What this site is
We're a small group with a long-running interest in how the outside of buildings gets cleaned — and how it gets ruined. We write the articles here ourselves, drawing on what we've seen across Manchester and the towns around it.
The aim is simple: explain the subject clearly enough that you understand what's happening to your walls, drive or roof before anyone touches them.
What we cover
Most of our writing is tied to a specific place and a specific surface, because that's how the questions arrive. A few examples:
- brickwork and paving in central Manchester
- gritstone and render on Bolton homes
- green roofs and paths in Oldham
- stone-built streets in Rochdale
- block paving and patios in Sale
- canal-side walls around Eccles and Patricroft
The pattern repeats elsewhere — Salford, Stockport, Bury, Whitefield, Tameside, Wigan, Altrincham. Same principles, different stone.
How we write it
Plainly, and with an eye on the surface first. The method that's right for a flagged forecourt is wrong for soft period brick, and most of the damage we read about comes from ignoring that. Where there's a sensible way and a risky way, we say which is which.
Who it's for and how to reach us
About Manchester
You can read more about Manchester and the surrounding area on Wikipedia.