Render cleaning is the removal of algae, moss, mould and pollution staining from rendered walls without damaging the finish. Elite Jetting provides a professional render cleaning service across Kent and South East London by low pressure soft washing, the method every modern render system is designed to take. Quotes are free and carry no obligation.
A property's render is constantly exposed to the weather, and on the shaded, north facing or tree lined sides of a house the render goes green first. Green algae, black mould and lichen take hold in the texture of the surface, algae spores keep arriving on the wind, and the longer organic growth sits there the more moisture it holds against the render, which is where damp problems on rendered walls usually begin. Cleaning render is a chemistry job, not a pressure job: the right render cleaning service lifts years of growth and dirt and brings the original colour of the render back.
SOFT WASHING: THE RENDER CLEANING SERVICE THAT SUITS EVERY FINISH
Soft washing is a cleaning process that relies on a cleaning solution rather than force. It uses low pressure, well under a domestic pressure washer, to apply the solution to the rendered surface.
The solution is matched to the render and to what is on it. Dirt, grime and pollution staining need a cleaner that lifts them off the surface; algae, moss, lichen and mould need a treatment that deals with the growth itself rather than rinsing the top off it. It is left to dwell, then the render is washed down with clean water at garden hose pressure. Nothing is forced behind the render and the texture is left exactly as it was.
It is also the more environmentally friendly option: the surfactants we use are biodegradable, nothing harsh is left on the surface once it is washed off, and plants at the base are covered or wetted down before we start.
Pressure washing is the commonest way render gets damaged. A high pressure jet drives water into the surface, scours the texture, and on older or weaker render can crack it or lift it from the wall. Sand and cement render might survive a careful gentle wash; thin coat and monocouche finishes will not survive a jet. That is why render always gets a soft wash clean from us, and why the jet washing kit stays on the van.
Brick and stonework on the same property is a different surface and is cleaned by exterior steam cleaning, an exterior cleaning method we can run on the same visit.
HOW A RENDER CLEAN RUNS
1. Assessment. We check the render type, the condition of the surface and how heavy the staining is, from your photographs first and on the wall before we start.
2. Protection. Plants, paths and anything below the render are covered or pre-wetted, windows and vents are checked, and cars come off the drive.
3. Application. The cleaning solution goes on at low pressure, matched both to the finish and to what is on it: silicone systems take a different mix from painted sand and cement, and heavy organic growth takes a different treatment from dirt and pollution.
4. Dwell. The solution is left to work on the growth. Dwell time is what makes the difference between a clean that lasts and a rinse that greens again in weeks.
5. Wash down and inspection. The render is washed down with clean water, checked for missed patches, and anything that needs a second stage is dealt with before we leave.
TYPES OF HOUSE RENDER WE CLEAN: K REND, MONOCOUCHE, SILICONE AND MORE
Every render system is cleaned the same gentle way, with the product and dwell time matched to the finish, so the cleaning service is the same whether the house render is ten years old or fifty:
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K Rend: a silicone based, water repellent, through coloured render on a great many Kent homes and extensions. It greens quickly on shaded elevations and comes up well with a soft wash; see what K Rend is.
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Monocouche render: a single coat, through coloured render with a scraped or textured face that traps algae in its surface. Cleaned by chemistry and dwell time, never scraped or pressure washed.
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Silicone and acrylic render: thin coat systems over insulation or a base coat, where the finish is only millimetres thick and pressure would go straight through it.
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Sand and cement render: traditional render, painted or unpainted, on older houses and extensions. Cleaned gently so the paint and the surface stay put.
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Coloured render: any through coloured system where the pigment runs right through the coat and the colour is the finish. The right solution brings the original colour back; a harsh chemical or a jet leaves it patchy.
Our render cleaning services cover the rendered walls of houses, extensions, flats and commercial premises, and the roof cleaning, gutter cleaning and moss removal that usually go with a render clean can ride the same booking, so the whole of your home's exterior comes up together rather than one elevation at a time. Regular maintenance on that footing is lighter work than a heavy clean every few years, because there is less growth to shift each time.
BEFORE AND AFTER: RENDER CLEANING IN KENT
The photographs below are our own work: professional render cleaning in Kent on K Rend and coloured finishes, houses and a commercial building, before and after cleaning. The green and black staining is organic growth and industrial pollution, and it comes off; what is left is the render's own colour, not a coat of paint.
WHAT RENDER CLEANING WILL NOT FIX
Cleaning removes growth, dirt and staining. It does not restore render that has already cracked, blown or come away from the property, and any cleaning method, however gentle, will show up render that was failing before we arrived. Every render cleaning project starts with a detailed inspection of the property's render, and we point out cracks, hollow patches and failed paint before we start rather than after. A coloured finish comes back to its own colour, not a new one, and rust or drip staining that has soaked into the surface may lighten without disappearing.
Elite Jetting cleans render. We do not offer render repair, patching, re-rendering or painting, and we will say so if that is what the property actually needs.
WHY CHOOSE ELITE JETTING?
Fully insured and trained in health and safety, with risk assessments available before work begins.
Four exterior cleaning methods, matched to the surface rather than forced onto it.
Free quotes, with the figure confirmed before work starts.
Van-mounted equipment with cold water, hot water and steam on board.
Based in Sheerness and covering all of Kent, Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 17:00.
RENDER CLEANING PRICES AND FREE QUOTES
Render cleaning is priced on the area of render, the type of render, the access and how heavy the contamination is, so the figures below are starting points rather than a fixed rate card. A soft wash starts from £6.50 per square metre, and a complete professional render cleaning service starts from £300. As a guide, a rendered terrace starts from £300, a semi from £450 and a detached house from £650. Where the growth is heavy enough to need a second stage, that starts from £1.50 per square metre and it is stated on the quote, never added on the day: no hidden costs, and waste removal is included in every clean.
The same structure, method and area size, runs across all of our exterior cleaning services, and the written quote confirms the fixed figure for your specific property before anything is booked. Send the sizes or a few photographs through the quote form for a free quote today; we price from photographs and aerial imagery, and larger or commercial buildings get a site survey first.
RENDER CLEANING FAQS
How much does it cost to have render cleaned?
From £6.50 per square metre by soft washing, and from £300 for a complete professional render cleaning service. Guide prices for render cleaning in Kent: terrace from £300, semi from £450, detached from £650. Heavy growth may need a second stage, from £1.50 per square metre, stated on the quote. What a job costs above those figures depends on the render, the access and how heavy the contamination is, which is why every property is quoted individually. Waste removal is included. Every quote is free, carries no obligation, and confirms the fixed price in writing for your property.
What is the best way to clean render?
Low pressure soft washing. A cleaning solution matched to the render and to what is on it is applied at low pressure, left to dwell, then washed off gently. Where the staining is organic, the treatment kills the algae, mould and mildew rather than rinsing the top off it. It is the method thin coat and through coloured render is built to take, and it brings the render back to its original colour without disturbing the finish. Any render cleaning services in Kent offering to jet wash render are reaching for the wrong tool.
Can I pressure wash render?
No, and we would not do it for you. High pressure water scours the texture of the render, forces water behind it, and on thin coat or older render can crack it or lift it off the property. Pressure washing is for driveways, patios and brickwork. Render is cleaned by low pressure chemistry, which does effectively what a jet does with force, without the damage.
Can you clean render with washing up liquid?
Only the marks, not the cause. A mild detergent and a soft brush will shift a small area of loose dirt, but it does nothing to the algae and mould growth living in the render, so the green comes straight back. A professional clean treats the growth itself, which is why it lasts and a scrub does not.
Is soft washing safe for K Rend and coloured render?
Yes, it is the method those finishes are designed for. K Rend, monocouche and other through coloured systems are cleaned at low pressure with a product matched to the finish, so the colour comes back evenly. The damage you see on coloured finishes almost always comes from a pressure washer or the wrong chemical, not from this method.
Does moss removal come with a render clean?
Yes. Moss, lichen and algae on the render come off as part of the clean, because the treatment deals with the growth rather than just rinsing it. Moss removal from the roof, gutters, paths and driveway is a separate service and can be booked for the same visit, so the whole exterior is treated together. Regular cleaning keeps it that way and is the easiest way to maintain the render; a residual biocide treatment can be added to slow regrowth, but nothing stops the weather.
How often should render be cleaned?
There is no fixed interval. It depends on shade, overhanging trees, how exposed the wall is and which way it faces; a north facing elevation under trees greens far faster than a south facing one in the open. The practical signal is visible green or black growth. We advise on a maintenance interval when we quote, and a residual biocide treatment can be added to slow regrowth between cleans, so the render is easier to maintain.
Do I need to be at home?
Not always. Where we can reach the render and an outside tap without you, the work can often go ahead while you are out. Wash water runs down the wall, so we cover or wet down plants at the base and ask you to keep windows shut and cars off the drive on the day. Access is agreed when the job is booked.
AREAS WE COVER
We are an exterior cleaning company working from the Isle of Sheppey, covering Kent and South East London: Swale, Medway, Maidstone, Canterbury, Ashford, Dartford, Sevenoaks, Thanet, Tunbridge Wells, Bexley and Bromley, with the towns from Sittingbourne to Sheerness in between. Render cleaning in Maidstone or Canterbury runs to the same schedule as a job in Sittingbourne or Sheerness, domestic and commercial customers get the same exterior cleaning services and the same equipment wherever we park the van, and South East London render cleaning service runs from the same base. Commercial buildings are priced on individual requirements through commercial jet washing, and the areas we cover page lists every district.
Get a free render cleaning quote: call 07979 083018 or use the quote form. Photographs of the property and rough measurements get you a price faster.