Anyone with a white house

[Inarecentsurvey]

Apart from putting on a fresh coat of paint, any ideas what I could use to clean the white exterior of my house. The walls are turning green (am surrounded by trees but think it's caused by rainwater splashing off gravel drive) and I'm thinking of getting a scrubbing brush out but not sure what to clean it with? Any tips gratefully received!

Would water and bleach work? There is also sugar soap which is used before painting to remove dirt but to be honest I've only heard of it being used inside.

Vinegar is what I use on fencing that is white. Kills moss!

how high up the walls is the green?

how old is the house?

Does water spill out of the gutters? (look during rain)

What county are you in?

The house is 110 years old, on Surrey/Hants border & it looks quite superficial (pale green & no higher than 6 ft) Gutters could be partly to blame but I'm getting someone to check them over once all the leaves have fallen from surrounding trees.

Power washer. DP cleaned the back of our house with one recently, and it made a huge difference.

Is it rendered because you have to be awfully careful about power washers on render.

We just plan to paint ours every few years.

Did do a tiny bit with power washer & it started to strip the paint off! Will probably use sugar soap as suggested or Jeyes Fluid. I'll report back!

You could spray it with Armatillox (sp?) which is used to kill moss on roofs. Use sparingly and do not use it on paths or lawns.

It will be caused by excessive damp, probably from bad gutters or downpipes. Removing bushes and creepers will help the walls to dry. Rainsplash is usually about nine inches up walls and render is supposed to stop at that height. A french drain of pebbles or cobbles (not gravel) round the house can help (also keeps the walls drier) as it does not hold water. Ensure any paving or flowerbeds beside the house are dug out to their original height, and slope away from the house so rain runs away, not towards, and does not puddle.

An old house will have lime mortar, and probably lime render (unless it has incorrectly been renewed in cement) which is soft and breathable and needs a breathable limewash or other coating rather than modern paint. You may need to consult old house conservation sources.

Thanks for that advice Piglet John, especially about using breathable lime wash when it is painted next year. Have cleared around that side of the house too which is probably why I can see the green tinge now more than before!