This is a common question upon completion of a job. And the answer is, it depends.
Unfortunately you can’t eliminate dirt and mould once and forever. There are a lot of factors that contribute to your home or office getting dirty but there are solutions to preventing it from coming back so fast. You’re probably familiar with the expression an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So lets look at few common issues that can accelerate mould and dirt growth around the home and how you can reduce them.
Overhanging trees
This is biggest issue we see. Huge trees with dense foliage hanging over a house or concrete area. They drop leaves which contain sap and tannins. Add some moisture and then you have a stain on the concrete which is sometimes very difficult to remove without the help of chemicals. Some trees like palms are notorious for leaving a deep purple stain on the gutters and rooves of houses. Luckily it can be pressure cleaned and removed.
Lack of sunlight
Large trees also limit sunlight which is needed to keep areas dry and free of moisture. If possible can you trim some foliage away from the house or driveway or patio so that these areas are able to stay sunny and dry?
Gardens and lawns
In some cases garden beds and grassed areas are adjacent to paths and concrete areas. If the garden bed is higher than the concrete, when it rains the run off flows on to the concrete. This can cause dirt and eventually mould to accumulate. So the solution here is to keep the gardens and lawns lower than the concrete or add some edging to keep the dirt and tannins from mulch in there place.
Poor drainage
This might be harder one to solve but if you have any blocked drains or areas with a bad fall or poor drainage this can really speed up mould growth. Simply put, the water can’t get away and so it pools. When it finally dries up it often leaves some residue. once this process repeats a few times you’ve got a dirty situation to clean up. Try to keep drain free or leaves and debris.
There's a few ideas to keep the dirt and grime away. The important thing is keep up regular maintenance. Don’t wait until its overwhelmingly dirty. This only makes it harder to clean off, and in some worst cases leaves permanent stains. When people ask us how often should I get it done, we say aim for 12 months. If it's starting to come back call us while its in its early stages.
