Facade cleaning

Facade cleaning is the process of ensuring that the exterior of a building is clear from dirt and grime. A facade refers to the front exterior of a building, typically where the entrance is located. As this is often the first appearance of your business that clients, customers or visitors see, it’s understandable that you may want to keep this area of the building clean. The primary function of a facade is to provide insulation and create a waterproof structure, but they are also often designed in a way which is aesthetically pleasing, so having regular facade cleaning can help to improve the appearance of your property.

When it comes to external facade cleaning, it’s all about appearance. You want the exterior of your building to create a long-lasting impression and, if it’s unsightly or dirty, it certainly will do so for all the wrong reasons. With external facade cleaning, it’s important to be proactive and deal with any problems as soon as you notice them. Small issues can quickly evolve into more complex problems if not dealt with straight away and signs such as leaks, stains, mould or darkened patches can indicate a larger issue. This is why keeping up with facade cleaning is important, as ignoring issues can lead to detrimental damage and, in worst case scenarios, structural damage.

You should consider facade cleaning as a matter of urgency if you notice any of the above issues, such as stains and darkened patches or leaks begin to form. Other than this, you may want to consider having regular facade cleaning carried out as part of your building maintenance to help with the upkeep of your property. 

If your property is in a particularly busy urban area or is in an area surrounded by trees or other factors which may cause the accumulation of grime, then ensuring that your building facade is kept clean can also prevent staining of the materials and keep the appearance of your property looking its best. Although it isn’t possible to stop environmental matter such as dust, moss and algae from attaching itself to your property facade, if you have cladding of some form on your property, then having regular facade cleaning can help ensure that it does no harm to your property.

The location of your property will impact how frequently you should have external facade cleaning carried out. If you’re located close to highways or industrial areas, then your building will be more frequently exposed to pollution and this buildup of dirt will become more noticeable in a shorter space of time. All buildings should have external facade cleaning roughly every three to five years as part of a preventative maintenance plan. When dirt or deposits accumulate on the facade of a building, then this can then create an environment which allows moisture build up. This then creates the perfect environment for some types of algae to flourish and, if not combatted, this can impact the surface on which it is on. 

You shouldn’t assume that, when it rains, your building is cleaned sufficiently as rain water also contains environmental pollutants which can leave natural salt deposits on your property. Your building may benefit from a combination of our other additional building or industrial cleaning services to protect against any additional forms of damage and we can provide a free site consultation with further advice and information. 

Due to the number of different materials used for building facades, there are numerous ways in which you can clean them. Different types of facades require different cleaning methods, for example, glass facades are more prone to scratches or marks caused by dirt buildup, so ensuring dirt is regularly and thoroughly removed is vital to the maintenance of the material. Other facade materials, such as cladding, wood and stone, are much easier to maintain as they are resistant to moisture and when it comes to facade cleaning, will likely respond to different cleaning methods.

Although there are different types of materials commonly used for facade cleaning, there are some most commonly used treatments that can be used across these materials. Pressure washing, steam washing and soaking can be used across numerous different materials and provide a thorough clean.