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

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

Will the treatment harm my planting?

Beds are wetted down first so run-off arrives diluted, and rinsing is directed away from anything growing.

Can you work in cool damp weather?

Yes. Wall softwash is fine in cool damp conditions. Heavy rain during application is the only real blocker.

Do you work on bungalows differently?

Only in that everything is reachable from the ground, which makes the visit shorter.

Do you clean UPVC panels and door surrounds?

They are wiped by hand rather than sprayed.

Will the colour be even afterwards?

Working bottom-up and one elevation at a time is what keeps it even.

Does softwash actually kill the growth or just wash it off?

It kills it. The treatment is left on long enough to work, which is why the surface keeps lightening for a week or two after the visit.

Render and wall cleaning in Tregantle

Victorian fort above Whitsand Bay.

Wall cleaning in Tregantle is mostly a question of what the wall is made of. Victorian fort above Whitsand Bay. The nearest hub we cover in depth is Torpoint, and the building stock here follows the same pattern.

Working out what is wrong on a Tregantle wall

01The presence of moss rather than algae suggests standing water rather than damp air.
02The ground level relative to the damp course is checked before the base of a wall is treated.
03Where the pattern is vertical and narrow, plumbing is looked at before chemistry is.
04The direction the growth thickens in points at the source of the moisture.
05Nearby properties with the same finish are a useful reference for what is normal on that street.
06Previous cleaning is usually visible as a slightly different texture rather than a different colour.
07Whether the property is exposed or sheltered is judged on the day, not from a map.
08Where a wall meets a roof abutment, the flashing is looked at first.

Material first, method second

Cracks in render change the staining pattern, because water then sits behind the face as well as on it.
Patched render takes treatment differently from the original, which is why patches are identified before work starts.
Masonry paint over render adds a film that traps moisture if the substrate was damp when it was applied.
Colour on a painted wall usually returns once the film on top is removed.
Iron staining from old fixings in granite is a separate problem from growth.
Second lighter applications suit granite better than one strong pass.

Why this keeps happening on PL11 elevations

Render laid over a colder substrate holds surface condensation into the morning.
Render that has lost its water repellency absorbs and holds surface water instead of shedding it.
The first sign is usually a faint grey cast rather than green, and grey is easier to ignore.
A wall that faces a large expanse of glass on another building gets less sun than its aspect suggests.
A split downpipe puts a single wet stripe down an elevation, and that stripe goes green months before anything either side of it.
Ivy pulled off a wall leaves suckers and a shaded, damp face that greens quickly afterwards.
Any surface that holds a drop of water long enough to be seen will hold it long enough to feed growth.
A wall next to a busy road picks up a film of traffic grime that holds moisture on the surface.
Textured coatings have more surface area than smooth ones, and more surface area means more places to hold damp.

On site in Tregantle

1.A wall carrying a house number, plaque or bell push has those items worked around by hand.
2.Treatments are kept away from vegetable beds entirely, with those sections sheeted rather than diluted.
3.External drains below the work are covered with a grate mat and cleared before we leave.
4.Reach is taken from the ground with a telescopic lance wherever the elevation allows, which keeps ladders off soft render.
5.Waste water is directed to a soakaway or drain that can take it rather than allowed to pond on a lawn.
6.Anything applied is applied once and given time, rather than applied twice in a hurry to look busy.
7.Paving, steps and paths below the elevation are rinsed clear at the end of the visit.
8.Kit is set down on a groundsheet rather than on planting or paving joints.
9.The lower band of an elevation is checked for salt or silt staining, which is rinsed rather than treated.
10.Where growth has spread onto a UPVC panel or door surround, it is wiped rather than sprayed.

Local detail that changes the job

Typical wall finish here is granite and painted render, which sets the cleaning method.
Postcode district: PL11. County: Cornwall. Approx 8.7 miles from the PL3 base.
Torpoint sits about 6.3 miles from Tregantle on our round, so visits are often shared.
PL11 covers 4 town hubs and 12 villages or districts in our radius.
Access is usually via A374 and Torpoint Ferry.

See everywhere we cover in PL11

Preparing a coastal hamlet property

Note where the electricity meter and consumer unit sit relative to the wall.
Point out where the render was patched, since patches clean differently from the original.
Let us know if a neighbour parks under the wall on certain days.
Say if any part of the wall has been jet washed before, and roughly when.
Let us know if anyone in the house works nights and needs quiet at a particular time.
If there are children's toys or a trampoline against the wall, they need to move.
Mention whether the drive drains to a soakaway that already struggles in heavy rain.
Let us know if scaffold or a tower is already up for other work.

First, next, last

A wall treated in autumn goes into winter clean, which is when it matters most.

Where scaffolding is going up for other work, the wall clean is easier and safer while it is standing.

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

Where the property is being sold, walls are the single most visible thing to do first.

Practical questions answered

Can you clean a wall with an electric meter on it?: Yes. The box is bagged before anything is applied around it.
Do you need my electricity?: No. Kit runs off the van.
Will the treatment harm my planting?: Beds are wetted down first so run-off arrives diluted, and rinsing is directed away from anything growing.
Can you work in cool damp weather?: Yes. Wall softwash is fine in cool damp conditions. Heavy rain during application is the only real blocker.
Do you work on bungalows differently?: Only in that everything is reachable from the ground, which makes the visit shorter.
Do you clean UPVC panels and door surrounds?: They are wiped by hand rather than sprayed.
Will the colour be even afterwards?: Working bottom-up and one elevation at a time is what keeps it even.
Does softwash actually kill the growth or just wash it off?: It kills it. The treatment is left on long enough to work, which is why the surface keeps lightening for a week or two after the visit.

Neighbouring places we work

Summary

The finish keeps improving after we leave, which is how you know the treatment did the work rather than the water. Getting the order of work right protects the money already spent on the parts that were cleaned first. Textured finishes hold damp because of their shape, not because of neglect.

Check the gutter line too

If the staining starts at the top, the gutters are worth looking at in the same visit.

Add the check 07830 242403

Quote for a Tregantle property

Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm