Are your rendered walls starting to look dirty and unsightly? Are you wondering how to get them looking spotless again, but you're not sure how?
As experts in cleaning render, the expert team at Ren Wash render cleaning services offer a professional service along with sound advice on making your render look fresh and new.
Most modern renders are described as low-maintenance and are a great way to achieve an attractive finish on your home or commercial property.
Even so, exterior render is vulnerable to the elements, the environment and airborne pollution. A damp, temperate climate encourages algae growth, moss, mould and bacteria to thrive on porous surfaces. Atmospheric pollution - particularly in urban areas - settles on walls where it causes dark staining. Check out our post on removing green mould from render for more information on this topic.
Graffiti is common (and extremely irritating!) problem that can ruin the appearance of your beautiful wall.
The good news is that most modern renders can be cleaned. However, there are several different types, and using the wrong cleaning method may damage the render!
For example, many homeowners will automatically assume that a pressure washer is the best solution, but this can be disastrous.
Once the type of render has been identified (see below), an appropriate method is used to get it looking spotlessly clean. entire wall original render
Here are some of the ways in which this is achieved:
This is a fairly extreme method of cleaning render and must be used with care. A high-pressure setting with the nozzle fixed as a fine jet will score the render surface and may even bore through to the substrate beneath.
When pressure washing, the machine must be on a low-pressure setting with the nozzle set to a fan spray. Even so, pressure washing is never recommended for lime render.
These chemicals are handy for killing algae, moss and mould. Simply spray a fungicide solution on, leave it for a few moments to start working, and then wash it off.
Organic growth on your walls leaves green and red stains, but it can also cause the render to crack and fail over time, resulting in the need for re-rendering! It's essential to clean off any moss, algae or mould as soon as possible.
Check out our post on how to remove green and red algae for more details on this.
Mild detergents are effective at cleaning render surfaces that are only mildly stained and dirty. The detergent is sprayed on, gently scrubbed in and rinsed off. Stubborn stains may require more intensive treatment.
This is one of the best render cleaning solutions available!
Softwash systems require a great deal of training to use, but they produce excellent results every time. A soft wash works on a similar principle to pressure washing, but on a much lower pressure setting. This is usually combined with several cleaning solutions, such as biocides, fungicides and detergents, to kill organic growth and remove stains and clean render effectively. This method also kills mould spores, reducing the chance of the mould regrowing too soon in the future.
In most cases, softwash products are eco-friendly, making them an even more attractive proposition! This method is safe for use on nearly all render types, including painted render.
Checkout our post about what is softwash render cleaning for more detailed information on this.
Sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) has been used for decades as a quick fix for red and green algae stains. While it can be effective, it has its drawbacks. As a hazardous substance, there is the risk of chemical burns, and it can be harmful to pets, plants and wildlife.
This is mixed with water (usually a 1:1 solution) and sprayed onto the surface to remove stains.
However, due to environmental concerns, it's better to use a mild detergent as suggested above. Always use a soft-bristle brush or sponge to scrub the surface gently, as you can easily damage some renders.
Bleach isn't the best way to clean coloured render as it can lead to discolouration. Check out our post on cleaning render with bleach for more detailed information on this.
There are several reasons why it makes sense to engage a reputable, professional render cleaning company like Ren Wash to restore your rendered walls to their former glory.
First, it saves you the trouble of doing it yourself! While it might seem an easy task, it soon becomes tiresome. Also, you'll need to reach the upper levels, which involves working up a ladder and all the associated risks that come with it.
Even using the correct cleaning method, there's a chance that you'll damage the render if you're not careful. Render cleaning specialists know precisely how sensitive or robust each render type is, as well as the best way to clean it without causing any damage.
The team at Ren Wash render cleaning services are proud of their record, producing exceptional results with each render cleaning project. Positive feedback from clients drives us to strive for perfection every time, and that is what we aim to deliver.
Using a reputable, reliable render cleaning company saves you money. If you employ someone to do the job cheaply, it is likely that they will perform poorly and cause damage. And while some render types can be easily repaired, others are more difficult. In many cases, rendered walls have to be re-rendered completely, incurring more expense on top of the cost of the cleaning.
Before work starts, we need to know which render surface you have so we can select the appropriate cleaning process.
Essentially, there are seven different types of render currently available in the UK:
Often found on older buildings with porous walls, such as clay brick, timber frames, solid stone with rubble infill, and straw-bale constructions.
It is also used on new builds made from thermalite blocks.
Usually made up of 1-part lime, 1-part Portland cement and 6-parts sand, and is widely used in UK construction. However, it's a labour-intensive process that needs an expert hand or it will start to crack very soon. It also takes a long time to dry out.
Sand and cement render is often used as a base for dry-dash and pebble-dash (also known as roughcast, harling or wet-dash).
The most primitive and rustic mixture, this is made from water and clay, sometimes with the addition of straw, sand and animal dung!
This sand and cement render with acrylic added is handy for internal and external rendering projects. It can be applied to cement, brick, concrete, painted walls and even polystyrene!
This is top-end material, made by manufacturers like K-rend and Weber. It is also known as thin-coat render as it only needs a thin layer over a reinforced base.
Probably the most popular render in the UK, monocouche is a cement-based mixture that has pigment added during the manufacturing process. It is applied in two passes that bond to form a single coat (hence the French name, monocouche, meaning single coat).
A cement-based render with polymer added to improve the adhesive qualities. Although often used for bathrooms or wet areas inside, it is excellent for exterior rendering.
These are the main types of render used in UK construction, and the render on your home is likely to be one of these. Each one requires careful handling when it comes to cleaning, which is where Ren Wash can help!
If you want your exterior walls to look fresh, bright and clean, choose Ren Wash render cleaning services for perfect results every time.
Call today for a free quote and to discover more about our render cleaning methods. Our specialist team is familiar with all render types and the very best way to clean each one.
Just imagine, you could improve kerb appeal, add value to your property, and turn your neighbours' heads with beautifully clean render within a few hours!
Jet washing is one of the most common ways to clean discoloured render and is recommended by the manufacturers of the render itself (it's important to know though this is not the case for all types though). We have various soft washing systems too.
Yes you can steam clean some types of render, we have a few methods and systems to do this depending on which type of render you have. Don't worry about figuring out which system you need; we can do that part for you.
Yes we remove green, black, red and any other type of stain from your walls. Those three are the most common and are caused by algae and mould growth.
3-5 years is what most companies recommend and it can vary depending on the area you live in (think coastal/rural/city). Levels of pollution and nearby foliage all make a difference.
