Soft Washing in Maroubra

Maroubra's wall surfaces tell you how close a property sits to the water. On the newer rendered duplexes and townhouses that have replaced much of the older stock, salt-laden air leaves a fine film that attracts and holds airborne dirt, which is why south and east-facing walls grey off years before the sheltered sides do.

On the post-war red brick through the centre of the suburb, painted render and rendered piers are the usual problem areas. Mould takes hold in the damp shade behind established plantings and along the southern boundary walls that never dry properly through winter. High pressure on these surfaces drives water behind the coating and lifts paint, which is precisely the wrong outcome.

We work at low pressure with a biodegradable solution, letting the product do the work over dwell time rather than forcing it with a nozzle. That is safe on render, painted brick, weatherboard and fibre cement alike. Near the beach we also rinse thoroughly with fresh water to carry the salt off rather than leaving it to draw moisture straight back into the surface once we have gone.

The main return on soft washing a coastal home is paint life, and it is a bigger number than most owners expect.

Exterior paint on a Maroubra house is already working hard. Salt film sitting on a rendered or painted wall holds moisture against the coating and feeds the mould growing in it, and a coating under constant biological attack chalks and fails earlier than the manufacturer's rating suggests. Repainting the exterior of a house runs to many thousands of dollars. Washing it every couple of years costs a fraction of that and measurably extends the interval between repaints.

It also protects the substrate underneath. Render that stays damp behind a failing coating will eventually blister and crack, and repairing render is trade work rather than a cosmetic touch-up.

Presentation matters here too. Because the whole street weathers at the same rate, a clean facade stands out sharply against its neighbours, which is worth something in a market where a lot of stock changes hands.

Cleaning with a solution that kills growth at the root also means it stays clean longer than a wash that simply strips the visible layer.