What happens if it rains on the day?

Light rain is workable. Persistent rain moves the visit rather than compromising the treatment.

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.

Is the water mains-fed?

From your outside tap where there is one. Where there is not, we bring it with us.

Do you work weekends?

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

Do I need to move my car?

It helps. If it cannot be moved we sheet it or work around it.

Should I fix the downpipe before or after?

Before, if it is the cause. Cleaning around a live leak puts the stain straight back.

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 offer a maintenance visit?

A lighter top-up treatment every couple of years is much less work than leaving it until it is heavy again.

Treluggan exterior wall softwash, Cornwall

Small hamlet near Notter Bridge.

Wall cleaning in Treluggan is mostly a question of what the wall is made of. Small hamlet near Notter Bridge. The nearest hub we cover in depth is Landrake, and the building stock here follows the same pattern.

Working out what is wrong on a Treluggan wall

01Photographs taken before work provide the reference for judging the result later.
02The condition of the cills tells you how much water has been running down the face.
03A test patch at low strength shows what the surface will do before the full elevation commits to it.
04Old repair patches are identified early, because they take treatment differently from the surrounding finish.
05A wall that is warmer than its neighbours on a cold morning is likely holding moisture.
06Cracks are traced to their ends, because a crack that runs to an opening behaves differently from one that stops.
07The mortar is tested with a key at a discreet point, since soft mortar sets the whole method.
08The first question is whether the staining sits on the surface or has gone into the material, because only one of those cleans off.

Material first, method second

Patched render takes treatment differently from the original, which is why patches are identified before work starts.
A rendered wall under a failed drip detail restains within a season however well it was cleaned.
Where a painted wall has been patch-repainted, the patches clean at a different rate.
A weaker mix and a longer wait suits paint better than anything stronger and faster.
A stone wall in deep shade holds moss in the joints long after the faces have dried.
Loose stones and open joints are recorded and left alone rather than washed.

Why this keeps happening on PL12 elevations

Where a hose reel or water butt overflows against a wall, the staining follows the overflow path exactly.
A drying rack or store built against a wall keeps that panel of it permanently shaded.
Salt spray does not itself grow, but it roughens and holds damp, which is the same outcome.
Lichen prefers hard, alkaline surfaces, which is why it shows on mortar and cills before it shows on render.
Where a wall was cleaned without a biocide, the regrowth is often patchier and faster than the original.
A downpipe discharging onto a hard surface next to the wall sends the water straight back at the brickwork.
Where a gutter joint weeps rather than pours, the stain is thin, vertical and very persistent.
Textured coatings have more surface area than smooth ones, and more surface area means more places to hold damp.
The first sign is usually a faint grey cast rather than green, and grey is easier to ignore.

On site in Treluggan

1.The same operator works a whole elevation so the application rate stays consistent across it.
2.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.
3.Steps and thresholds get a plain water rinse at the end so nothing is left slippery.
4.Chimney stacks are treated from a position that keeps the operator off the roof covering entirely.
5.The wall is left to dry naturally rather than being wiped, which is what keeps the finish even.
6.On thin-coat systems the lance is kept moving, because holding it still in one place is how a shadow mark gets left behind.
7.Rinsing, where it is needed at all, runs top down at a pressure you could hold your hand in front of.
8.Overspray is controlled by working with the wind rather than across it, and by stopping when it gets up.
9.The lance tip is changed rather than the pressure raised whenever coverage is not even enough.
10.A pass is made along the wall head where it meets the soffit, since that band greens first and is seen least.

Local detail that changes the job

PL12 covers 8 town hubs and 13 villages or districts in our radius.
Nearest full coverage hub: Landrake (PL12), Cornwall Council.
Landrake sits about 1.6 miles from Treluggan on our round, so visits are often shared.
Typical wall finish here is painted render and stone, which sets the cleaning method.
Typical roof covering here is slate, which affects what washes down onto the walls.

See everywhere we cover in PL12

Preparing a estuary hamlet property

Note any external socket or garden power run near the base of the wall.
Mention any cladding or timber detail that you would rather was left alone.
Tell us if a fence panel is loose, because sheeting gets pegged to something solid.
Note where hoses can be run without crossing a doorway.
Point out any window that does not seal properly, so it gets sheeted rather than sprayed near.
Trim back anything that has grown tight against the wall, or ask us to work around it.
Tell us where the drains run if the garden has a soakaway rather than a mains connection.
Tell us about any planting you particularly care about at the base of the wall.

Why order matters more than speed

Where only walls are being done, the gutter line is still checked, because it is the usual culprit behind the worst staining.

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

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

Block paving cannot be re-sanded until it is dry, which decides the running order in a wet week.

Asked most often in PL12

What happens if it rains on the day?: Light rain is workable. Persistent rain moves the visit rather than compromising the treatment.
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.
Is the water mains-fed?: From your outside tap where there is one. Where there is not, we bring it with us.
Do you work weekends?: We work Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm.
Do I need to move my car?: It helps. If it cannot be moved we sheet it or work around it.
Should I fix the downpipe before or after?: Before, if it is the cause. Cleaning around a live leak puts the stain straight back.
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 offer a maintenance visit?: A lighter top-up treatment every couple of years is much less work than leaving it until it is heavy again.

Close to Treluggan

Useful pages alongside this one

Treluggan wall softwash, in short

The mortar is the weakest link on most walls, so the mortar sets the pressure. Photographs and a postcode are enough to start a conversation about the work. The wall is nearly always sound. What has changed is what is living on it.

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 Treluggan property

Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm