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Roof management

7/27/2015

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Roofs. They come in all sorts of materials and finishes but they all have one thing in common: they all need to be looked after if you want them to last.
This picture above is a great example of what can happen when you turn your back on a roof. Now just to be clear, this is no judgement on the owners - this was up really high and they had no idea what gifts the birds had bestowed upon their roof. In amongst all that there were four cabbage trees, two pohutakawas and enough grass to cover your average putting green. And yes, the trees did get replanted! 
As a broad stroke rule of thumb, if you have a porous or gritty roof (concrete, clay, decro-mastic), you'll have moss. If you have a smooth roof (iron, steel tiles, glazed), you'll have lichen. They'll all accrue algae and mould and given long enough, they'll get grass too.
So what to do about it? The problem can generally be tackled one of two ways. The first option and generally speaking, the best course of action, is a roof treatment. Treatments are gentle and they don't cost too much to achieve. You don't see an instant result with a treatment but rest assured, the growth will die and wash away with rain. Depending on how thick the accrual is, you may be waiting three to four months to really get traction.
The second option is to pressure clean. Pressure cleaning achieves an instant clean, however it costs considerably more to achieve based on the labour element and it should really only be considered if you're proposing to paint the roof afterwards. The reason for the caveat is that pressure and roofs are not a match made in heaven and they should really only meet when needs absolutely dictate they must.
GreenAgenda is big on roofs and on roof treatments in particular. If you're having your house washed, seriously consider having the roof treated at the same time. There are great efficiencies to be had while on-site; having a roof treatment at the same time as the housewash will save plenty when compared to doing it in isolation.
We're advanced height safety trained, we understand roofs and wherever possible, we'll treat your roof without having to set foot on it. 
Look after your roof and it'll keep you, your house and your family dry for decades.
Cheers, Craig
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Villas and Bungalows

7/15/2015

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Villas and bungalows are an absolute artform in every respect. They took a lot of time and effort to build when they were new and they take a great deal of time, effort and cost to restore now that they're all old. Throw in the complication of historic listing in some instances and you have a challenging home to care for.
I've washed hundreds of bungalows and villas over the years and if there's any one thing I've learned in the process, it's that they take a great deal of care in their handling. Filigree, exposed beams under rolled edge verandahs, guillotine sash windows that always leak and more often than not, precious gardens with flowers, topiary or both! The very last thing you want is rough handling of your timber and paint from the 'blasters or scorching of your gardens from the chemical gang.
An immutable reality of washing an old house well and gently is that it takes time. If the quote looks cheap, that's because the operator intends to be in and out quickly. Nobody can be blamed for accepting the cheapest quote - it's intuitive to save money where you can but if you're the owner of an old home that you've either restored, or are in the process of restoring, please be wary of who you contract for the job. I've seen 120 year old kauri filigree that's been blown apart by 2,600psi waterblasters and I've seen magnificent buxus topiary destroyed by caustic soda solution. This will NOT happen on my watch!
Villas and bungalows - proud remnants of our heritage and well worthy of time, care and respect. They are most definitely a GreenAgenda specialty.
Cheers, Craig 

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Driveways!

7/14/2015

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Driveways. If you want to make your place look a million bucks without spending anywhere near that much, try cleaning up your driveway. Honestly, the impression created by a cleaned up driveway is absolutely fantastic.
I talk to people all the time who have long since given up hope of getting their driveway looking the way they'd like it to look. They've tried every over-the-counter solution available at the hardware store and some have even had a crack with a waterblaster. Most have ended up with a patchy looking finish through no fault of their own (such is the nature of hardware store solutions and applicators) or a tiger-striped finish courtesy of a questionable waterblaster.
The bottom line is this: paved and masonry surfaces aren't easy to get right. They take practise and expertise because no two are ever the same and they're very, very easy to damage if you're not careful. Surfaces age in different ways, just as they accrue growth in different ways. They need to be carefully appraised and then handled appropriately. 
If your driveway, parking bays, garden paths, courtyards, pool enclosures - any paved or masonary surface needs attention, give us a call and we'll come and let you know what can be done. This picture above gives a really good idea of how well an aged driveway can be cleaned up. The cobbles were completely drowning in thick, black algae but because the cobbles weren't new, they were going to be susceptible to damage from pressure. The last thing I wanted to have happen was for the patina to be damaged as that would result in a rough surface for the algae to re-accrue upon. Solution? A mild treatment to soften up the growth, a really low pressure clean followed by a preventative treatment to slow the return. It was a great finish.
Oh - one more thing: this was a pre-sale house groom. Outcome? One manicured home sold before it made it to auction. I've lost track of the number of times that's happened!
Driveways - an often overlooked surface that GreenAgenda can make into a feature to be proud of. Give us a call!
Cheers, Craig
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    Craig Brown

    Green Agenda is directed by Craig Brown. Craig shares news and industry updates on this blog.

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