Karori sits in its own valley over the hill from town, and it's a damp one. Fog hangs around, the drizzle comes in sideways, and a lot of sections back onto bush or the Zealandia fence. Plenty of houses on the south-facing slopes barely see the sun from May to August.
The houses are mostly timber. You get 1920s and 30s bungalows near Marsden Village and the main road, a lot of post-war weatherboard and state-built homes further out, and newer places tucked up the side streets. Painted weatherboards and a damp valley are exactly where mould and lichen do best.
What we usually find in Karori
Green walls on the shady side. The side of the house facing the hill or the bush goes green first, then black spots show up under the eaves. A soft wash kills it at the root, so it doesn't just grow straight back. We use low pressure on old paint, never a blaster.
Moss and lichen on the roof. Concrete tile and older iron roofs under trees pick up moss fast here. Depending on how bad it is, we either wash the roof or treat it and let the weather do the rest.
Gutters full of leaves. Bush-backed sections drop leaves and twigs all year, and the spouting fills with sludge that overflows down the walls. A gutter clean sorts the overflow and the black streaks that come with it.
Slippery paths and steps. A lot of Karori homes sit above or below the road with concrete steps in between. They get slimy in winter. A water blast gets the grip back.
Doing it in one visit
If the roof is green and the gutters are blocked, it's worth doing them with the house wash. Roof first, then gutters, then the walls, so nothing drips muck onto a clean house.
Nearby
We also cover Johnsonville and Khandallah and Ngaio. See all our Wellington services.
Call or text 027 303 8398 for a free quote.
Karori questions
How often should a Karori house be washed?
Once a year suits most homes here. Houses in heavy shade or right against the bush often need it a bit sooner, because the walls stay damp.
Can you wash an old bungalow without damaging the paint?
Yes. We soft wash with low pressure and a solution that does the cleaning, so the paint isn't blasted. If there's paint already flaking off, we'll show you before we start.
My section has a lot of steps. Is that a problem?
No, we work on plenty of houses like that. Steep access can add time to the job, so we'll factor it into the quote and tell you up front.