Our Work

The problem

The homeowner had been quoted for a full roof replacement by two different roofers who said the lichen had compromised the tiles. A third roofer gave the same advice. The south-facing pitch was black with growth — lichen, moss, and algae layered over decades. The tiles themselves, when we inspected, were structurally sound. The growth was sitting on top of them, not inside them. The problem was biological, not structural. Replacing these tiles would have cost several times what a soft wash costs and would have been unnecessary.

What we did

We used a biodegradable soft wash treatment applied at low pressure — no walking on the tiles, no high-pressure water that would have cracked the old terracotta. The treatment was left to dwell, then rinsed. The growth does not come off immediately: soft wash kills the organisms at the root, and the dead material washes off over the following two to four weeks as rain and wind do their work.

The result

Within three weeks the tiles were clear. The homeowner sent photos — the south pitch that had been black was back to the original terracotta colour. No tiles were replaced. We have since done the same property twice more on a regular maintenance schedule.

The problem

Salt air deposits on render create a surface that mould colonises fast. The homeowners had tried a consumer pressure washer at high pressure on the render. This lifted some of the surface growth but also pushed water into hairline cracks in the render and, in one section near the eaves, stripped the outer coat. The mould had returned within six weeks because the root system in the render had not been treated — just the surface had been disturbed.

What we did

We pre-treated all affected elevations with a biodegradable mould treatment and gave it dwell time before any water went near the render. Then a soft wash rinse at low pressure — no high pressure, no further render damage. The section that had been damaged by the DIY pressure washing was noted and we advised the owner to speak to a render specialist before the next clean.

The result

The mould came off cleanly in one pass on the pre-treated sections. The render damage from the previous DIY attempt was not our work to fix, but we documented it and gave the owner a clear explanation of what had happened. Eighteen months later they booked again — the mould had not returned to the treated sections in that time, which is a longer gap than you would expect for a property that close to the beach.

The problem

Oil staining on commercial concrete accumulates in layers. Each vehicle parks in roughly the same spot, and each drip adds to what is already there. Some of the staining in this car park was years old — the oil had bonded with the concrete surface through repeated heat cycles. Surface cleaning with water alone does not shift it. High pressure without pre-treatment moves some of it but forces the remainder deeper into the concrete pores.

What we did

We assessed each bay individually. The heavily stained bays — identifiable by the dark patches where engines had dripped consistently — were pre-treated with a commercial-grade degreaser and given 20 minutes of dwell time before pressure washing. The lightly stained areas were done with a standard hot water pressure wash. We worked in sections to avoid tracking contaminated water across clean areas.

The result

The heavy staining lifted to approximately 85–90% clean — which is typical for old oil on rough concrete. We advised the building manager upfront that complete removal of staining that old was unlikely, and quoted accordingly. The car park was clean enough for the new tenant and met the condition requirements in the lease agreement.

The problem

The gutters were full of compacted gum leaves, bark, and sediment — not just loose debris. In sections near the corners, the blockage had created a dam that pushed water behind the fascia board during rain. There were early signs of rot in the fascia at two points, which the owner was not aware of before we started.

What we did

Manual removal of all debris by hand — not just blowing it out with a leaf blower, which redistributes it. We checked and cleared every downpipe by hand and then flushed with water to confirm flow. At the two points where we found fascia damage, we photographed and documented the condition and flagged it to the owner before finishing.

The result

The gutters were clear before the storm hit. The owner got a photo report the same afternoon, including the documentation of the fascia issue. They booked a carpenter to look at the damaged sections before the rain came. The gutters held through the storm — no overflow. They have since booked us for an annual clear in late autumn, which is the right time for this suburb given the volume of gum leaf drop.

The problem

Heritage-listed properties in Maitland's East Maitland Conservation Area are subject to Maitland City Council guidelines on maintenance work. The owner had checked with council before booking us. High-pressure washing is not an approved method for this property type — the weatherboard cladding and original lime mortar pointing around the chimney base are not compatible with pressure above approximately 500 PSI. Soft wash was the only method council would approve.

What we did

We confirmed the council requirements with the owner before starting. Soft wash treatment applied by hand sprayer to the weatherboards and roof, dwell time, then a low-pressure rinse below 400 PSI. The lime mortar around the chimney base was avoided entirely — water in old lime mortar joints causes more damage than the mould does. We documented our method for the owner to provide to council if required.

The result

The weatherboards cleaned up well. The terracotta roof came back to colour over the following three weeks. The lime mortar was left as-is, which was the right call — the owner was advised to consult a heritage stonemason about the pointing separately. No council issues. The property looks correct for its age — not blasted back to raw timber, just clean.