What if I only want the front done?

That is the most common request on this kind of job.

Do you work on flats and shared buildings?

Yes, with permission from whoever is responsible for the elevation.

Is the finish even across the wall?

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

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.

Do you clean soffits and fascias?

They are in the same spray path, so they are done as part of the wall visit.

Can you clean a wall with an electric meter on it?

Yes. The box is bagged before anything is applied around it.

Do you leave a written record of what was done?

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

Can the whole outside be planned in one go?

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

Softwashing granite and cob walls around Scorriton

granite and cob walls, slate roofs, 17.7 miles from the yard.

Low-pressure wall treatment on granite and cob, as worked in TQ11

This page covers wall and render softwash for Scorriton only, roughly 17.7 miles from our PL3 base and worked with the South Brent round. Roofs, gutters and hard surfaces have their own pages.

The Devon detail

TQ11 covers 0 town hubs and 4 villages or districts in our radius.
South Brent sits about 3.9 miles from Scorriton on our round, so visits are often shared.
Typical roof covering here is slate, which affects what washes down onto the walls.
Recorded character: moorland hamlet. Small moorland hamlet north of Buckfastleigh.
Postcode district: TQ11. County: Devon. Approx 17.7 miles from the PL3 base.

See everywhere we cover in TQ11

granite and cob and what it needs

Granite dressed centuries ago has an open surface that holds water in a way polished stone does not.
Pressure on granite blows out the joints long before it touches the stone.
Cracks in a cob wall are structural information, not cosmetic, and are reported rather than cleaned.
Where cob has been cement-rendered at some point, that render traps moisture and the wall behaves badly.

Application, dwell and rinse

1.Neighbouring cars and windows are checked before spraying starts on a boundary elevation.
2.Windows are checked from inside where access allows, because a closed window with a broken seal still lets water past.
3.Ridge and verge debris that has landed on the wall head is brushed off dry before anything wet goes on.
4.Where a wall has been previously jet washed, the damaged band is treated at a reduced strength.
5.Where two different finishes meet on one elevation, they are treated as two jobs on one wall.
6.Heavy lichen gets a second lighter application on a later visit instead of an increase in pressure on the first.
7.Sheltered corners and inside angles hold growth longest and get worked before the open faces.
8.Applications are kept off hot surfaces in direct sun, because a mix that flashes off has no dwell time at all.
9.Boundary walls and gate piers are treated in the same visit only if they take the same method as the house.
10.The strength of mix is stepped up only after a weaker one has been given its full dwell and judged.

The survey we do in Scorriton

01The angle of morning sun on the elevation tells you how long it stays damp.
02The ground level relative to the damp course is checked before the base of a wall is treated.
03Any staining that continues below ground level is a drainage question, not a cleaning one.
04Hollow-sounding render is checked by tapping before any water is put onto it.
05Weep holes are counted and checked for blockage while the wall is being read.
06Previous cleaning is usually visible as a slightly different texture rather than a different colour.
07A damp meter reading inside a stained corner separates a cleaning job from a building problem.
08A short section of hose test shows whether run-off drains away or ponds at the base.

Order of work, top down

Glass is done last on any multi-service visit, since it picks up whatever the earlier stages put in the air.

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

Fascia and soffit cleaning is folded into the wall visit rather than being priced as a separate trip.

Rendering or repair work should always finish before cleaning starts, never the other way round.

What to tell us in advance

Tell us if a gutter has been overflowing, because that changes what we look at first.
Clear the base of the elevation of pots, ornaments and loose paving where you can.
Unlock side gates the night before if you are not going to be in, because a locked passage stops a whole elevation.
If a security light or camera covers the elevation, tell us so it can be isolated.
Say where the outside tap is, and whether it runs at any pressure.
Mention any planned decorating so the drying window can be built into the date.
Say whether the side passage is wide enough for a wheeled kit trolley.
Mention any cladding or timber detail that you would rather was left alone.

Practical questions answered

What if I only want the front done?: That is the most common request on this kind of job.
Do you work on flats and shared buildings?: Yes, with permission from whoever is responsible for the elevation.
Is the finish even across the wall?: That is the main reason we work bottom-up and one elevation at a time.
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.
Do you clean soffits and fascias?: They are in the same spray path, so they are done as part of the wall visit.
Can you clean a wall with an electric meter on it?: Yes. The box is bagged before anything is applied around it.
Do you leave a written record of what was done?: Photographs of before and after the visit, plus anything found in poor condition.
Can the whole outside be planned in one go?: Yes, and getting the order right matters more than doing it all at once.

Neighbouring places we work

Summary

The mortar is the weakest link on most walls, so the mortar sets the pressure. If a wall is greening in one strip, the answer is usually plumbing rather than cleaning. The wall is nearly always sound. What has changed is what is living on it. Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm.

Before the photos go up

Clean elevations change the first picture of a listing more than anything else outside.

Get it done first 07830 242403

Quote for a Scorriton property

Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm