Facade and DOFF cleaning across Aylesbury
Most of Aylesbury’s older buildings aren’t stone at all. Buckinghamshire Council’s conservation area appraisal, updated in April 2026, describes a town dominated by red brick and clay plaintiles, with painted render that’s often scored to look like stonework. Each of those surfaces needs different treatment, and that’s before you get to the 1960s units and concrete forecourts at Rabans Lane.
We look at the surface first, then choose the cleaning method. On older buildings, that’s often DOFF, a high-temperature, low-pressure steam system. Before the main job starts, we’ll clean a small test area so you can see the result.
Facade cleaning: before and after
What the council says goes wrong
The same appraisal lists the most common maintenance problems in the conservation area, and they’ll be familiar to many building owners. They include guano build-up, blocked drainage goods and discoloured render and stonework.
These problems are often linked. Birds nest in a gutter, the gutter blocks, water runs down the wall and the render or brick beneath it starts to stain. If you only clean the wall, the mark will come back. So we’ll look at why the staining is there, and we can deal with the whole chain:
| The problem | What we do | Find out more |
|---|---|---|
| Guano on ledges and roofs | Clear and disinfect it, in full PPE with dust control | Pigeon guano removal |
| Blocked gutters and outlets | Clear them and check the water can drain away | Gutter cleaning |
| Birds coming back | Fit netting, spikes or wire to suit the building | Bird proofing |
| Stained brick and stonework | Clean with low-pressure DOFF steam, after a test | DOFF cleaning |
| Dirty render and concrete | Choose a method that suits the surface and its coating | Facade cleaning |
Why DOFF suits older buildings
DOFF heats water to a high temperature and applies it as steam at low pressure. It needs little water and no added chemicals, and it can lift algae, moss, grime and some kinds of paint. That matters on soft old brick, where high-pressure water can damage the face of the brick and wash out the mortar.
It isn’t right for everything. Painted render may need a gentler approach, or may be better repainted than cleaned. Limewash and old paint can come off with the dirt, so we always test first. For more detail, read our guide to what DOFF cleaning is.
Listed buildings around Market Square
Aylesbury’s conservation area includes the Grade I Church of St Mary and the Grade II* County Hall on Market Square, along with many other listed buildings. If your building is listed, check with Buckinghamshire Council before you book. The Building Conservation Directory explains that cleaning a listed building may count as an alteration, and that test panels are a normal part of the process.
Work in the town centre also has to fit around shoppers and traffic. We can work early in the morning or at night, and we’ll tell you at the survey if you need a permit for access equipment.
Rabans Lane and the industrial estates
The Rabans Lane Industrial Area, north-west of the centre, is a very different job. Around Edison Road and Bessemer Crescent, many units date from the 1960s, with concrete forecourts and a mix of brick, cladding and concrete. For sites like these, the work is usually practical:
- Forecourts and paving: pressure washing to lift dirt, algae and moss that can make the ground slippery.
- Cladding and brick: cleaned from MEWPs to smarten up the building, using a method that suits the surface.
- Window frames: dull or chalky powder-coated frames can often be restored rather than replaced.
- Graffiti: tags and paint removed using a method matched to the surface.
How a DOFF or facade clean works
- Free site survey: we check the surface, the access and whether permissions are needed.
- Test piece: we clean a small area, so you can see what’s achievable.
- RAMS and planning: you get a written quote, risk assessments and method statements.
- The clean: carried out from MEWPs, cradles or scaffolding, as the building requires.
- Sign-off: we walk the site with you and hand over photos and records.
Accredited, insured and documented
Locus is SafeContractor-accredited, Constructionline Silver and a BICSc corporate member, and our operatives hold IPAF and CSCS cards. We’re registered with the Environment Agency as a waste carrier (CBDU320327).