Just noticed your dirty cladding? Wondering if it’s time to book cladding cleaning? Not sure if it’s worth getting a professional clean?
Your cladding is an integral part of your property’s waterproofing and protection, whether your building is for customers or pure production. If you leave your cladding uncleaned or improperly maintained, you could face some serious damage and visible deterioration in the future.
Here are 5 signs that your cladding is overdue a spruce-up!
Black & Green Should Never Be Seen
This is true for the most part unless you have black or green coloured cladding, that is! If you notice odd tinges to your otherwise pristine cladding, you should take that as a loud and clear warning sign.
Dirty cladding is most obvious from the dirt – isn’t that a surprise?
Dirt and grit stick to your cladding and make it look grubby and unkempt. Depending on your surroundings and weather, your cladding could be fighting off regular rain showers (usually bringing with it small dirt particles that dry and stick to your exterior surfaces) as well as debris from closeby trees.
Dirty cladding reflects on your business, detracting from your usually clean and tidy appearance. This can be a big issue if you want to make a good impression on customers and staff.
Grit can also scratch and damage cladding, causing bigger problems down the line. This is more often seen in cities and urban areas where tiny shards of stone or compounded dirt can create a gradual, damaging build-up.
Discolouration Or Stains
Sadly with dirt and grit comes atmospheric pollution.
Pollution and grime can cause discolouration to your cladding. If you’ve ever noticed a dark greyish or even black coating on buildings close to roads, this is what’s building up on your cladding too.
Even if your property isn’t directly situated by a roadside, you will still get that residue that can give your dirty cladding a generally grimy look.
Believe it or not, pollen and desert sand (Saharan dust) can do the same as it clings to the cladding. With frequent news reports of high pollen counts and Saharan winds crossing into the UK, this is becoming a common cause of cladding deterioration.
If this kind of dirt is left untreated, it can affect the coating, which means you may well end up having to recoat your cladding rather than just clean it.
Your Cladding Is A Mini Zoo
This isn’t as fun as it might sound as, when critters are left unchecked, your cladding pays the price.
If you start to see biological growth on dirty cladding, such as moss, algae or lichen, you can bet that it’s also teeming with bugs. This might include woodlice, ants, flies, wasps, aphids and many other tiny insects you don’t want finding their way through to your building.
But before even worrying about bugs making their way inside, you have other problems to deal with. Problems you might already be noticing. If your cladding is home to a world of bugs, this can attract birds looking for a tasty snack.
With an increase in birds comes an increase in bird mess. If birds are nesting or snacking around your property, you’ll see the evidence directly on your cladding and surrounding surfaces or vehicles.
It may seem more annoying than worrying, but it’s best to have it cleaned off pronto to avoid a build-up. A layer of bird mess and insect residue can affect your cladding structure, adding weight and damaging the protective coating over time.
Dull & Faded
When your cladding is new, it has a lovely sheen and lustre to it. You can tell when a building has been freshly clad because of that neat and clean look. Over time, though, the coating can be affected by the elements and become milky or dull.
Unless cleaned, this can become permanent.
Unfortunately, most types of cladding are susceptible to this, especially if yours is older or hasn’t been recoated following damage. Metal cladding loses its shine, composite cladding appears duller, and wood cladding can look washed out.
But you can avoid that visual nightmare by keeping on top of your dirty cladding and instead getting a clean when needed.
Dreaded Water Stains
What is your dirty cladding’s worst enemy? Rain!
Cladding is designed to protect your building from the elements and provide an external barrier from bugs, wildlife, weather and damage. Properly installed cladding should do this job brilliantly, but it still needs a little help when it comes to rain.
Rain can leave white marks on your cladding. You may have noticed after heavy rain; your window has milky white marks where water droplets have slid down the surface and left a trail. That’s lime, silica and calcium from the hard water of the rain.
This same buildup can also affect your cladding and make it look unsightly.
It can feel rough to the touch if left uncleaned and can even change the overall colour or finish of your cladding. Luckily, a professional cladding clean will eliminate the problem altogether.
Benefits Of Cladding Cleaning
Now you know why dirty cladding needs the help of an occasional clean, but what else does cladding cleaning offer?
Last longer
Help your cladding to remain durable and longer-lasting by removing the common causes of damage before they do the damage!
Looks better
No one wants dirty cladding, and water stains, mould, moss and bird mess are easy to remove with a professional clean.
Reflects your business
If your cladding looks scruffy, so does your business. Clean cladding is more inviting and provides a more positive first impression to visitors.
Healthier
Some pollutants and mould are bad to breathe in. So if you have customers or visitors coming to your building, choose safety first and book that clean.
Is Your Cladding Showing Signs Of Dirt & Grime?
Cladding cleaning isn’t just about having clean cladding, although that’s definitely the main aim.
A regular cleaning schedule means you prolong its lifespan and enhance your company profile.
Want to know how we can help? Get in touch for a quote.
