Can two elevations be done on separate days?

Yes, and splitting a larger property over two visits is normal.

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.

When does a treated wall show its final appearance?

Some change can be visible after treatment, while remaining dead growth may continue to weather away over the following days.

Do you work weekends?

We work Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm.

Can I get the roof done at the same time?

Yes, and the roof goes first so what comes off it does not land on clean walls.

Do you leave a written record of what was done?

Photographs of before and after the visit, plus anything found in poor condition.

Can you work around a conservatory?

The glazing is sheeted first and given a rinse at the end.

How often does this need doing?

It depends entirely on shade and exposure. An open elevation holds a long time; a permanently shaded one comes back sooner.

Morwellham exterior wall softwash, Devon

Historic Tamar copper quay.

Cleaning walls in Morwellham is a slow, quiet job done at low pressure. It is nothing like a driveway wash, and on granite and painted render that difference is the whole point.

Working out what is wrong on a Morwellham wall

01Where a wall meets a roof abutment, the flashing is looked at first.
02A wall that feels chalky under the hand is telling you the coating has aged, not that it is dirty.
03Whether the growth has spread onto glass and frames tells you how long it has been established.
04Nearby properties with the same finish are a useful reference for what is normal on that street.
05Where the pattern is even across the whole face, exposure and aspect are the cause.
06The direction the growth thickens in points at the source of the moisture.
07Previous cleaning is usually visible as a slightly different texture rather than a different colour.
08The ground level relative to the damp course is checked before the base of a wall is treated.

Material first, method second

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.
Masonry paint over render adds a film that traps moisture if the substrate was damp when it was applied.
Painted plinths take splash and are worked as a separate band from the main face.
Granite is hard-faced but the joints are not, and lichen roots into micro-fissures in the stone.
The mortar between granite blocks is usually lime, which sets the whole method for the wall.

Why this keeps happening on PL19 elevations

Low winter sun never reaches the bottom third of a wall behind a fence, and it shows.
A cracked cill throws water back at the wall instead of clear of it.
A wall under a mature hedge takes both shade and constant leaf litter, which is the worst pairing there is.
Wall growth often maps exactly to where a previous extension roof used to sit.
A drying rack or store built against a wall keeps that panel of it permanently shaded.
Growth that appears in a neat rectangle usually marks something that was leaning against the wall.
Hedging planted tight to a wall cuts airflow, and still air is the same as slow drying.
Cold bridging at a lintel can keep a narrow band of render damper than everything around it.
The first sign is usually a faint grey cast rather than green, and grey is easier to ignore.

On site in Morwellham

1.On render below a flat roof edge, the drip detail is checked, because a failed one puts the stain straight back.
2.Vents serving a boiler or flue are checked and left uncovered, with the elevation around them worked dry.
3.Areas that stay stubborn after full dwell are left to weather rather than pushed harder on the day.
4.Corners are worked from both directions so the overlap sits in the angle and not on the open face.
5.Growth in a shaded return is treated on the same visit even when only the front was asked about, if access allows.
6.Any surface that will be walked on afterwards is left rinsed rather than left with residue.
7.Any garden furniture within the spray arc moves before the mix is made up, not while the lance is running.
8.Beds and borders at the foot of the wall are soaked with clean water first, so any run-off arrives diluted.
9.Ground-level splash marks are worked separately from the main face, since they are silt rather than growth.
10.Vents, extractor terminals and trickle vents get taped, because water pushed into them is the one thing that turns an exterior job into an interior one.

Local detail that changes the job

Postcode district: PL19. County: Devon. Approx 13.4 miles from the PL3 base.
Typical wall finish here is granite and painted render, which sets the cleaning method.
Tavistock sits about 0.1 miles from Morwellham on our round, so visits are often shared.
Access is usually via A386 and A390.
Typical roof covering here is slate, which affects what washes down onto the walls.

See everywhere we cover in PL19

Preparing a estuary hamlet property

Tell us if a fence panel is loose, because sheeting gets pegged to something solid.
Say if any part of the wall has been jet washed before, and roughly when.
Mention shared access or a right of way that we will be crossing.
Tell us about pets in the garden before the day rather than on it.
If there are children's toys or a trampoline against the wall, they need to move.
Move cars off a drive that runs tight to the house if you can, and tell us if you cannot.
Let us know whether the gutters have been cleared in the last couple of years.
Mention whether the drive drains to a soakaway that already struggles in heavy rain.

Why order matters more than speed

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

Where a roof clean is planned for later in the year, walls are worth leaving until after it.

Where a soakaway is already struggling, wall work is planned for a drier stretch.

Patio joints are checked before the wall above them is treated, since loose sand washes into puddles.

Straight answers before you book

Can two elevations be done on separate days?: Yes, and splitting a larger property over two visits is normal.
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.
When does a treated wall show its final appearance?: Some change can be visible after treatment, while remaining dead growth may continue to weather away over the following days.
Do you work weekends?: We work Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm.
Can I get the roof done at the same time?: Yes, and the roof goes first so what comes off it does not land on clean walls.
Do you leave a written record of what was done?: Photographs of before and after the visit, plus anything found in poor condition.
Can you work around a conservatory?: The glazing is sheeted first and given a rinse at the end.
How often does this need doing?: It depends entirely on shade and exposure. An open elevation holds a long time; a permanently shaded one comes back sooner.

Other Devon places on the same round

Where to go next

The essentials

Water in the wrong place explains most tired elevations, and it is cheaper to fix than to keep cleaning. Low pressure, biocidal treatment, dwell time, controlled rinse. That is the whole method and it is chosen because the finish survives it. Cleaning reveals condition. Sometimes that means finding a repair, and it is better found than hidden under moss.

Add the gutters while we are there

The gutter run above the wall is usually the reason it stained. Doing both together protects the work.

Add gutters 07830 242403

Quote for a Morwellham property

Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm