What causes the green staining on my walls?

That's usually algae, which establishes on damp, shaded render and brick. It's cosmetic rather than structural, but it does spread if left, which is why we treat the growth with biocide rather than just rinsing the surface.

Will the biocide harm my plants or pets?

We cover or move planting before we start and are spill management trained to handle and dispose of chemicals properly, minimising any risk to plants, pets or the surrounding area.

What render types can you clean?

K-rend, monocouche, pebbledash and traditional sand-and-cement render — each gets treated slightly differently depending on thickness and texture, but all are soft washed rather than pressure washed.

Why has the render on one side of my house gone green and not the others?

Shade and moisture are usually the reason — north or west-facing walls that stay damp longer after rain are more likely to develop algae and lichen than sunnier elevations.

Render & Brick Cleaning (Soft Wash) in Birtley — algae staining lifted off the wall, on a DH3 property

Gateshead Council · DH3

Birtley Render Cleaning Specialists

Professional render and brick cleaning across Birtley. Soft wash and steam methods protect your render while removing algae and lichen for good.

07501060609

A lot of people assume render cleaning means pressure washing, the same as a patio or driveway. It doesn't, and treating render like a hard surface is how cracking, staining and blown coatings happen, especially on thin monocouche and K-rend systems.

Algae and black streaking on render and brick tend to show up worst through autumn and winter, when Birtley gets longer damp spells and less direct sun to dry walls out between showers. By spring the growth has often had months to get properly established.

A soft wash treatment breaks that cycle rather than just resetting it. Biocide gets down into the render texture and brick pores, so regrowth is slower and the wall stays cleaner for longer than a one-off rinse would manage.

An honest note on pricing

We'd rather give you a realistic range than a low number that changes once we're on site. The prices below are typical for properties in this area, but the only way to get an exact figure is a quick look at photos or a site visit — both are free.

Single elevation (render or brick)	from around £150–£220
Estate house, all elevations	typically £250–£350
Two-storey property, all sides	typically £350–£550
Gable end / hard-to-reach elevation	add around £40–£90

How far we travel

Birtley is around 2.3 miles south-west of our Washington base, comfortably inside the area we cover day-to-day, so there's no premium for distance on a job like this.

Render & Brick Cleaning (Soft Wash) near Birtley

Rickleton0.8 mi east
Lambton1 mi north-east
Harraton1.2 mi east
Ouston1.2 mi west
Oxclose1.3 mi north-east
Chester-le-Street1.7 mi south
Felling4.8 mi north
Houghton-le-Spring5 mi south-east

Our coverage area

We work across roughly 45 miles from our Washington base, which takes in Birtley and the towns and villages around it comfortably. Render and brick cleaning doesn't need to be a local specialist-only job, and we bring the same soft wash standard wherever we go.

Birtley, Tyne and Wear — 12 neighbouring areas plotted within 5.6 miles. Distances are straight-line from Birtley centre.

Homeowners

Render and brick cleaning for homeowners

Green streaks down the render or a brick wall gone dull and dark aren't just cosmetic — they're a sign of active algae and lichen growth that keeps spreading if it's left. A soft wash treatment deals with it properly: biocide kills the growth, a gentle rinse clears it away, and Birtley homes look cared for again without any risk to the render coat itself.

A straightforward, owner-run service

Asbestos awareness trained: Know what to look for and how to handle it on older properties.
Spill management trained: Runoff and product handled responsibly around your property.
Run by Trevor: Direct contact, not a call centre — 07501 060609 goes straight through.
We look after you and your property: Not just a line — it's how every job is approached, from protecting planting to leaving the site tidy.

The biocide we use

We use professional-grade biocide formulated to kill algae, lichen and fungal growth on render and masonry, applied at rates matched to the surface and how established the growth is. We're biocide trained (2024), so it's used correctly rather than sprayed on and rinsed off too soon.

The biocide and methods behind a proper render clean

The core of a proper render clean is the biocide treatment — a professional-grade solution applied to kill algae, lichen and the black fungal growth that causes streaking, rather than just washing the surface growth away.

We're biocide trained (2024), so application rates and dwell times are matched to the render type and how bad the growth actually is, not a standard spray-and-rinse. Steam is used where black staining on brick needs extra lift, and low-pressure rinsing finishes both render and brick without disturbing the surface underneath.

Render & Brick Cleaning (Soft Wash) in Birtley — common questions

Soft washing gets to the root of algae, lichen and black streaking rather than just blasting it off, and it's the only method that won't damage K-rend, monocouche, pebbledash or sand-and-cement render. That's the standard we work to on every job across Birtley.

Based in Washington and covering the area around Birtley, we bring a soft wash and steam approach to render and brick cleaning built around not damaging the surface we're cleaning. Call Trevor on 07501 060609 to book.

Ready when you are

We cover Birtley and the surrounding area, soft washing render and brick to a standard that protects the surface as well as cleans it. Get in touch to arrange a visit.

Ask Trevor Call 07501060609

Render & Brick Cleaning (Soft Wash) in Birtley — the elevation part-way through treatment, just off the A1(M)

Render & Brick Cleaning (Soft Wash) in Birtley — the finished render drying in the sun, a few minutes from Rickleton