Is your lovely new home starting to look a bit green?
You see it all over Cheltenham and the surrounding villages. A beautiful, modern home with a crisp rendered finish starts to develop unsightly green or black streaks, especially on the sides that do not get much sun. It is a common sight in our damp climate, but it can be frustrating to see your property's clean lines spoiled by this creeping discolouration. The growth is usually a form of algae, which thrives on the moisture that rendered surfaces can hold.
When faced with this problem, the first instinct for many homeowners is to borrow or hire a pressure washer to blast the green stuff away. It seems like a quick and simple solution. Unfortunately, this is often the most damaging and least successful thing you can do. There is a much safer and longer lasting way to restore your home's appearance.
The big mistake. why you should never pressure wash your render
Using a high pressure jet washer on a modern rendered surface like k-rend or monocouche is a recipe for disaster. Think of it like using sandpaper on a painted wall. It is far too aggressive for the surface it is cleaning. The powerful jet of water can easily blast away the delicate, coloured top layer of the render, leaving behind a patchy, scarred finish that looks even worse than the algae did. This kind of damage is permanent and can only be fixed by re-rendering the entire wall, which is an incredibly expensive job.
The damage is not just cosmetic either. A high pressure jet can force water into tiny, hairline cracks in the render, getting it behind the surface and into the insulation blockwork of your home. Over time, this trapped moisture can lead to serious issues with damp. In short, while it might seem like a quick fix, pressure washing your render is a huge risk that could cost you thousands of pounds in repairs.
The right way. what is soft washing?
The correct way to clean render is to treat the problem, not just the symptom. The green and black marks are a living organism. Pressure washing is like giving it a haircut, it removes the visible part but leaves the roots and spores behind, which is why it grows back so quickly. Soft washing, on the other hand, is more like a pest control treatment for your walls. It is a gentle cleaning method that uses specially formulated, biodegradable cleaning solutions to kill the algae at its root.
The process is simple but very specific. We use a low pressure pump, often with no more force than a garden hose, to apply the cleaning solution to the entire rendered surface. The solution is left to sit on the wall for a period of time to do its work. It soaks into the pores of the render and kills all the organic growth, including the invisible spores. After this, we give the wall a very gentle rinse with clean water to wash away the dead algae and the cleaning solution, leaving behind a clean and sanitised surface.
A smarter choice for your home
The main benefit of soft washing is that it is completely safe for your render. There is no risk of damage. But just as importantly, the results last much, much longer. Because we have killed the growth at its source, it can take years for it to re-establish itself, whereas a pressure washed wall can start to look green again in just a few months. It is a more thorough and intelligent approach to cleaning that protects your property and provides far better value in the long run.
Let the experts handle it
While the process sounds straightforward, it requires the right equipment and a knowledge of how to mix and apply the cleaning solutions safely. Our team is fully trained and insured to carry out soft washing in Cheltenham. We can restore the beauty of your home's render, protecting your investment and saving you from the risk of causing costly damage. If your home is starting to show signs of green, get in touch for a free, no-nonsense quote.
