Soft Washing in Newtown

Traffic is the first factor. King Street is part of the Princes Highway, and its northern end carries heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic as a matter of course. Homes on and just off King Street and Enmore Road can gather a grey film of soot and road grime on render, sills and the mouldings of parapets.

The second is the shape of the streets. Council describes the Enmore-Newtown area as densely settled, with narrow streets, minimal setbacks and a tight street wall of terraces. Front walls stand close to the footpath, and the low-growing Melaleuca and bottlebrush planted along many streets sit directly in front of them. Where foliage keeps a wall shaded and holds moisture against it, mould and mildew get a foothold, particularly on lower walls and around front doors.

The third is the surface itself. Stucco on the oldest terraces may be original, and duochrome brickwork depends on its two colours staying crisp. On King Street and Enmore Road, many buildings have shop-top housing above the ground floor, and most of their original Victorian balconies were removed long ago to meet traffic regulations, leaving the parapets, cornices and upper facades fully exposed to the road.

Soft washing uses low pressure with specialised cleaning solutions to lift mould, algae, mildew, soot film and grime from render, face brick, painted brick, eaves and fascia, without the force that damages paint, render or mortar.

When face brick looks permanently grubby, painting or rendering over it can seem like the simple answer. In Newtown's heritage conservation areas, council treats exactly that as a loss, listing the painting and rendering of original face brick among the changes that detract from a streetscape. A careful house wash brings the brick's colour back and takes that pressure away.

On stucco and painted walls, regular washing protects a finish you have already paid for. Mould and grime left in place hold moisture against paint and render, and a clean wall is also the honest starting point if repainting does become due, because you can see the true condition of the surface.

For shop-top buildings along King Street and Enmore Road, the facade above the awning is part of the business's presentation, whether the rooms upstairs are a flat or an office. Taking the soot film off parapets and window surrounds lifts the whole frontage. Soft washing suits commercial and strata buildings as well as houses.

The biodegradable, eco-friendly products are safe around gardens, pets and children, which matters where front plantings sit hard against the wall being cleaned. Before-and-after photos with every job give owners, strata managers and landlords a clear record.