Is soft washing safe for painted render?

Yes — that's exactly what it's designed for. Pressure washing will damage render; the low-pressure biocide treatment we use cleans it without touching the finish.

Will the treatment harm plants below the wall?

We dilute correctly for the surface, mask or cover sensitive planting, and rinse foliage at the splash line. The treatment neutralises on contact with organic matter.

How long before I see the result?

Light staining lifts within an hour. Heavier lichen continues to clear over the following two to six weeks as rain washes the dead growth away. We can rinse it down the same day if you need an immediate result.

How often will I need it done again?

On render, typically three to five years. On roof tiles, five to ten. North-facing and heavily shaded walls regrow faster than sunny elevations.

Do you treat conservatory roofs?

Yes — glass, polycarbonate and the aluminium frames. We clean from the outside and finish the frames and gutters at the same time.

Soft Washing

Soft washing for render, brick, and delicate surfaces

Low-pressure biocide treatment for render, painted surfaces, and cladding. Removes algae, lichen, and staining without damage.

Common uses

Painted render and K-render
Brickwork and natural stone
Timber and cladding
Roof tiles

What affects pricing

Surface type and area
Type and severity of soiling
Working height
Access and setup

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Soft washing uses low pressure and a measured biocide treatment to kill algae, lichen and bacterial staining at the root rather than blasting it off the surface. It is the right method for any finish that pressure washing would damage — painted render, K-Rend, smooth brick, timber cladding, composite boarding, conservatory roofs and most tiled roofs.

Done correctly it restores the original colour of the building, removes the green and black tide marks under windows and downpipes, and dramatically slows regrowth — typically giving you three to five years before the next treatment, compared with the few weeks you'd get from a power wash alone.

Where soft washing is the right choice

If you can see green algae, black streaks running down from gutters, orange lichen spots on tiles or a general dulling of a painted wall, soft washing will deal with all of it. We treat painted render, monocouche and K-Rend systems, smooth and textured brickwork, natural stone, painted timber, composite cladding, uPVC fascia and barge boards, conservatory roof glass and polycarbonate, and concrete or clay roof tiles.

On render in particular, soft washing is the only safe option — pressure washing will crack the finish, force water behind it and leave wand marks that show forever.

How the treatment works

We apply a sodium hypochlorite-based biocide at the correct dilution for the surface, using low-pressure pumps and soft-wash lances. The chemistry does the work — within minutes it has killed the algae and lichen at the root. On lighter staining the surface lifts visibly within an hour; on heavy lichen it continues to clear over the following days and weeks as rain washes the dead spores away.

Where a visible result is needed the same day — for sale photos, an event, or a difficult tenant changeover — we follow up with a soft rinse and surfactant pass to bring everything down off the wall. For roofs and high-level work we usually leave the treatment to clear naturally over a few weeks, which is gentler on the tiles.

Working at height safely

A lot of soft washing is by definition above arm's reach — first-floor render, gable ends, dormer cheeks and full roof slopes. We use telescopic soft-wash lances reaching to about 12 metres from ground level, and tower or MEWP access for anything above that. Every job is risk-assessed before we quote, and we'll always tell you up front if a job needs scaffold or a cherry picker.

What affects the price

The big drivers are the surface area in square metres, the severity of the staining, the working height, and how easy the site is to set up around. A simple south-facing two-storey render is straightforward; a four-storey town house with restricted parking and a tight rear garden is more involved. Send us a few photos and we will come back with a firm figure.

Local coverage

The wet, mild winters across Devon and Cornwall mean render and tiles green up faster here than almost anywhere else in the UK. We are regularly out on rendered houses in Plympton, Plymstock and Ivybridge, painted cottages around Yelverton and Tavistock, and the long terraces of Saltash, Callington and Liskeard where the prevailing weather hits the same gable for half the year. We cover Plymouth, Plymstock, Plympton, Ivybridge, Tavistock, Yelverton, Saltash, Callington, Liskeard and Launceston, and travel across the South Hams, West Devon and the wider Devon and Cornwall border country.

Plymouth
Plymstock
Plympton
Ivybridge
Tavistock
Yelverton
Saltash
Callington
Liskeard
Launceston
South Hams
West Devon

FAQs

Soft Washing — common questions

Quick answers to the things people ask most.

Soft Washing done properly, across Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall.

Send a few photos and a postcode and we'll come back with a firm price.

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