Signs a wall or yard needs washing
- Green algae on a north-facing wall
- Black streaks running down the render
- Lichen and moss on steps and garden walls
- A greasy bin store or yard behind a shop or block of flats
- The frontage needs tidying before a letting, a sale or an inspection
Pressure washing in Swansea
Older boundary walls, garden steps and house fronts across Swansea are often built from Pennant sandstone with lime mortar. Both are cleaned at lower pressure, because a strong jet scours the stone and washes out soft joints.
On hillside streets, runoff from steps is swept away and kept off the pavement and neighbouring paths. Bin stores and yards with their own drain are checked first to see where it leads.
Get a quote in SwanseaSwansea surfaces and what affects the wash
Washing shows up mortar that is already loose, and repointing is worth planning before the stone is cleaned. Lichen grips sandstone tightly and can take more than one clean to fade.
Steps shaded by walls or facing north on Mount Pleasant, Townhill and Sketty hold algae longest, and turn green and slippery through the winter.
Roadside gullies carry rainwater to streams, the River Tawe and Swansea Bay. Natural Resources Wales traced pollution at Limeslade Bay to waste water in a surface drain, so no detergent goes into a gully.
Painted render along Mumbles Road and in West Cross collects salt and green streaks below sills. It is washed at low pressure, and paint that is already flaking is likely to come away in the wash.
Areas of Swansea we cover
- Mount Pleasant SA1
- Maritime Quarter SA1
- Sketty SA2
- Killay SA2
- Dunvant SA2
- Mumbles SA3
- Bishopston SA3
- West Cross SA3
- Morriston SA6
- Gowerton SA4
Surfaces we wash
High-pressure cleaning for sound masonry, garden walls and steps.
Soft washing at low pressure to remove green and black growth.
Soft washed with a biocide solution applied at low pressure.
Low-pressure cleaning to lift algae before the timber is treated or stained.
High-pressure washing of concrete areas around commercial and shared buildings.
How a wall is soft washed
- Checking the surface
Cracked render, loose pointing and nearby ponds or beds are noted before any water goes on.
- Applying the treatment
A biocide solution is applied at low pressure and left to work on the algae and lichen.
- Rinsing
The wall is rinsed gently, and the treatment keeps working on remaining staining over the following weeks.
What the price depends on in Swansea
- The surface: brick, render, painted wall, cladding or concrete
- The size of the area
- How high the wall goes
- How heavy the staining is
- On occupied sites, when the area around the work can be closed off
- Repointing loose mortar, a separate job planned before the wash
- Whether there is an outside tap near the area
Pressure washing in Swansea: questions
Will pressure washing damage the stone wall at the front of my house?
Sandstone and lime mortar are cleaned at lower pressure to avoid scouring the stone. If the mortar is crumbling, repoint first and wash afterwards.
Can the bin store at our block of flats in SA1 be cleaned?
Bin stores and their floors are washed and the drain checked. Send the block name, the managing agent's details and how often the store should be cleaned.
My outside steps go green every winter. Can that be slowed down?
Shaded steps on a hillside stay damp, so algae comes back. Cleaning in autumn, before the wettest months, keeps them safer for longer.
Walls, steps or yards to clean in Swansea?
Send the address, what needs cleaning (wall, steps, yard, bin store or render), the rough size, the stone or surface, and whether there is an outside tap.
This service is carried out by Limeworks Outdoor Services, a Dragon Multi-Trade brand.