Facade cleaning against algae and moss

Walk along almost any street in the March district or the Zurich Oberland and the same pattern shows up. The facade facing the road stays pale for years, while the north side under an overhang slowly turns green. Where sun and wind dry a wall quickly after rain, algae and moss barely get a foothold. Where shade and damp linger, they return within a few seasons, often even after a first cleaning.

For an owner, this is often more than a cosmetic issue. Persistent moisture in the surface can damage render over the long term, and for a jointly owned building a patchy facade is usually the first thing a prospective buyer notices. Doing this properly takes more than pointing a hose at the wall.

What facade cleaning covers

It starts with assessing the surface. Render, exposed concrete, brick and painted finishes all react differently to pressure and cleaning agents, and treating every surface the same way risks damaging the material. The actual clean follows with matched pressure and, where needed, a product specifically suited to mineral surfaces for algae and moss. Particular attention goes to the base of the wall, where splash-water from the ground leaves dark staining over the years. For facades above the ground floor we arrange a lift platform or scaffolding through established partner firms so the whole surface can be reached safely.

Where facade cleaning commonly goes wrong

The biggest mistake is too much pressure on material that cannot take it. A pressure washer that works fine on robust exposed concrete can tear the surface of old render or strip paint straight off, which is why we always test on an inconspicuous area first. A second issue is regrowth: cleaning off the visible dirt without addressing the underlying cause, persistent damp or lack of sun, means the wall often turns green again within a short time. And then there is access. Facades above ground level without a safe standing area need a lift platform, and arranging that plus any municipal permit needs to happen well ahead of the job so the appointment does not fall through.

Season affects the outcome too. Growth on a facade is usually most visible in spring after winter, and the warmer months that follow give enough time for the surface to dry out fully. We clean less often in autumn, since cool damp weather encourages algae to re-establish and shortens how long the result lasts. During the work we also protect nearby elements, windows, blinds and flower beds, from splash-water and cleaning product so nothing around the facade gets affected.

Who this is for

Facade cleaning suits private owners of detached houses as much as jointly owned buildings and property managers overseeing several multi-unit blocks. Commercial buildings with a street-facing facade that represents the business also fit here, whenever the outward impression matters to the company behind it.

It is also common for someone preparing to sell a house to want the overall visual impression improved before the first viewings. A well-kept facade often carries more weight at a viewing than individual renovations inside, simply because it is the first thing anyone sees, before they even step through the door.

How the quote works

We start by looking at the facade on site, assess the surface and how soiled it is, and establish whether a lift platform or scaffolding is needed. For larger jobs we coordinate this directly with our partner firms so the appointment and the access equipment line up. From that we issue a fixed-price quote covering the area, the material and any lift platform required.

Area covered

We take on facade cleaning across canton Schwyz from our base in Siebnen, across the Zürcher Oberland from our second location in Hinwil, and across the Wil SG area from our third location in Wil, working alongside our partner firms for larger or multi-storey buildings. Individual sections, just the base of the wall or a single side of a building, can also be cleaned on their own where only one area shows a visible problem.