Services/Building services

External building cleaning in West London

Brickwork, render, stone, paving and gutters brought back — without blasting the face off a Victorian facade.

Daystypically
Soft washon historic masonry
Blocksand communal areas
Gutterscleared and checked

Listed, vetted and reviewed on

Ogival Ltd, registered in England & Wales no. 15191703 · Public liability insured · NICEIC registered electrical work · Gas Safe registered plumbing and heating

Pressure washing a Victorian facade at full power removes the dirt and a couple of millimetres of the brick with it. Historic masonry needs the gentlest method that works, which is usually soft washing and patience rather than pressure.

What we clean, and how

Brick and stone. Soft washing with the correct biocide rather than high pressure, which damages the face and drives water into the wall.
Render and painted masonry. Cleaned rather than repainted where it can be — far cheaper, and it shows up any cracks that need attention.
Paving, steps and bin stores. The parts of a block everyone sees and nobody owns.

External cleaning by Ogival in West London

Facades, paving and communal areas brought back

What's included in an exterior cleaning job

Our cleaning team handle the whole of it, so there's no second company to chase and no gap between trades for something to fall through.

Soft washing to brick and stone
Render and masonry cleaning
Algae and biofilm treatment
Patio, path and driveway cleaning
Steps and thresholds
Gutter clearing and checking
Downpipe flushing
Communal entrance cleaning
Bin store cleaning
Window and frame cleaning
Post-works builders' cleans
Before and after photographs

Send a photo of the elevation

One from across the street and one close up. We can see the substrate and tell you which method it needs.

WhatsApp a photo Free site visit and written quote · No obligation

At a glance

ServiceExternal cleaning
GroupBuilding services
TypicallyDays typically
CoveringWest London
BasedLondon W10

Why Ogival

25 years in London construction
Thirty-one trades under one contractor
Drawings and calculations in-house
A written schedule of works and payments
NICEIC and Gas Safe registered

How we work

Options

What we clean

Brick and stone facades

Soft washed rather than blasted, so the fired face of the brick survives.

Render and painted masonry

Cleaned rather than repainted where it can be, which is far cheaper.

Paving, steps and paths

Patios, thresholds and communal entrances.

Gutters and rainwater goods

Cleared and checked while the access is already up.

Quickest way to get an answer

Send a photo of the elevation.

One from across the street and one close up. We can see the substrate and tell you which method it needs.

No form, no callback queue, no salesman. Emanuel looks at it himself and tells you what he sees — including the times the answer is that you don't need us.

WhatsApp a photo Call 07428 135100

OOgivalonline

Front of the house is green and filthy. Can you jet wash it?

We can clean it, but I wouldn't jet wash it at pressure — that's Victorian brick and it erodes the fired face.

Soft wash with the right treatment takes a bit longer and doesn't damage the wall.

Worth doing the gutters at the same time while the access is up. That's usually where the green is coming from.

Message

A typical exchange. Usually answered the same day.

How it runs

How an exterior cleaning job runs, stage by stage

Four stages, and you'll always know which one you're in.

01
Survey the substrate
We look at the substrate and its condition. Some facades should not be washed at all until the pointing is repaired.
02
Protect the surroundings
Planting, windows and neighbouring surfaces covered before anything starts.
03
Clean the elevation
The gentlest effective method, worked in sections, with the run-off managed.
04
Check gutters and downpipes
Gutters and downpipes checked while we are up there, and anything found reported with photographs.

Facades, paving and communal areas brought back

Recent projects

Buildings we've cleaned

Facades, courtyards and communal entrances, including listed brickwork in Hammersmith.

The Grampians, W6Read the case study →

Providence Villas, W12Read the case study →

All our case studies

Permissions

Access, water and listed facades

Cleaning a building sounds unregulated until you are at height, discharging water into a drain, or working on a listed facade — all three of which have rules.

Rules change and every property is different. We confirm what applies to yours in writing at the survey rather than leaving you to guess.

Work at height requires suitable access equipment and method
Run-off containing biocide must not discharge to a watercourse
Listed buildings may need consent for cleaning methods on historic fabric
Scaffold on a highway needs a licence from the council
Communal work needs the freeholder or managing agent's agreement

Budget

How much does an exterior cleaning cost in London?

We don't publish prices, because a number without a survey is a guess and you'd be right not to trust it. These are the things that actually move it.

Area and how heavily soiled it is

Access and whether scaffold or a tower is needed

Substrate — historic brick takes longer than modern render

Height and number of storeys

Whether gutters and downpipes are included

Frequency, if it is a maintenance contract

How long does an exterior cleaning job take?

Days typically on site for a typical job in West London, though the drawings, permissions and party wall process before it can add longer. We give you a written programme with the quote so you can see both.

A site visit and a written quote cost nothing, and the quote comes with a written schedule of works so you can see what every stage is for.

WhatsApp a photo

Before you appoint anyone

Four questions to ask before you hire anyone for exterior cleaning work

Ask them of us as well. The answers tell you more than the number at the bottom of the page — and a contractor who can't answer them quickly is telling you something too.

Ask us right now

01
Ask what pressure and what method they use on historic brick
02
Ask how planting and windows are protected
03
Ask whether gutters are checked while access is up
04
Ask for before and after photographs

What clients say

Word of mouth, written down.

Left by Ogival customers on MyBuilder and TrustATrader

I have used this company for years for many different jobs including painting my whole house, tiling my bathroom, laying flooring, astroturfing my garden and putting up fences. Very knowledgeable, professional and polite. If you want a company that care, I'd stick with Ogival.

★★★★★Repeat client, MyBuilder

Ogival has a friendly and professional team. Our new bathroom looks great and we're very happy with the choice of products used and the quality of their work.
★★★★★New bathroom, MyBuilder

Great communication, polite workers and excellent tidying up afterwards. Definitely recommend.
★★★★★Painting and maintenance, MyBuilder

They were professional, polite, easy to get hold of and easy to deal with. They did a great deal of work for me including building an internal wall, moving a bathroom, carpentry, electrics and plumbing, they re-rendered my balcony, relaid the decking and repainted the whole flat.
★★★★★Full flat refurbishment

I have used this company for years for many different jobs including painting my whole house, tiling my bathroom, laying flooring, astroturfing my garden and putting up fences. Very knowledgeable, professional and polite. If you want a company that care, I'd stick with Ogival.
★★★★★Repeat client, MyBuilder

Ogival has a friendly and professional team. Our new bathroom looks great and we're very happy with the choice of products used and the quality of their work.
★★★★★New bathroom, MyBuilder

Great communication, polite workers and excellent tidying up afterwards. Definitely recommend.
★★★★★Painting and maintenance, MyBuilder

They were professional, polite, easy to get hold of and easy to deal with. They did a great deal of work for me including building an internal wall, moving a bathroom, carpentry, electrics and plumbing, they re-rendered my balcony, relaid the decking and repainted the whole flat.
★★★★★Full flat refurbishment

He replaced eroded bricks and once the wall was dry replastered ready to decorate. Work was delayed because he uncovered wet rot in the ceiling joists. He fixed the cause of those leaks. Throughout this saga Ogival has been professional, reliable, extremely thorough and honest.
★★★★★Exterior leak repairs, MyBuilder

I found them really helpful and honest. They went out of their way to help. They also finished on time and left the place spotless.
★★★★★Renovation, TrustATrader

I decided to go with them as I liked their ideas and Emanuel knew what he was talking about. He made floor to ceiling units, redecorated my room and laid laminate flooring. I have no hesitation in recommending them.
★★★★★Bespoke joinery, TrustATrader

Good finishing.
★★★★★Mohammed D., MyBuilder

He replaced eroded bricks and once the wall was dry replastered ready to decorate. Work was delayed because he uncovered wet rot in the ceiling joists. He fixed the cause of those leaks. Throughout this saga Ogival has been professional, reliable, extremely thorough and honest.
★★★★★Exterior leak repairs, MyBuilder

I found them really helpful and honest. They went out of their way to help. They also finished on time and left the place spotless.
★★★★★Renovation, TrustATrader

I decided to go with them as I liked their ideas and Emanuel knew what he was talking about. He made floor to ceiling units, redecorated my room and laid laminate flooring. I have no hesitation in recommending them.
★★★★★Bespoke joinery, TrustATrader

Good finishing.
★★★★★Mohammed D., MyBuilder

Read them in full on MyBuilder, TrustATrader and Houzz.

Where we work

External cleaning across West London.

External cleaning across West London, including communal entrances, courtyards and facades on listed mansion blocks in Hammersmith.

Ogival, W10 5DW
Everyday patch, within 10 miles
Regular work, 10 to 20 miles
By arrangement, out to 30 miles

Where we do this most

Outside this? Ask anyway. We'll tell you honestly whether we're the right firm for the journey.

Questions we get asked

The things people ring up about.

The questions that come up on the phone most often, answered the way we'd answer them on site.

Will pressure washing damage my brickwork?

At high pressure on soft Victorian brick, yes — it erodes the fired face and the wall then holds water. That is why we soft wash historic masonry.

Can you clean a whole block?

Yes. We do communal cleaning and maintenance programmes for mansion blocks and managing agents, worked around residents.

Do you clear gutters at the same time?

Almost always worth it while access is up, and it is the single most common cause of damp we find.

How often should it be done?

North-facing and shaded elevations green up within a couple of years. South-facing masonry often goes much longer.

The rest of what we do

External cleaning, and thirty other things we do

Most jobs pull in more than one of these. Having them all under the same roof is what stops a project stalling for three weeks waiting on somebody else's diary.

Interiors & finishingPainting & decorating

Building servicesDrainage & rainwater

Building servicesRoofing

Building servicesDamp proofing

Building servicesWaterproofing & tanking

Building servicesPlumbing & heating

Building servicesElectrical

Building servicesGardens & landscaping

See all thirty-one services

Start here

Tell us what you're planning.

A site visit and a written quote cost nothing. If the job isn't right for us, we'll say so and point you somewhere better.

Free, no-obligation site visit and written quote
You deal with Emanuel, not a sales rep
A written schedule of works and payments before anything starts
Covering Kensington, Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham

07428 135100 info@ogival.co.uk

WhatsApp a photo See the case studies