The Challenge

The location and design of The Shrubbery made this a particularly challenging exterior cleaning project.

One elevation sits directly alongside the main road through Axminster, making conventional access to the high-level gutters, parapets and render impossible.

Multiple roof and gutter levels, together with tight alleyways and restricted areas around the property, added to the complexity. A carefully planned combination of specialist access equipment and traffic management was therefore required to reach every area safely.

Traffic Management & Specialist Access

To safely reach the roadside elevation, traffic-management measures and a lane closure were arranged, allowing our specialist cherry picker to operate from the road.

This created a controlled working area for our operatives while maintaining safe access for pedestrians and passing traffic.

With the specialist access equipment in place, our team could reach previously inaccessible gutters, parapets and rendered elevations. The remaining sections were accessed carefully around the different levels and restricted areas of the building.

The operation was successfully coordinated with minimal disruption to traffic through Axminste

Once access had been established, our team carried out a complete clearance of the gutters, valleys, parapets and downpipes.

Significant amounts of vegetation, nesting material and accumulated debris were discovered throughout the drainage system. Four deceased seagulls were also removed from the parapet areas, where debris was obstructing drainage points and downpipes.

These substantial blockages were restricting the movement of rainwater and were considered a major contributing factor to water leakage problems at the property.

All debris was removed and the downpipes thoroughly cleared, leaving the gutter and parapet system clean, clear and free-flowing.

During the works, our operatives also discovered a loose scaffold plank that had been left on the roof. With the correct access equipment already in place, this was safely retrieved and removed before it could become a potential hazard.

Render Softwash Cleaning

Alongside the drainage works, the rendered exterior of the apartment block received a full specialist softwash clean.

The elevations had accumulated considerable algae, organic growth, environmental staining and discolouration, including noticeable mould and mildew-type growth around a number of the windows.

Our specialist softwash process was used to safely break down and remove the contamination without relying on aggressive high-pressure cleaning.

Following the clean, a professional biocide treatment was applied to target remaining biological spores, helping to inhibit regrowth and maintain the cleaner finish for longer.