Durham is a city of stone, steps and steep streets, and that shapes how outdoor surfaces should be cleaned. Sandstone flags, worn steps and old setts sit alongside modern block paving on the newer estates, and the river valley keeps many gardens damp and shaded. Power washing that suits a concrete drive would scar a sandstone step, so the pressure, nozzle and method are chosen surface by surface.
We are about fifteen miles from Durham at our Washington base, so the city and the surrounding villages are well within the area we cover.
Sandstone and older stone surfaces
Around the Viaduct, Gilesgate, Crossgate and the older streets near the centre, many homes have sandstone paths, steps and yards. Sandstone is soft and porous: blasted with high pressure it loses its face and wears faster. It is cleaned at low pressure, or soft washed with a treatment that kills algae and lichen, and then rinsed. Old pointing between flags is also treated gently, so it is not washed out.
Black spot lichen on shaded stone does not always come out in one visit. A treatment kills it and the marks then fade with the weather over the following weeks, and we will tell you that before starting.
Student lets, terraces and family homes
Terraced streets in areas such as the Viaduct and Gilesgate include many student lets, where yards, bin areas and front paths take heavy use through term and are often left between tenancies. Landlords and agents tend to book jet washing over the summer changeover, when a property is empty and access is easy. Tell us how many properties and what needs doing and we will quote for the job.
On the estates at Newton Hall, Framwellgate Moor and Belmont, block-paved drives and patios are more typical. These are pressure washed and re-sanded once dry, with sealing available on request. Decking and fencing can be cleaned on the same visit.
Steep drives, steps and shaded gardens
Durham's hills mean plenty of sloping drives and flights of garden steps, and those surfaces turn slippery quickly when moss and algae take hold in the valley damp. Cleaning them is as much about grip underfoot as about looks. Steps are worked from the top down so dirty water runs away from cleaned areas, and a treatment afterwards helps keep them safer through the wet months.
Is it safe to pressure wash sandstone steps in Durham?
Not at high pressure. Sandstone is soft, so we clean it at low pressure or soft wash it with a treatment, which removes growth without stripping the face of the stone.
Can you clean the yards of several student houses in one go?
Yes. Landlords often book several properties together over the summer changeover; tell us the addresses and access and we will plan the visit.
Do you cover the villages around Durham city?
Yes. Durham and the surrounding villages are well within our 45 mile area from Washington.
Will the black marks on my patio come out?
Black spot lichen is killed by treatment and then fades with the weather over the following weeks. Very old marks may lighten rather than disappear.
