Softwashing in Downham
Low pressure cleaning with a biodegradable biocide that kills algae, lichen and moss at the root instead of blasting it off the surface.
Family-run
Justin and the team do the work. No call centres, no subcontractors.
Fully insured
Full public liability cover on every job, domestic or commercial.
Safe methods
Biodegradable products and low pressure, matched to the surface.
Free quotes
No obligation, and no charge for coming out to look at the job.
Softwashing for Downham property
Downham is about 12 minutes up the road from us, well inside the patch we cover properly. Softwashing is the safest method for the mix of render, roof tile and stonework found on most properties here, because it cleans with biocide rather than force and leaves the surface itself untouched. With older stone cottages and converted farm buildings in the area, we match the method to what we find rather than turning up with one machine and using it on everything.
Most enquiries we take from BB7 start the same way: it looked fine last year, and now a whole elevation has gone green. That is normal for this climate and it is fixable.
Softwashing is exterior cleaning done with chemistry rather than force. Water is applied at low pressure, similar to a garden hose, carrying a biodegradable biocide that is usually sodium hypochlorite based with a surfactant added so it clings to vertical surfaces. It kills algae, lichen and moss at the root rather than simply knocking the top growth off, so regrowth is slow. Because there is no pressure behind it, there is no risk of driving water behind render, raking out mortar or etching soft stone.
While we are in Downham we regularly pick up work in Chatburn, Nelson, Sabden and Clitheroe, so if a neighbour wants the same job doing we can usually do both in one visit.
Suitable for
- Silicone, monocouche and K-Rend rendered walls
- Concrete and clay roof tiles
- Painted masonry, pebbledash and rough cast
- UPVC cladding, fascias, soffits and conservatory roofs
- Timber fencing, decking and garden rooms
- Stone and brick elevations too soft to take pressure
Problems it solves
- Green and black algae film spread across a whole elevation
- Red algae streaking on light coloured render
- Moss and lichen crusts on roof tiles and ridge lines
- Growth that keeps returning within months of a jet wash
- Slippery, discoloured decking, fencing and painted timber
- A property that looks tired and neglected with nothing structurally wrong
How a Downham job runs
Survey and free quote
We look at every elevation, identify the substrate, check the condition of the render, pointing and seals, and note anything that needs protecting. The quote is free and carries no obligation.
Protecting the surroundings
Plants, lawns, ponds and gravel near the work are wetted down or sheeted. Windows, vents and any open joints are checked and covered where needed, so nothing takes solution that should not.
Applying the softwash
The biocide is mixed to a strength matched to that surface and applied at low pressure from the ground or from safe access. We work in sections so that no area dries out before it has dwelled.
Dwell time
The solution stays on the surface long enough to penetrate the growth and kill it at the root. On heavy lichen this single step decides whether the result holds for years or for months.
Rinse and tidy
Surfaces are rinsed at low pressure, run off is directed away from planting and ponds, and we clear down. Glass and sills are wiped where the work has touched them.
Weathering out
Dead growth carries on breaking down and washing off in the rain over the following weeks. Roofs and heavy lichen keep improving for a month or more after we have left site.
Softwashing in Downham: your questions
Everything we do in Downham
Softwashing in Downham
Free quote, no obligation. We are 12 minutes away, so it is no trouble to come and look at the job.