Of everything you can spend money on to change how a property looks, nothing comes close to a pressure wash for value. A driveway and boundary wall that have not been touched in five years can look genuinely transformed in an afternoon.
But it is not magic, and there are things a wash will not fix. Worth knowing which is which before you book.
What Comes Off Well
- Green algae film on walls and paths
- Black mould streaking on render
- General road dirt and dust build-up
- Moss in paving joints
- Cobwebs and organic debris
- Chalky paint residue before repainting
- Fresh oil and grease on concrete
- Tyre marks on driveways
What Comes Off Partly
Old oil that has soaked deep into porous concrete will lighten substantially but may not disappear entirely. Rust staining from metal furniture or fittings usually improves markedly with treatment. Heavily embedded lichen on rough render often needs a treatment and a second pass.
We will tell you honestly what to expect before starting rather than after taking your money.
What A Wash Will Not Fix
It will not fix failing paint — in fact it will accelerate the removal of paint that was already letting go, which is useful information but sometimes a surprise. It will not fix cracked render, spalling concrete, or damaged pointing. And it will not stop growth coming back if the underlying cause is a wall that stays permanently damp from a leaking gutter or downpipe.
Pressure washing done wrong causes real damage — stripping render off block, etching lines into soft concrete, forcing water behind fascia boards, and blasting the sand out of paving joints. The correct pressure for hard concrete is completely wrong for painted render. Matching technique to surface is the whole skill.
Soft Washing: When Less Pressure Works Better
For painted render, roof sheeting, older block work and anything delicate, we use a soft-wash approach. A treatment does the actual work of killing and lifting the growth, and low-pressure water only rinses it away.
It looks less dramatic on the day than a full-pressure blast. It is also the difference between a clean wall and a wall that needs re-rendering.
Why Treatment Makes It Last
The green on your wall is living organic growth with a root structure in the surface. Blasting removes what you can see and leaves the roots behind, which is why an untreated wash can look green again within months in this climate.
Where growth is heavy, we apply a biocidal treatment, let it dwell properly, and then rinse. It adds time on the day. It also multiplies how long the result lasts.
Practical Things To Know
We normally connect to an outside tap at the property — tell us when booking if there is no supply or you are on a lock-off, and we will arrange water. Move vehicles and anything you would rather not get wet. Close the windows on the side we are working.
And if repainting is anywhere in your plans, book the wash first and the paint after. Paint does not bond to a chalky, mouldy surface, so doing it in that order is not just tidier — it is the only sequence that works.
Need Pressure Washing Done Properly?
NASTIC covers pressure washing for homes and businesses across all 14 parishes, with written quotes before we start and our workmanship guarantee behind every job.