House exterior washing in Teesside

What a house wash actually covers

A proper house exterior wash is the full envelope: all wall faces from ground to eaves, around windows and sills, behind downpipes, and the gable ends that catch the worst of the weather. The work is almost entirely soft washing: a low-pressure biocide application that kills the green and red algae, lichen and grime films that make a house look tired, followed by a gentle rinse. High pressure is kept away from render, pointing and window seals, because that is where damage stories start.

Prices across Teesside

Most houses quote between £150 and £450: terraces and small semis at the lower end, large detached houses with awkward access at the top. The variables are wall area, height, what needs protecting below, and how established the growth is. Established red algae staining can need a second biocide application, quoted separately so you see it coming.

Green north, red south

Teesside houses wear their algae by compass point. North and east walls go green: they get little direct sun, stay damp, and algae thrives. Newer render on any elevation can streak red, the distinctive staining caused by a different algae species that loves modern k-render. Both respond to soft washing; the difference is dwell time and, on established red staining, occasionally a second pass.

Protection is part of the job

Biocide and gardens need managing carefully. Planting beds are wetted down and covered before application, lawns are rinsed, and windows, sills and doors are washed down afterwards so nothing dries streaked. A house wash done properly leaves the garden exactly as it found it; done carelessly it leaves scorched shrubs. It is a fair thing to ask any contractor about before they start.

The Teesside housing stock

Every era cleans differently. The 1930s semis of Acklam and Hartburn are brick and render mixes with green north walls. The pebbledash semis of Billingham and Thornaby hold grime in the aggregate and transform with a soft wash. The Wynyard and Ingleby Barwick new-builds are white k-render that shows every red streak. And the period brick of Yarm and Norton cleans beautifully but asks for care around old lime pointing.