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 clean conservatory roofs?

Yes, and they go before the wall above them so nothing lands back on clean glazing.

What about air bricks and vents?

Covered for the duration, uncovered before we leave.

Is the finish even across the wall?

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

Can you treat a wall that has already been jet washed?

Yes. The damaged band is worked at a reduced strength because it is more open than the rest.

Can you do it while I am at work?

Yes, as long as gates are unlocked and we can reach the elevations.

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.

What about the neighbour's side?

We only work surfaces you own or have permission for, and we check before spraying near a boundary.

Treating growth on painted render and stucco in Mount Gould

Mount Gould, Devon - PL4

This page is about one job in one place: cleaning painted render and stucco walls in Mount Gould, Devon. Softwash means chemistry and dwell time doing the work rather than pressure.

What Mount Gould walls are usually finished in

Thin-coat systems are thinner than people assume, and a jet held still in one place leaves a permanent shadow.
Patched render takes treatment differently from the original, which is why patches are identified before work starts.
Painted masonry can be cleaned, though a paint film that has already lost adhesion will lift where it was going to fail anyway.
Gloss-painted details like cills are wiped rather than sprayed.

Low pressure, longer dwell

1.Ridge and verge debris that has landed on the wall head is brushed off dry before anything wet goes on.
2.Reach is taken from the ground with a telescopic lance wherever the elevation allows, which keeps ladders off soft render.
3.Overspray is controlled by working with the wind rather than across it, and by stopping when it gets up.
4.The van is parked so hoses do not cross a footpath, and matting goes down where they have to.
5.The lance tip is changed rather than the pressure raised whenever coverage is not even enough.
6.Heavy lichen gets a second lighter application on a later visit instead of an increase in pressure on the first.
7.Timber decking or a doorstep directly under the work is covered rather than rinsed afterwards.
8.Beds and borders at the foot of the wall are soaked with clean water first, so any run-off arrives diluted.
9.The treatment is mixed to the surface, not to a fixed recipe, and a delicate finish gets a weaker mix and a longer wait.
10.Where a wall carries a satellite dish or cable run, the fixings are checked before they get wet.

Small things that make the visit smoother

Say whether the side passage is wide enough for a wheeled kit trolley.
Tell us if a fence panel is loose, because sheeting gets pegged to something solid.
If a security light or camera covers the elevation, tell us so it can be isolated.
Mention shared access or a right of way that we will be crossing.
Point out any window that does not seal properly, so it gets sheeted rather than sprayed near.
Mention any cladding or timber detail that you would rather was left alone.
Say whether the elevation backs onto a public footpath.
Point out where the render was patched, since patches clean differently from the original.

Facts on record for Mount Gould

Nearest full coverage hub: Lipson (PL4), Plymouth City Council.
Typical roof covering here is Welsh slate, which affects what washes down onto the walls.
Lipson sits about 0.4 miles from Mount Gould on our round, so visits are often shared.
Recorded character: city district. Terraced streets around Mount Gould Hospital.
PL4 covers 5 town hubs and 3 villages or districts in our radius.

See everywhere we cover in PL4

What is actually growing on the wall

North and east elevations dry last and green first, in that order, on nearly every property.
Growth on a painted wall often sits on top of a paint film that has already begun to chalk.
Tree canopy overhead drips long after the rain has stopped and drops organic debris onto the wall face.
A wall shaded by its own porch roof for half the day dries at half the rate of the face beside it.
Rain shadow works both ways: the sheltered face stays dry of rain but also of the washing that rain provides.
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.
Sheltered courtyards feel pleasant and dry slowly, which is a bad combination for a wall.
Growth that appears in a neat rectangle usually marks something that was leaning against the wall.

Assessing a PL4 elevation

01The state of the pointing is judged at the most exposed corner, not the most convenient one.
02The elevation is read from the pavement first and from a metre away second.
03The presence of moss rather than algae suggests standing water rather than damp air.
04Efflorescence is distinguished from lichen before anything is applied, since one is salt and one is alive.
05The condition of the cills tells you how much water has been running down the face.
06Colour matters: green suggests algae, black suggests fungal spotting, grey-white crust suggests lichen.
07The age of the finish is estimated before a strength of mix is chosen.
08Weep holes are counted and checked for blockage while the wall is being read.

Nearby villages and districts

Common questions about wall softwash

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 clean conservatory roofs?: Yes, and they go before the wall above them so nothing lands back on clean glazing.
What about air bricks and vents?: Covered for the duration, uncovered before we leave.
Is the finish even across the wall?: That is the main reason we work bottom-up and one elevation at a time.
Can you treat a wall that has already been jet washed?: Yes. The damaged band is worked at a reduced strength because it is more open than the rest.
Can you do it while I am at work?: Yes, as long as gates are unlocked and we can reach the elevations.
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.
What about the neighbour's side?: We only work surfaces you own or have permission for, and we check before spraying near a boundary.

Describe the staining and we will name it

Green film, black spots or grey crust all behave differently. Tell us which one you are looking at.

Describe it 07830 242403

In a sentence or two

Written scope first means nothing is discovered late. Softwash trades speed for safety on the finish, and that trade is worth making on any coated wall. If a wall is greening in one strip, the answer is usually plumbing rather than cleaning.

Quote for a Mount Gould property

Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm