Do you work on bungalows differently?

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

Can you get behind downpipes?

Yes, by hand. It is the part a sprayed pattern always misses.

Do you work on flats and shared buildings?

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

Is the method different on a listed building?

The approach is gentler still, and lime finishes are treated with the lowest strength that will work.

Can you do it while I am at work?

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

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.

Can you work around a conservatory?

The glazing is sheeted first and given a rinse at the end.

Is thin-coat render different from sand and cement?

Yes, and it is more sensitive. Thin-coat systems get a weaker mix and a longer dwell rather than more pressure.

Render and wall cleaning in Tuckenhay

Boat-yard hamlet on Bow Creek.

If the walls on your Tuckenhay property have gone patchy or green, the finish itself is usually sound. Boat-yard hamlet on Bow Creek, and growth on painted stone and render sits on the surface rather than in the structure.

Working out what is wrong on a Tuckenhay wall

01The presence of moss rather than algae suggests standing water rather than damp air.
02Cracks are traced to their ends, because a crack that runs to an opening behaves differently from one that stops.
03The angle of morning sun on the elevation tells you how long it stays damp.
04Old repair patches are identified early, because they take treatment differently from the surrounding finish.
05The underside of the soffit is checked, because staining there rarely stays there.
06The ground level relative to the damp course is checked before the base of a wall is treated.
07Anything that cannot be explained by water is treated with more caution, not less.
08A wall that is warmer than its neighbours on a cold morning is likely holding moisture.

Material first, method second

A rendered plinth takes more water than the face above it and is usually the first band to look tired.
A rendered wall under a failed drip detail restains within a season however well it was cleaned.
That gets pointed out before work starts rather than discovered halfway through.
Peeling in flakes means adhesion has gone; powdering under the hand means the surface has simply aged.
Slate-faced walls shed water quickly but the bedding mortar does not.
Lime mortar in a stone wall is softer than the stone by design, and that design is worth respecting.

Why this keeps happening on TQ9 elevations

Hedging planted tight to a wall cuts airflow, and still air is the same as slow drying.
Old sealant around window heads cracks and lets a thin trickle run down the face below.
Ivy pulled off a wall leaves suckers and a shaded, damp face that greens quickly afterwards.
Rain shadow works both ways: the sheltered face stays dry of rain but also of the washing that rain provides.
North and east elevations dry last and green first, in that order, on nearly every property.
A leaking outside tap or an unlagged pipe can be the entire reason one corner of a house looks different from the rest.
Tree canopy overhead drips long after the rain has stopped and drops organic debris onto the wall face.
Washing without a biocide simply resets the clock and leaves the roots in place.
Frost damage opens the surface slightly, which gives the next season's growth somewhere to sit.

On site in Tuckenhay

1.Airbricks are covered for the duration and uncovered before we leave, without exception.
2.Sheltered corners and inside angles hold growth longest and get worked before the open faces.
3.Ridge and verge debris that has landed on the wall head is brushed off dry before anything wet goes on.
4.Every hose junction is checked before pressure goes on, because a burst at a coupling floods a border.
5.Fixings for hanging baskets and washing lines are unloaded before the elevation is worked, then put back.
6.The lance tip is changed rather than the pressure raised whenever coverage is not even enough.
7.A final walk of each finished elevation happens with the property owner where they are home, and by photograph where they are not.
8.The strength of mix is stepped up only after a weaker one has been given its full dwell and judged.
9.Dwell time is the active ingredient. The treatment is left on the growth long enough to kill it rather than being chased off with water.
10.The lance is held at a distance and an angle that lets the fan open fully instead of hitting the wall as a jet.

Local detail that changes the job

South Brent sits about 4.8 miles from Tuckenhay on our round, so visits are often shared.
Postcode district: TQ9. County: Devon. Approx 18.6 miles from the PL3 base.
Access is usually via A38.
Typical roof covering here is slate, which affects what washes down onto the walls.
Typical wall finish here is painted stone and render, which sets the cleaning method.

See everywhere we cover in TQ9

Preparing a estuary hamlet property

Point out where the render was patched, since patches clean differently from the original.
Let us know whether the gutters have been cleared in the last couple of years.
Trim back anything that has grown tight against the wall, or ask us to work around it.
Unlock side gates the night before if you are not going to be in, because a locked passage stops a whole elevation.
Note the position of the stopcock in case the outside tap needs isolating.
Tell us about pets in the garden before the day rather than on it.
Let us know if scaffold or a tower is already up for other work.
Let us know if the property is listed or in a conservation area, as it affects method choice.

First, next, last

If a decorator is due, the wall clean goes in first and is given time to dry fully.

Anything that involves opening a gutter is done before the ground beneath it is cleaned.

Booking services out of order is the commonest reason a clean seems not to have lasted.

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

Practical questions answered

Do you work on bungalows differently?: Only in that everything is reachable from the ground, which makes the visit shorter.
Can you get behind downpipes?: Yes, by hand. It is the part a sprayed pattern always misses.
Do you work on flats and shared buildings?: Yes, with permission from whoever is responsible for the elevation.
Is the method different on a listed building?: The approach is gentler still, and lime finishes are treated with the lowest strength that will work.
Can you do it while I am at work?: Yes, as long as gates are unlocked and we can reach the elevations.
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.
Can you work around a conservatory?: The glazing is sheeted first and given a rinse at the end.
Is thin-coat render different from sand and cement?: Yes, and it is more sensitive. Thin-coat systems get a weaker mix and a longer dwell rather than more pressure.

Neighbouring places we work

Summary

A treated wall keeps changing for a fortnight, which is the sign the method worked. A maintenance pass is far lighter work than a first clean, and it stays that way. The best time to book is before the wet months, not after them. Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm.

Straight answer, no chasing

You get a price, then you get left alone to think about it.

Get the price 07830 242403

Quote for a Tuckenhay property

Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm