Roofs and high level
Roof cleaning
Moss and organic growth on roofs, particularly on buildings surrounded by mature trees.
Schools and colleges
Buckinghamshire · Oxfordshire · Berkshire
Commercial Exterior Cleaning for Schools and Colleges
Exterior cleaning for school and college buildings, playgrounds, paths and entrances across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire, planned around the academic calendar and the areas people use every day.
On siteSurvey: algae-stained half-round gutter on a brick building
- IPAF
- Accredited operators on every lift
- £10m
- Public liability insurance
- RAMS
- Site-specific, issued before we mobilise
- 5 days
- From request to survey
Photographic record
Phased works and the completion report
- Office
- 01628 232 450
- Mobile / WhatsApp
- 07308 755 755WhatsApp
The problem
Exterior condition on an occupied school site
Primary and secondary schools, academies, independent schools and colleges carry constant footfall alongside the normal effects of weather, trees, traffic and biological growth. Render turns green, entrances darken and paths collect organic growth so gradually that the decline is easy to overlook, until it becomes the first impression of the site for pupils, students, staff and visitors.
The work has to fit around the school day. A project that is straightforward in the holidays can be far more disruptive on a normal teaching day, particularly where water, equipment or temporary restrictions sit across a route pupils use. Chiltern Surface Co takes responsibility for the survey, specification, mobilisation, delivery and handover, so the site or estates manager has a problem to hand over rather than another contractor to supervise.
- Predictable peaks
- Entrances become busy at predictable times: vehicle and pedestrian movement changes sharply at drop-off and collection, and paths fill at class changes. A main entrance may need cleaning outside its busiest period, and a secondary route may give better access at certain times.
- A fixed working window
- The school year fixes when most work can happen, and a large playground is easier to address with no pupils on site. Where the work will not fit one holiday or closure period, it is prioritised so the most visible or affected areas are dealt with first.
- Mixed building stock
- Older brick teaching blocks can sit alongside newer rendered or clad buildings, workshops, sports facilities, courtyards and car parks. A paved playground and a rendered elevation may be only metres apart, but they are not cleaned in the same way, so each surface is specified on its own material and condition.
- Mature trees
- Leaves fill gutters, shaded paths stay damp for longer, and organic growth takes hold more readily on some walls and paving. Where vegetation is a major factor, the survey records it, which helps estates teams see why one part of a site deteriorates faster than another.
- Playgrounds
- Intensive daily use, weather, surrounding trees and organic material gradually leave hard surfaces looking dark or uneven.
- Office
- 01628 232 450
- Mobile / WhatsApp
- 07308 755 755WhatsApp
What we do
One specification across the site's surfaces
A specification of works can cover a single playground or bring roofs, gutters, elevations and hard surfaces across several buildings together. We walk the relevant parts of the site before we price the work and separate the surfaces that genuinely need cleaning from those that can be left alone. If an area does not need cleaning, we do not add it to make the job larger.
Roofs and high level
Roofs and high level
Gutter and high-level cleaning
Gutters and outlets cleared of leaves, moss and debris, then flushed. Tree-lined sites see regular autumn and winter build-up. Clearance can be a standalone visit or combined with other exterior work.
Building elevations
Building elevations
Façade cleaning
Elevations affected by algae, atmospheric staining and weathering, prioritised from the main entrance and the most visible blocks.
Building elevations
Render and masonry cleaning
Green render on teaching blocks, soft washed, and brick and masonry on older buildings.
Playgrounds, paths and entrances
Playgrounds, paths and entrances
Pressure washing
Controlled pressure washing for hard-surface playgrounds, courtyards and external steps, where the surface suits it.
Playgrounds, paths and entrances
Car park and walkway cleaning
Main entrances, pedestrian paths, covered approaches and communal walkways where footfall is heaviest, and car parks.
Planned and multi-site work
Planned and multi-site work
Planned preventative maintenance (PPM)
Gutters beneath trees may need frequent attention while a rendered elevation may stay presentable for several years, so where it is justified, the PPM proposal suggests a review cycle for each area rather than cleaning everything every year.
Planned and multi-site work
Multi-site and portfolio contracts
For academy trusts: one contact and one standard across the schools, with each school specified on its own condition.
Included on the project
- Drone survey of roofs and high-level areas before pricing
- Fixed-price proposalspecification of works, programme and exclusions
- Site-specific RAMS issued before mobilisation
- Dedicated tracked spider-lift accessIPAF-accredited technicians
- Completion reportbefore-and-after photography and defect schedule
- £10 million public liability cover
How the work is delivered
Survey it. Specify it. Plan it. Deliver it. Document it. Maintain it.
- 01SurveySite visit and, where airspace permits, a drone survey of roofs and high-level areas, with the condition photographed.
- 02ProposalFixed price, with specification of works, programme and exclusions.
- 03MobilisationRAMS issued; asbestos register, drainage drawings and site rules checked.
- 04WorksZone by zone behind exclusion areas, with arisings removed and wash-water control planned.
- 05Completion reportBefore-and-after photography, a defect schedule and sign-off.
- 06PPMA planned maintenance proposal, so the problem does not come back unnoticed.
- Office
- 01628 232 450
- Mobile / WhatsApp
- 07308 755 755WhatsApp
Safety and site control
Planned before we arrive
- Roofs
- We identify the roof covering before any work is proposed and request the asbestos register. Asbestos-cement and fragile roofs are never pressure-washed or walked on.
- Wash water
- We plan wash-water control and drain protection for every site.
- Listed and conservation buildings
- We use test areas and low-pressure methods on listed and conservation-area buildings.
- Schools and care settings
- We work in school holidays and INSET days, or behind exclusion zones away from pupils and residents.
Related
Where school and college work connects
Questions
Schools and colleges FAQs
Can you work during school holidays and INSET days?
Yes. Holidays, half-terms and INSET days are the usual windows, and weekend and out-of-hours working is available. Smaller areas can be completed in term time behind exclusion zones away from pupils, depending on access and the nature of the work. The timing is agreed at the survey.
What exterior areas can you include at a school or college?
Roofs, gutters, rendered, brick and clad elevations, entrances, paths, playgrounds, courtyards, car parks and other suitable hard surfaces. The survey confirms which areas genuinely need attention, and the specification of works names each one with its method and any exclusions.
Do you clean school playgrounds?
Yes. Hard-surface playgrounds are cleaned once the surface construction, painted markings, specialised finishes and adjacent equipment have been identified at the survey, before any equipment is brought onto the area.
Can roof and gutter work be combined with other exterior work?
Yes. Roofs, gutters, elevations and hard surfaces can be surveyed on the same visit and specified together in one fixed-price proposal. Bringing them into one survey gives the estates team a clearer view of the work needed.
Can you work across several schools in an academy trust?
Yes, where the schools are in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire or Berkshire. Each school is surveyed and specified on its own condition, because a newer academy building does not necessarily need the same work as an older school in the group. The trust has one contact, one standard and consolidated reporting across the sites.
What do we receive when the work is complete?
A completion report: the works completed against the specification, before-and-after photography, a defect schedule, any items outside the specification that need your attention, and sign-off. Where the site justifies it, the report ends with a planned preventative maintenance (PPM) proposal and a suggested review cycle for each area.
Next step
Request a Site Survey
Tell us which parts of the school or college need attention, and your term dates and closure periods. We survey the relevant areas, then send a fixed-price proposal with a specification of works, programme and exclusions.
- Office
- 01628 232 450
- Mobile / WhatsApp
- 07308 755 755WhatsApp