Wall cleaning for village property in Rattery
Rattery, Devon - TQ10
Everything below applies to cob and painted render elevations in Rattery, inside the TQ10 area we cover in full. The method is set by the surface and the exposure, and nothing else changes it.
Quote for a Rattery property
Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm
How the work is actually carried out
- 1.The strength of mix is stepped up only after a weaker one has been given its full dwell and judged.
- 2.Weep holes above openings are left clear so the wall can drain the way it was designed to.
- 3.Where a lean-to gutter runs at wall height, it is cleared first so it does not overflow mid-visit.
- 4.Any surface that will be walked on afterwards is left rinsed rather than left with residue.
- 5.A final walk of each finished elevation happens with the property owner where they are home, and by photograph where they are not.
- 6.Old paint flakes are removed by hand before treatment rather than blown around by water.
- 7.Where a porch roof sits mid-elevation, it is sheeted and its own tiles cleared before the wall above is touched.
- 8.Rainwater goods are checked while the elevation is being worked, since a blocked hopper explains most single-strip staining.
- 9.Rinsing, where it is needed at all, runs top down at a pressure you could hold your hand in front of.
- 10.Application is by low-pressure fan, closer to a garden sprayer than a washer, and the wall is wetted evenly rather than saturated in patches.
Reading the finish on a Rattery elevation
- Cracks in render change the staining pattern, because water then sits behind the face as well as on it.
- Bead edges and stop ends on a rendered elevation are the details worth protecting from driven water.
- Painted masonry can be cleaned, though a paint film that has already lost adhesion will lift where it was going to fail anyway.
- That gets pointed out before work starts rather than discovered halfway through.
- They need the gentlest approach available and a lot of care about how much water goes onto the surface.
- Thatch or deep eaves above cob change how much of the wall ever gets wet.
The reasons behind the staining
- Algae needs moisture far more than it needs dirt, so the wettest elevation greens first regardless of how clean the house is.
- Where a hose reel or water butt overflows against a wall, the staining follows the overflow path exactly.
- A conservatory or extension roof abutting a wall throws water back at it every time it rains.
- A textured coating applied over an already dirty surface holds that dirt as a feeding layer.
- Pebbledash holds water in the shadow of every stone, so it stays damp long after a flat render has dried.
- Textured coatings have more surface area than smooth ones, and more surface area means more places to hold damp.
- Old sealant around window heads cracks and lets a thin trickle run down the face below.
- Where a gutter joint weeps rather than pours, the stain is thin, vertical and very persistent.
- A wall behind a dense fence panel is in still air permanently, and still air never dries anything quickly.
Practical points to sort first
- Let us know if the property is listed or in a conservation area, as it affects method choice.
- If parking needs a permit or a bay suspension, tell us early.
- Mention any planned decorating so the drying window can be built into the date.
- Note where the electricity meter and consumer unit sit relative to the wall.
- Say if the elevation is overlooked by a neighbouring window that should stay shut.
- Say if there is a wasp or bird nest under the eaves, and we will plan around it.
- Tell us if there is a septic tank and where its outlet sits.
- Tell us if a gutter has been overflowing, because that changes what we look at first.
How the wall is read first
- 01The age of the finish is estimated before a strength of mix is chosen.
- 02The ground level relative to the damp course is checked before the base of a wall is treated.
- 03A wall that is warmer than its neighbours on a cold morning is likely holding moisture.
- 04Where the pattern is vertical and narrow, plumbing is looked at before chemistry is.
- 05Weep holes are counted and checked for blockage while the wall is being read.
- 06A wall that feels chalky under the hand is telling you the coating has aged, not that it is dirty.
- 07A slow walk of the gutter line from the ground finds most of the causes worth fixing.
- 08Where the pattern is a band at the top, the gutter line is doing it.
Before you get in touch
- Can you tell from a photo whether it will clean up?
- Usually yes for surface growth. Staining that is in the material is harder to judge without seeing it.
- Do you work weekends?
- We work Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm.
- How much water does a wall job use?
- Less than a pressure wash, because the work is dwell time rather than volume.
- Can you deal with black spotting on white render?
- That is usually a fungal spot rather than algae. It responds to treatment but often needs a second lighter pass.
- 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.
- Can you clean a wall with an electric meter on it?
- Yes. The box is bagged before anything is applied around it.
- Will you tell me if the job is not worth doing?
- Yes. If the staining is in the substrate rather than on it, cleaning will not change much and we will say so.
- Can two elevations be done on separate days?
- Yes, and splitting a larger property over two visits is normal.
Rattery in plain facts
- Nearest full coverage hub: South Brent (TQ10), South Hams District Council.
- Typical wall finish here is cob and painted render, which sets the cleaning method.
- Recorded character: village. Hilltop village above the River Harbourne.
- TQ10 covers 2 town hubs and 4 villages or districts in our radius.
- Postcode district: TQ10. County: Devon. Approx 14.7 miles from the PL3 base.
Also covered near TQ10
Plan around your decorator
Walls need treating and drying before paint. Give us the date and we will work back from it.
The short version
The visit is quiet, low pressure and unremarkable to watch. The result is the interesting part. The quiet visit is the good one. Noise usually means pressure. Walls, gutters and roof are one system. Cleaning one and ignoring the others is why results disappoint. Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm.