Roof & Exterior

House washing that doesn't strip the paint

Soft-wash for render, weatherboard and painted brick across the Northern Rivers. Mould and mildew off, your paint job left alone.

Call 0401 364 405 Get a written quote

The mould you see on the south side of a Northern Rivers house isn’t a paint problem. It’s biological growth on top of the paint, fed by humidity, shade and salt air. Soft-wash detergent breaks it down to the root and a low-pressure rinse takes it off. The paint stays where it was.

The mistake people make is putting a turbo nozzle on a render wall and chipping off little flakes of paint, render and undercoat all at once. That makes the wall look better for two months and then exposes the substrate to weather. We’d rather take a bit longer and leave you with a wall that’s clean AND intact.

Most one-storey houses in the Tweed and Murwillumbah take half a day. Larger two-storey homes are a full day. We work top-down: roof clean first if you’ve booked one, then the upper-storey walls, then everything underneath. The gutters and eaves get a wash at the same time, from the outside; if you want the inside of the gutters cleared out, that’s our gutter-cleaning service and best done in the same visit.

We don’t pressure-clean Colorbond cladding with a turbo nozzle; the wrong detergent and the wrong pressure will chalk the coating. The same goes for old hand-stencilled render and any heritage finishes. If we’re not sure, we test a small panel first.

When you need this

The reasons people call

Black mould streaks under the eaves and around the gutter line
Render has gone green or grey on the south side
House is going on the market and the exterior's the first thing in the listing photos
Renting it out and the agent's flagged the curb appeal

How we work

What actually happens

Walk the house, identify surface types (render, weatherboard, brick, Colorbond) and any flaking or failing paint
Treat with soft-wash detergent appropriate to the surface, let it dwell to break the growth
Rinse at low pressure, top-down, gutters and eaves last
Window frames, eaves, downpipes and front door included

What's included

In the quoted price

All accessible exterior walls
Eaves, fascia, gutters (outside), downpipes
Window frames and front door
Soft-wash detergent + low-pressure rinse

Honest about scope

What can go wrong, what's not included, what we check first

A recent job

"Will pressure cleaning take my paint off?"

Kingscliff, NSW · Soft-wash house wash, Kingscliff holiday rental

The brief

Holiday rental dropping bookings since the previous owner. Render had gone black on the south-east wall facing the river. Listing photos were two years old and didn't match the current state of the place.

What we found

Mould was surface only — the paint underneath was sound. A bit of paint flaking on the western bargeboards from UV. No water-ingress signs around the windows or eaves.

What we did

Closed all openings, moved outdoor furniture, dropped sheets on the deck. Treated with soft-wash detergent appropriate to the render, dwelled to break the mould at the root, low-pressure rinsed top-down. Hand-scrubbed the front door and front pavers. Photographed the bargeboards for the owner so they know what's coming next.

Result

Same-day result. Owner had photographer back within a fortnight, listing photos refreshed. They reported bookings recovering within the next two months.

See more case studies

FAQ

House Washing questions, answered

Will the wash take my paint off?

Not when it's done as a soft-wash with the right detergent at low pressure. The mistake is putting a turbo nozzle on a render wall — that chips off paint, undercoat and a flake of the substrate with it. The wall looks clean for two months then exposes the substrate to weather. We use the right detergent to break the mould at the root and a low-pressure rinse to take it away. Paint stays where it was.

What about the windows and the deck — do those get cleaned too?

Window frames yes; window glass no (that's a separate trade with the right gear for streak-free glass). Decks we can soft-wash at the same time if the timber's in good condition — usually a slight pressure reduction for hardwoods and a much gentler approach for softwoods. Most decks want an oil or stain refresh afterwards, which we don't apply but can recommend.

How long does a soft-wash last in the Northern Rivers?

Roughly eighteen months to two years on the coastal strip, two to three years inland. Salt air, shade and tree cover all speed up regrowth. A quick yearly maintenance wash is much cheaper than letting it go five years and needing a full job — and it keeps the paint protected for longer.

Ready for a real number?

Phone is the fastest. Quote form if you'd rather write. Either way, you'll hear back with a written number, not a starting price.