Cotswold Stone Cleaning
How Do You Clean the Exterior Stone on an Older House?
Stone Cleaning in Witney, Mark’s hometown!.
Drive around places such as Vanner Close in Witney and you will see some lovely stone homes.
Cotswold stone has warmth. It has character. And, unlike a freshly rendered wall, it often looks better with a little age.
However, there is a difference between character and being covered in green and black organic algae.
Over time, stone can become dark, stained and tired. Moss appears around joints. Meanwhile, algae spreads across the damper elevations.
North elevations are generally worse as they never get any sun to fully dry out.
So, how do you clean an older stone house without taking away the very character that makes it special?
The answer starts with choosing the right cleaning method.
First, We Look at the Stone
Not every stone house needs the same clean.
Therefore, before we start, we look at the age and condition of the building. This is why Alfresco offer a Home Assessment.
We also consider the type of stone. For example, many properties around Witney and West Oxfordshire feature beautiful Cotswold stone.
Older stone can be more delicate. Likewise, the pointing between the stone may need extra care.
So, simply reaching for the biggest pressure washer isn’t the answer, DOFF dont you know?
Sometimes, less really is more.
Why Does Cotswold Stone Turn Green?
Stone spends its entire life outside.
Not ideal if you enjoy staying clean.
Rain, shade and damp conditions encourage algae and organic growth. In addition, nearby trees can make the problem worse.
North-facing walls often suffer most.
At first, you may notice a few green patches. However, the staining gradually spreads.
Eventually, the stone loses some of its natural colour.
That is usually when we get the phone call.
Softwashing Can Be the Gentler Answer
For organic staining, we may recommend a softwash treatment.
Rather than relying on high pressure, softwashing uses a specialist treatment to tackle the organic growth.
Therefore, we can treat algae and other staining without aggressively blasting the stone.
The treatment also continues to work after we leave.
As a result, the stone can gradually become cleaner as natural weathering takes place.
For older or more delicate surfaces, that can be exactly what we want.
Sometimes We Need to Go Deeper
However, some stone needs more than a softwash treatment.
Years of dirt, atmospheric staining and grime can become deeply ingrained.
Therefore, we can also use super-heated water cleaning.
This professional process uses very hot water to break down stubborn dirt and organic contamination.
Importantly, heat does much of the hard work.
So, we don’t simply keep increasing the pressure.
As a result, we can achieve a much deeper clean while still treating the stone with care.
Why Does Super-Heated Water Stay Cleaner for Longer?
Would you ever wash your hands in cold water after a morning in the garden?
A basic cold-water jet wash can make a wall look cleaner very quickly.
However, appearances can be deceiving.
Cold water often removes the visible surface dirt. Meanwhile, organic contamination can remain deeper within the surface.
Therefore, green staining may return sooner than expected.
Super-heated water works differently.
The heat tackles contamination much more thoroughly. Consequently, the surface receives a deeper clean.
In our experience, this approach can keep suitable surfaces looking cleaner for around four to six times longer than basic cold-water jet washing alone, depending on the property, environment and surrounding vegetation.
That means fewer repeat cleans and better long-term value.
There Isn’t One Right Way to Clean Stone
This is perhaps the most important point.
At Alfresco Exterior Cleaning, we don’t believe one machine solves every problem.
Sometimes we use softwashing.
Sometimes super-heated water provides the better answer.
And sometimes we combine cleaning methods.
After 30 years in exterior cleaning, Alfresco know the method should suit the building.
Not the other way around.
Bringing an Older Stone House Back to Life
The aim isn’t to make an old Cotswold stone house look brand new.
It shouldn’t.
Instead, good stone cleaning removes unwanted staining while allowing the natural character of the building to shine through again.
Suddenly, the warm colours return. The stonework becomes a feature again. Meanwhile, the house still looks like the house you fell in love with.
So, if you own an older stone property in Witney or elsewhere across Oxfordshire, start with a professional assessment.
We’ll look at the stone. We’ll look at the staining. Then, we’ll explain the options.
Because a stone house may have taken decades, or even centuries, to develop its character.
Cleaning it shouldn’t take that character away.
