Treating growth on granite in Two Bridges
Two Bridges, Devon - PL20
Everything below applies to granite elevations in Two Bridges, inside the PL20 area we cover in full. The method is set by the surface and the exposure, and nothing else changes it.
Quote for a Two Bridges property
Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm
How the work is actually carried out
- 1.Where a pond or water feature sits below an elevation, it is covered and the run-off diverted well away from it.
- 2.Where a wall meets a conservatory or lean-to, the roof glazing is sheeted before anything is applied above it.
- 3.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.
- 4.A wall with a visible damp patch inside is treated on the dry areas only until the cause is found.
- 5.A wall in deep shade is worked earlier in the day, when there is most light on it to judge coverage.
- 6.Fence panels tight against a wall are wetted first so run-off does not sit on dry timber.
- 7.Between elevations the kit is rinsed so nothing dries in the line and blocks the fan pattern.
- 8.Every hose junction is checked before pressure goes on, because a burst at a coupling floods a border.
- 9.Growth in a shaded return is treated on the same visit even when only the front was asked about, if access allows.
- 10.Where a property is rendered onto insulation, extra care goes into avoiding water at the bead edges.
Reading the finish on a Two Bridges elevation
- Granite is hard-faced but the joints are not, and lichen roots into micro-fissures in the stone.
- Granite dressed centuries ago has an open surface that holds water in a way polished stone does not.
- Cleaning granite reveals variation in the stone itself, which is not dirt and does not clean out.
- A granite elevation is judged corner by corner, because exposure varies more than on a rendered face.
The reasons behind the staining
- A downpipe discharging onto a hard surface next to the wall sends the water straight back at the brickwork.
- Ivy pulled off a wall leaves suckers and a shaded, damp face that greens quickly afterwards.
- Salt-laden air roughens exposed surfaces slightly, and rougher surfaces hold more moisture.
- Cold bridging at a lintel can keep a narrow band of render damper than everything around it.
- Black spotting on white render is a different organism from the green film beside it, and it clears at a different rate.
- Tree canopy overhead drips long after the rain has stopped and drops organic debris onto the wall face.
- A wall shaded by its own porch roof for half the day dries at half the rate of the face beside it.
- Driven rain sticks to a wall face rather than running off it, which keeps the surface wet long enough for spores to settle.
- Mild damp winters here keep growth metabolising through months that would stop it in a colder, drier county.
Practical points to sort first
- Tell us about any previous treatment that came back quickly, and how quickly.
- Say if there is a wasp or bird nest under the eaves, and we will plan around it.
- Close and latch every window on the elevations being worked, including any small top lights.
- Mention shared access or a right of way that we will be crossing.
- Tell us about pets in the garden before the day rather than on it.
- Move cars off a drive that runs tight to the house if you can, and tell us if you cannot.
- Note the position of the stopcock in case the outside tap needs isolating.
- Tell us where the drains run if the garden has a soakaway rather than a mains connection.
How the wall is read first
- 01Where the pattern is even across the whole face, exposure and aspect are the cause.
- 02A damp meter reading inside a stained corner separates a cleaning job from a building problem.
- 03A wall that is warmer than its neighbours on a cold morning is likely holding moisture.
- 04Where the pattern is a band at the bottom, splash from the ground is doing it.
- 05The mortar is tested with a key at a discreet point, since soft mortar sets the whole method.
- 06Cracks are traced to their ends, because a crack that runs to an opening behaves differently from one that stops.
- 07The elevation is read from the pavement first and from a metre away second.
- 08Whether the render is thin-coat or traditional is checked at a bead or a reveal.
Common questions about wall softwash
- Do you need my electricity?
- No. Kit runs off the van.
- What happens to the growth after it dies?
- It loses its grip and weathers off over the following weeks, which is why the wall keeps improving.
- Do you clean garages and outbuildings?
- Yes, if they are part of the same visit and take the same method.
- 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 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.
- Can lichen be removed completely?
- The organism is killed, and what is left weathers off. Deeply rooted lichen on stone can take a season to fade.
- Can two elevations be done on separate days?
- Yes, and splitting a larger property over two visits is normal.
- Do you have a minimum size of job?
- A single gable or a porch is still worth doing properly.
Two Bridges in plain facts
- Recorded character: moorland hamlet. Central Dartmoor road junction.
- PL20 covers 12 town hubs and 12 villages or districts in our radius.
- Access is usually via B3212 and B3357.
- Typical wall finish here is granite, which sets the cleaning method.
- Postcode district: PL20. County: Devon. Approx 15.4 miles from the PL3 base.
Nearby villages and districts
Plan around your decorator
Walls need treating and drying before paint. Give us the date and we will work back from it.
In a sentence or two
Water in the wrong place explains most tired elevations, and it is cheaper to fix than to keep cleaning. A wall in poor condition is better found before cleaning than discovered halfway through. If a previous clean did not last, the cause was probably never dealt with.