Softwashing Wicklow — The Right Method for Surfaces That High Pressure Would Damage
Wicklow's Best Soft Washing Company
This is where softwashing is the correct approach. Not a compromise. Not a lesser alternative.
For these surface types, softwashing is simply the right method — and using high pressure instead is what causes the cracked render, stripped paint, blown-out pointing, and forced water ingress that homeowners end up having repaired at significant cost.
At Metro Power Washing, John has been softwashing exterior surfaces across County Wicklow for 15 years.
The equipment, the chemical treatments, and the application process are all specific to softwashing — not a pressure washer turned down low. There's a meaningful difference between the two, and it shows in the results and in how long those results last.
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Frequently Asked Questions — Softwashing Wicklow
In Wicklow's climate, a properly softwashed rendered wall — treated with a professional biocidal solution at the correct concentration and dwell time — will typically stay visibly clean for three to five years before retreatment is needed. Properties in more exposed positions, directly under trees, or on north-facing elevations with no direct sunlight may need retreatment sooner. Properties on open, south-facing aspects may go longer. John gives realistic expectations based on the specific property and elevation when quoting.
Not when applied correctly. The biocidal solutions used in softwashing are active against biological growth — they're designed to kill moss, algae, and lichen. Adjacent plants, lawn areas, and garden beds are protected before application begins, and any overspray is rinsed from plant surfaces immediately. After 15 years of softwashing properties across County Wicklow, John has not had a garden damaged by the process.
A significant one. Bleach-based solutions whiten organic growth temporarily — they break down the chlorophyll that gives algae its green colour, making the growth appear to have been killed. In most cases it hasn't been — the underlying organism survives and recovers as the bleach degrades, and the growth returns quickly. Professional biocidal softwash treatments are specifically formulated to kill the organisms at a cellular level, including spores embedded in the surface. They provide genuinely longer-lasting results because they eliminate the source of the problem rather than masking it.
Yes, with care. The biocidal solution used is pH-neutral or near-neutral and compatible with most masonry paint products when applied correctly. John will check the paint type and age before application and adjust the treatment accordingly. If a wall has been painted with a silicone-based paint or a specialist textured coating, this is discussed at the assessment stage.
A typical semi-detached or detached house — four elevations of rendered or pebbledash walls — takes between two and four hours including protection of surrounding areas, treatment application, dwell time, and rinse. Larger properties, properties with significant growth on multiple surfaces, or those combining softwashing with other services will take longer. A time estimate is given at the quote stage.
The cost per square metre is typically comparable. Where softwashing costs more is in the chemical treatment itself — professional biocidal solutions are more expensive than water. On a like-for-like basis though, the cost difference is modest and easily justified by the significantly longer period before retreatment is needed.
Yes. Rendered commercial buildings, industrial units, office exteriors, and larger residential properties including apartments and housing developments are all within scope. Get in touch to discuss your specific requirements.
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Surface Types We Softwash Across Wicklow
Rendered Walls — Smooth, Tyrolean & Sand and Cement Green and black streaking embedded in the render surface — not sitting on top of it. Softwashing removes the growth completely and keeps it away for three to five years. A pressure wash on the same surface lasts twelve to eighteen months at best.
Painted Exterior Walls High pressure strips paint, forces water behind the paint film, and causes bubbling and cracking. Softwashing cleans at zero risk to the paint surface, killing mould and algae in the substrate without disturbing the finish.
uPVC, Timber & Composite Cladding uPVC greens up fast in Wicklow's climate, particularly on shaded elevations. Cleaned at low pressure with biocidal treatment to prevent rapid regrowth. Timber and composite cladding gets surface-specific chemical selection to protect stains and finishes.
Garden Walls, Boundary Walls & Gate Piers Lower to the ground, shaded by planting, and exposed to soil splash-back — these surfaces often accumulate growth faster than the house walls. Treated safely and effectively including the mortar joints where moss establishes first.
More Services We Offer Across County Wicklow
Every service below is carried out personally by John, with 15 years of experience behind every job. No subcontractors. No shortcuts. All our pressure washing services are carried out across Wicklow.
What Is Softwashing — And Why Does It Produce Better Results on Certain Surfaces?
Softwashing uses low-pressure delivery — typically no more than the water pressure from a domestic garden tap — to apply a specialist biocidal cleaning solution directly to the surface being treated. The cleaning is done by the chemistry, not by the force of the water.
This matters for two reasons.
First, it eliminates the damage risk entirely. There is no pressure capable of blowing out render, cracking pointing, stripping paint, or forcing water behind cladding. The water delivery is gentle enough that the surface material is never under stress during the treatment.
Second, and more importantly, it produces results that last significantly longer than pressure washing on the same surfaces. Here's why: biological growth — moss, algae, lichen, green and red algae on render — isn't sitting neatly on top of the surface waiting to be washed off. It's anchored to it. The root-like structures of moss and the filaments of algae penetrate into the porous surface of render, brick, and cladding. Pressure washing physically removes what's visible above the surface but leaves the embedded structures — and the spores — behind. Within one to two seasons, the growth is back, often as dense as before.
Softwashing applies a biocidal solution that penetrates the surface alongside the organic growth, kills it at the root and at the spore level, and then leaves the dead material to break down naturally and wash away with rain over the following weeks. The surface stays clean for significantly longer — typically three to five years in Wicklow's climate before retreatment is needed — because the biological contamination has been killed rather than just temporarily removed.
Get a Free Softwash Quote
If your render is green, your pebbledash is streaked, your painted walls look tired, or you simply want to know whether softwashing is the right approach for your property — give John a call. Free quote, honest assessment, and a result that lasts.