Frequently Asked Questions

It is quoted per job. The drivers are elevation area, brick type, how hard the mortar residue has cured, access and whether there is stain remediation involved. A new-home clean is a straightforward job; a sixty-year-old wall under escarpment shade with lichen through it is not. Send photos and rough dimensions and we will give you a number.

Most residential driveways sit in the low hundreds. The variables are area, surface type, how heavy the moss and oil staining is, and whether you want paver joints re-sanded or the slab sealed afterwards. A shaded mossy driveway is genuinely about twice the work of a sunny one the same size.

No. Most jobs are priced from photos. Where it needs an in-person look, that is free too.

Usually yes. Two or three clear daylight photos — one close to the surface, one of the whole elevation — plus approximate dimensions is normally enough. Photos taken in direct hard sun or at dusk hide a lot, so overcast light is ideal.

Correctly diluted acid on a saturated wall, properly rinsed, will not damage sound brickwork. Damage comes from acid on dry brick, over-strength mixes, excessive dwell time, inadequate rinsing, or using acid at all on brick carrying vanadium or manganese.

On cream or light brick, almost certainly vanadium that has been converted by acid. On dark or charcoal brick, almost certainly manganese dissolved out of the brick face and run down the wall. Manganese is usually treatable. Acid-converted vanadium generally is not.

It can usually be improved, sometimes substantially, and only occasionally reversed completely. The most effective step on light burn is cleaning the entire elevation correctly so the damage stops reading as patches. Eroded joints need repointing, which is bricklaying rather than cleaning.

Because the cause has not been dealt with. Efflorescence and calcium mean water is still moving through the masonry. Rust means the iron source is still there. Mould and lichen mean the surface is still damp and shaded. Cleaning treats the symptom; the wall needs the cause fixed too.

A residential driveway is usually a couple of hours. A house exterior soft wash is most of a day. A full new-home brick clean is typically a day. Whole-property cleans and remediation work run one to two days. Heritage and poultice work takes longer because the chemistry needs dwell time.

Not usually, as long as we have access and an outside tap. Holiday homes and investment properties are cleaned unattended all the time, and we send before-and-after photos.

With the right precautions, yes. Garden beds are wet down before and after, sensitive planting is covered, and runoff is directed away. We ask that pets stay inside until the final rinse is done.

Light rain is not usually a problem and on some jobs it helps. Heavy rain during acid work or a soft wash reduces dwell time and washes chemistry off before it has worked, so we reschedule rather than deliver a compromised result.