House washing in Clovelly
A Clovelly semi or bungalow brings a predictable list: a salt-filmed front, a side passage with green render and slippery paving, a rear courtyard spotted with mould and leaf stains, terracotta roof tiles growing moss on the southern pitch, and gutters packed with litter from two roofs where the semis share a run. Walk-up flats add common stairs, rendered balconies and painted fences. Front steps and low walls are often sandstone and need low pressure and a brush. Solar panels on north-facing bungalow roofs carry a salt haze. The areas are modest, but the mix of surfaces and the lack of working room make method and planning matter more than scale.
Vetted tradies soft wash render and paint, treat algae and mould with a biocide left to work, and rinse sandstone gently rather than blasting it. In a passage barely wider than a wheelie bin, water is used sparingly and directed so it does not run under the neighbour's door or into their subfloor, and none of it reaches the stormwater system, which NSW law forbids, because the tradie bunds, captures or diverts it to garden. A fibro garage or shed on a pre-1990 property is left alone and pointed out to you, since asbestos cement cannot safely be pressure washed. On roofs and gutters the tradie either wears fall protection or works with poles from below, as the WHS Regulation requires.
Post the job with photos of the front, the side passage and the back, and say whether the house is a semi with a shared gutter or a unit in a block. We match it with vetted house washing tradies already working in Clovelly, who come out to inspect and then set out each surface and method in a written quote, wash water plan included. The service is free, and hiring nobody is a legitimate outcome. If both halves of a semi are done together, the finish matches along the front and the tradie can quote each owner separately. Weekday mornings suit parking near the bay.
Exterior cleaning services you can post
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Tradies bund the passage, use low-flow equipment and direct water back toward your own yard or a capture point, and warn the neighbour before starting so doors and vents are closed.
It can be, but the line between clean and uncleaned render is obvious. Many neighbours agree to do both halves at once, and one tradie can quote each side.
No. A soft wash or a biocidal treatment applied from the gutter line or with fall protection removes moss without breaking tiles or forcing water under them. The tradie should state the method.
It is left untouched. Pressure washing asbestos cement is never acceptable, so the tradie works around it and tells you what they suspect. Removal over 10 square metres is for a licensed asbestos removalist.
