Soft Washing in Kensington

Anzac Parade shapes the grime on a lot of Kensington walls. It is described as a 60-metre-wide corridor with eight traffic lanes, and since April 2020 the L3 Kingsford light rail has run down it as well, stopping at Kensington just north of Todman Avenue. Buildings along and near that stretch can collect a grey film of fine traffic grime that dulls render and paint and gives mould something to cling to.

Behind the main road, much of the older housing is face brick. Carthona on Todman Avenue, listed on the State Heritage Register, shows the detail found on the best Federation work: dichromatic, tuckpointed brickwork set on a sandstone base. A fine tuckpointed joint is exactly the kind of thing a high-pressure wand can strip out, which is why a low-pressure wash is the safer choice.

Doncaster Avenue's cottages bring painted timber into the mix, with decorated gables, gable vents and bay windows. Timber and old paint need cleaning that lifts mildew without peeling the coating.

Then there is the apartment stock, which made up 71.4 per cent of occupied dwellings at the last Census. Rendered and painted facades, eaves and fascia on those buildings carry the same mould and grime, often across a much larger area.

The main return on a soft wash is that it buys time for the finishes underneath. Mould and algae left on paint break it down, and a layer of traffic film holds moisture against the surface. Washing them off gently means repainting can wait, and when you do repaint, the surface is ready rather than needing heavy preparation.

For owners of period homes, gentle cleaning protects the detail that gives these houses their value. Tuckpointing, decorative timberwork and original sandstone are hard to replicate once damaged, and a low-pressure wash avoids the risk that comes with a high-pressure wand.

Strata committees get a facade that looks maintained, which matters in a suburb where most homes are apartments and more than half are rented. A clean exterior helps when units are being shown to prospective tenants and buyers, and before-and-after photos give the committee a record of what was done.

The cleaning products are biodegradable and eco-friendly, and safe around gardens, pets and children. That suits cottage front gardens and the shared landscaping around apartment buildings alike.

Eaves, fascia and facades can all be covered in the same visit, so the house is cleaned as a whole rather than one wall at a time.