Pressure Washing in Paddington

Lanes shape a lot of the work. The eastern half of Paddington was laid out with wide streets alternating with rear lanes, originally for night soil, and council says those lanes are now often lined with garage doors and brick walls. Garages were never part of the Victorian house, so the hard surfaces around them came later, and council says they have reduced landscaped area. Council links that loss of permeable surface to extra pressure on surface drainage, and paving that stays wet for longer gives algae a start.

Walls add to the damp. A small yard enclosed by the house, the neighbours' walls and a high rear boundary can miss direct sun for much of the day. On a slope, water can also run across paving from higher ground, so steps and low corners are worth checking for moss and grime.

Up front, surfaces become more delicate. Traditional verandah floors were stone flagging, marble or unglazed multi-coloured tessellated tiles, edged in slate, timber or sandstone, and many front paths sit inside a cast iron palisade fence. Sandstone also appears in base courses and walls. These need a different conversation from a concrete slab, so describe them when you ask for a quote.

Getting equipment in can take thought. Woollahra runs six Paddington resident parking zones and western streets are short, angled and narrow, so tell us where lane access or kerbside space exists.

A rear courtyard often has to do everything on a Paddington lot. Woollahra's controls say roof terraces are not characteristic of the suburb and are generally not acceptable as open space, so for many houses that small patch at ground level is the main outdoor space. When it turns green and slick, it is hard to use. Lifting moss and algae makes it safer underfoot and pleasant to sit in again.

At the lane end the gains are more practical. Oil stains and tyre marks can come off a garage apron, and clearing away grime gives you a better idea of the state of the concrete or pavers. Because rear lanes are public space that neighbours walk through, a tidy threshold also lifts the look of the property from behind, which matters in a suburb where council says rear elevations are often highly visible.

Landlords get a clear return. At the 2021 Census, 44.6 per cent of Paddington's occupied homes were rented, and a clean courtyard and path help at the start or end of a lease. Before-and-after photos double as a condition record.

If you are planning to seal stone or pavers, cleaning first gives the sealer a sound surface. UEC does not do the sealing itself. Quotes are based on area, surface and build-up, and products are biodegradable and safe around gardens, pets and children.