Modern buildings look great when they are newly built. Smooth clean lines are in fashion with architects. But keeping them looking clean is not easy. Many Rendered wall coatings are ‘through coloured’ which means they are not to be painted, as they are breathable. The surface is not perfectly flat so they hold a lot of damp and this is the perfect conditions for algae to thrive. This algae soon builds up a nice green shade to your once pristine wall.
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If left alone it may develop black and even red staining. Do not hesitate to get this cleaned. If left too long it damages the surface of your rendered coating. We have experience cleaning all kinds of contamination off rendered walls.
The most effective way to deal with organic growth like this is to treat the substrate with a specialist product. This will kill off the biofilm. Once it has died it should disappear. In more severe cases it can be gently rinsed off with a light pressure wash.
This process has come to be known as ‘softwashing’ (as oppose to pressure washing). This technique obviously has a big advantage in the fact you are not aggressively washing the surface with high pressure and volume of water. However, the chemicals that are used in softwashing can cause problems if left to an untrained or careless contractor.
Find your wall. The earlier the stage, the simpler the fix.
Usually it starts on the shaded side. You can half convince yourself it's just wet-weather marking. It isn't: it's algae taking hold in the damp that render naturally holds, and rain won't wash it off.
EASIEST TO STOP
Now you can see it from the gate, and everyone else can too. After every spell of rain it looks a little greener than before, because the growth is living in the surface rather than sitting on it. Treatment still works cleanly at this stage.
STILL STRAIGHTFORWARD
Streaks under windows and round the downpipes darken to black. Some walls pick up a red shade with them. This is when most people pick up the phone. It's still fixable, but it takes a stronger treatment and more patience than the green stage ever would have.
SLOWER, BUT FIXABLE
Leave it long enough and the growth starts working into the face of the render itself. The question stops being what the wall looks like and becomes what it costs to put right. Treated at the green stage, a wall never gets this far.
THE EXPENSIVE STAGE
We will be happy to come and assess the cleaning of your property. We’ll then give you a method statement of exactly how we will clean, what products we will use and of course the price of the job.
We also will point out any staining and causes for this, plus our plan to remove the stains and the methods and products available. We will identify any potential problem areas eg. Flowers, pets, aquatic life, and we like to make sure you are happy with our process before we start.
As part of the clean we always wash the property – ensuring dust , grime , cobwebs , bird dirt etc is removed before the treatment is applied. We will take great pleasure transforming your property and will use all our experience, enthusiasm and expertise to give you the bests results possible.
Read genuine feedback directly from homeowners and commercial facilities managers across our region.
“Completed excellent work on the rendering on our house. Cleaned the rendering so well it no longer requires painting this year. Great solution to tired looking rendering. Very professional job with reliable team.”
Sherry Mckenna
Bramhope
“Luke did a brilliant job cleaning the render on our house, I was delighted he managed to remove all the stains and it looks like new again. He also cleaned all our paving throughout the front and back garden, again an excellent result we couldn’t be happier. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending his services.”
Sarah-Jane Royston
Leeds
“Luke did an incredible job of cleaning our render which we thought was beyond repair and black in many places. It looks nearly good as new, and for a very reasonable price. Would highly recommend.”
Colette Hickman
Harrogate
“K Rend treated with biocides to remove the algae which had built up over the years, paths and patios cleaned, a great job done. Thank you guys you did a lovely job and left everything looking good.”
Pauline Stern
Bradford
Based in Otley, PureGem provides responsive, professional render cleaning service across Leeds, Harrogate, Bradford, lIkley, and surrounding towns throughout West and North Yorkshire. We provide same-week survey visits and fast, written estimates.
KEY COVERAGE Areas:
Brick and render weather differently.
Render has a slightly open surface that holds a little damp after rain, and damp is all algae needs to get going. Shaded walls get it first, and once it’s established it spreads.
It’s not a defect and it doesn’t mean the wall was done badly; it’s simply what that surface does in our climate.
It can, yes.
Smooth render hasn’t much surface to give up. Pressure washer takes the fine face off, leaving the wall patchy and even more open to the weather. Worse, washing doesn’t kill the growth, so the green returns on a rougher wall than it left. This is one job where the gentle way genuinely is the better way.
Partly, honestly.
The wash-down before treatment takes the dust, grime, cobwebs and bird dirt off, so the wall looks fresher that day. The green itself fades as the dead growth weathers away over the following weeks, and heavily stained walls get a gentle rinse to move things along.
What we won’t do is blast the wall to manufacture an instant result. The change is gradual, and it’s permanent in a way that pressure washing never is.
Every wall is priced on its own merits:
The quote is free, arrives in writing, and says exactly what will be done and with what. Most surveys happen the same week you ask, and the price you approve is the price you pay.
Because the methods are different jobs wearing the same name.
When you compare quotes, ask each bidder two questions: will any pressure go on the render, and will you put the products in writing?
A contractor who kills the growth, names the products and guarantees the wall stays intact is pricing a different job from someone who’ll lance it green-off-and-gone. If the cheap quote survives those two questions, hire them with our blessing.
Not at all.
We clean rendered finishes of all kinds, and rougher textures don’t change the approach.
The treatment is matched to the coating, and nothing aggressive goes on the surface. Between them the walls we’ve cleaned have carried most kinds of contamination render can pick up.
Describe the wall, or send photos, and Luke will come back with straight advice and a written price. Between us we’ve cleaned most kinds of contamination off rendered walls, and if what you’re looking at isn’t algae, the assessment will name it and explain how it comes off.
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