will be used and how long it will be left on. The answers tell you everything.
Not sure whether it is walls or gutters?
Send a picture of the staining pattern. Where it sits usually tells us what is causing it.
Quote for a Minions property
Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm