House washing in Collaroy
Collaroy exteriors carry two kinds of grime. On the seaward side it is salt and sand: a grey film on render, rust streaks under balustrade fixings, and grit lodged in balcony tiles and window tracks of the apartment blocks between Pittwater Road and the sand. On the shaded southern walls and in the narrow gaps between buildings it is mould and green algae, which also colonise fences, paths and the weatherboard and brick houses toward Collaroy Plateau. Roofs collect salt too, and gutters on the beachfront fill with sand as readily as with leaves. Most of these surfaces want a gentle soft wash, not a blast.
Before anything is sprayed, a vetted tradie identifies the materials. Fibro eaves or cladding on a pre-1990 cottage may be asbestos cement, which is never pressure washed; instead the tradie stops, explains and suggests testing. Render, painted brick and weatherboard get a soft wash with a biocide-based detergent, then a rinse, with pressure cleaning kept for concrete and tiles. Because the Pittwater Road drains discharge to the beach, the wash water is held back and run onto lawn and garden rather than into the gutter, as state pollution law requires. Roof work on two or three storey blocks uses poles from the ground, harness anchors or a platform, following the WHS Regulation.
To get matched, describe the building, its height and what is on it through the quote form, with a photo of the worst wall. The job goes out to vetted tradies who clean regularly along this stretch of coast, and they call you and quote directly, free of charge and with no obligation to hire. For a unit, the owners corporation usually needs to approve exterior washing, and the tradie can quote for the whole block if asked. Expect the quote to itemise each surface with its cleaning method, explain where the run-off goes, and give a weather window, since onshore wind can push spray and sand back onto a wet wall.
Exterior cleaning services you can post
Frequently asked questions
Often, depending on height and access. Low-rise walk-ups are usually done from the ground with poles and a platform; taller blocks may need a boom lift or rope access, which the quote will show. The strata manager books it and the tradie notifies residents to close windows and clear balconies.
Within weeks in windy weather. A professional soft wash removes the build-up and the biological growth beneath it, and an occasional freshwater hose-down of glass and metal between visits keeps it from setting hard again.
Usually a wash. Mould grows on the surface because that wall seldom dries, and a biocide soft wash removes it. If the paint is chalking or peeling underneath, the tradie will say so, since washing will not fix a failed coating.
It is kept out of the stormwater drains, which run to the sand. The tradie bunds or diverts it onto lawn and garden beds or collects it, and uses detergents that break down. Only rain is allowed down the drain.
