Render Cleaning in Totnes

The Moore & Franks approach in Totnes

Totnes sits in the wooded Dart valley, and that lush, sheltered setting is exactly why render here struggles — the tree cover and river damp keep walls shaded and moist, ideal conditions for algae. The render on the period homes climbing up from the town and the newer builds on the edges all green over where light is scarce. It's a green town in more ways than one. Moore & Franks soft-wash render rather than blast it, using a biocide that clears the growth gently and keeps it off for the long term. Family-run, twenty-five years, fully insured, and an easy run from our Exeter yard.

So much of central Totnes is listed or inside the conservation area that method matters as much as result here. The Georgian and Victorian townhouses climbing Fore Street and the High Street carry lime render and painted finishes that must breathe, and heavy-handed cleaning does lasting harm. We use a gentle soft-wash matched to the fabric, clearing the algae the shaded Dart valley encourages without sealing or scarring walls that have stood for generations.

Across the river in Bridgetown the slate-roofed terraces green fast in the low valley light, and out at Follaton and the western fringes the newer render estates streak and lichen-spot just as readily. Neither side of the town catches enough winter sun to dry a wall through. A low-pressure biocide lifts the growth from render and painted walls alike, and it works on the surface without forcing water behind the coating.

Autumn is hard on Totnes render — leaf fall off the oaks and beeches lining the Dart clogs gutters, and blocked downpipes send water straight down the frontages, streaking them further. Out to Dartington, Ashprington and Stoke Gabriel the tree cover is heavier still. We reset the render with a soft-wash and leave the biocide working, but we are honest that a shaded valley wall here will want another look sooner than one out in the open.

Our Totnes customers are typically within 30 minutes of our Exeter base. We cover the wider TQ9 postcode area and the surrounding villages (Bridgetown, Follaton, Dartington, Berry Pomeroy, Ashprington, Stoke Gabriel).