Render and Patio Soft Washing in
Bicester, Oxfordshire

Oliver contacted Chiltern Surface Co about the garden at his home in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

A long, curved rendered wall frames the whole garden, and black algae was streaking down it from the coping, following the lines the rainwater takes. It had dulled the render along its full length.

This is biological growth living on and in the render, not dirt sitting on top of it.

Free Site Visit and Assessment

At our free site visit we assessed the render and the porcelain patio separately. Both needed soft washing: the right cleaning solution for each surface, applied with no pressure, so the chemistry does the work.

Render is a soft, textured finish. Pressure washing it can scar the surface and drive water in behind the growth, so it was never an option here.

The rendered wall was soft washed with no pressure at all. A surface-specific cleaning solution was applied along the full length of the wall and gently worked into the render with a soft brush.

Soft washing lets the chemistry do the work, breaking down the algae living on and in the surface without scarring the textured finish.

The black streaks running down from the coping lifted away, and the wall came back to the even colour it was meant to be.

The porcelain patio was soft washed. A cleaning solution chosen for porcelain was applied and worked across the slabs with a soft, water-fed brush.

There is no blasting, so the surface and the joints are not stripped or damaged.

Chiltern Surface Co has a range of approaches, treatments and cleaning solutions, and our technicians know which one each surface needs and when. That knowledge is the difference between a surface that looks clean for a week and one that stays clean.

The final stage was Chiltern EverGuard™, our proprietary surface protection system, applied to the rendered wall and the porcelain patio.

Algae and black spot live within the surface, not just on it, so surface cleaning is not enough.

Applied without pressure, Chiltern EverGuard™ penetrates deep into the pores of the surface, kills the growth living inside it and leaves a barrier that inhibits regrowth.

The first rainfall reactivates it, keeping the render and the patio protected long after we leave.

Up close, black spot had spread across the slabs beside the planter, along with a dull grey film. Soft washing lifted both and brought back the warm, even colour of the porcelain.

With Chiltern EverGuard™ now in the surface, any small traces left behind are treated and will weather away, and the patio is protected against the growth taking hold again.

Chiltern Surface Co carried out this project in Bicester, Oxfordshire. We also carry out render soft washing, patio cleaning, driveway cleaning, roof cleaning and roof moss removal for premium homes across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire, including Aylesbury, Princes Risborough, Wokingham and Bracknell.

Our approach goes beyond pressure washing. Depending on the surface, a project can include soft washing of render, stone and porcelain, and long-term protection with Chiltern EverGuard™.