DOFF Chemical Cleaning in Ottery St Mary

The Moore & Franks approach in Ottery St Mary

Inland and tucked in the Otter valley, Ottery St Mary carries plenty of cob, render and old stone, and the river-bottom damp keeps north-facing walls green much of the year. DOFF chemical cleaning is the sensible route for soft, traditional fabric like this — superheated steam at low pressure rather than a high-pressure blast that would open up old render or lime joints. The heat kills the algae and lichen at root, and a biocide top-coat afterwards holds back the regrowth where it's wanted. Moore & Franks are a family-run Devon outfit, twenty-five years deep, insured to £5m. Clear advice and tidy, careful work on every job.

On the newer developments climbing toward West Hill and Tip Hill, owners are often surprised how quickly black algae streaks show on K-Rend and silicone render that's only a few years old. These sealed coatings frequently clean up better with a soft wash than with full steam heat, and we'll recommend whichever fits. Where DOFF suits, the heat lifts the algae without pushing moisture behind a render meant to shed water.

The older stone and cob homes around The Square, Silver Street and the lanes out to Cadhay are soft, breathable and porous, the opposite of what a pressure lance should ever meet. Low-pressure steam is the safe route, cleaning off moss and lichen by temperature while leaving lime render and old stone sound. Down by St Mary's Church the meadow mist can sit around for half the day, so the shaded frontages there green readily and reward a careful clean.

Climb toward West Hill and Aylesbeare common and the picture flips: open ground, wind-driven rain, and grime beaten deep into render and window reveals. The properties here take weather from a different quarter than the sheltered valley floor, and each needs reading on its own. Steam clears the ingrained grime by heat, and on scattered rural plots we plan our access and water supply before the day so the job runs cleanly.

Our Ottery St Mary customers are typically within 20 minutes of our Exeter base. We cover the wider EX11, EX10, EX5 postcode area and the surrounding villages (St Mary's Church and the Tumbling Weir, The Square and Silver Street, Cadhay Manor, West Hill, Tipton St John, Newton Poppleford).