Soft Washing in North Sydney

Which road you are near matters. Homes east of Walker Street back onto the Warringah Expressway, Miller and Falcon Streets carry frequent buses, and large Plane trees on Falcon Street are described by council as a pollution trap in a very high-traffic area. That gives a fair idea of what the walls behind them are collecting: a thin grey film that settles first on ledges, eaves and sills.

Commercial frontages have their own pattern. Along the Pacific Highway and in the CBD, buildings sit on the boundary with awnings over the footpath, so the wall above can catch grime while the shade below the awning stays damp. The few older survivors, such as the 1889 Post Office and the 1892 hotel facade on Miller Street, sit among far newer office buildings.

Residential walls vary sharply over short distances. Council records original render on Victorian houses and face brick on sandstone foundations on Federation ones around Walker and McLaren Streets. Oak Street has a row of timber houses from about 1880, and council's historian notes many more timber homes between there and Berrys Bay. Weatherboard, render and brick all get low pressure with specialised cleaning solutions.

Shade does the rest. Sloping blocks, retaining walls and gardens that council wants kept mature can keep lower walls damp, and that is where mould and mildew usually start.

A grey building tends to prompt a painting quote, and for a strata scheme or commercial landlord that is a big decision. Washing first shows what is actually under the grime. Sound paint may have years left in it, and if repainting is genuinely due, the painter starts with a clean wall.

In the conservation areas there is a further reason to wash instead of covering up. Council lists rendered and painted face brickwork, and modernised facades, among the changes that do not belong around Walker and McLaren Streets. Low pressure with specialised cleaning solutions lets dull face brick show its colour again and leaves the mortar in place.

Business owners get a more immediate return. Shops and cafes along Miller Street and the highway rely on passing foot traffic, and a mould-streaked wall above the awning sends the wrong message about what is inside. Eaves, fascia and facades can be included, whether a tenant, owner or building manager is arranging the work.

The products are biodegradable, eco-friendly and safe around gardens, pets and children, which suits planted front setbacks and shared courtyards alike. Before-and-after photos with every job help a strata manager report back to owners, and with most households here renting, landlords can use them too.