The eastern suburbs cop it from both sides. The northerly comes across the harbour, the southerly comes straight off Cook Strait, and either way it carries salt. Houses near Lyall Bay get fine sand blown into the window tracks and decks as well.
Kilbirnie and Rongotai are mostly flat, with bungalows, state houses and a growing number of townhouses. Miramar is a mix of 1920s and 30s bungalows, some art deco, and houses climbing up the hills towards Strathmore and Seatoun. Busy roads like Cobham Drive and Kilbirnie Crescent add a layer of grey road grime on top of the salt.
What we usually find here
Salt film on the windward walls. You can feel it on the glass and the joinery. Salt holds moisture against paint and aluminium and wears them out faster. A house wash lifts it along with any mould, then everything gets a clean rinse.
Sand and grit in the tracks. Near the beach, window and door tracks fill with sand. We clean the frames, sills and tracks as part of the wash.
Rust spots on iron roofs. Salt sitting on an iron roof speeds up rust, especially on the parts the rain doesn't reach. A roof wash gets it off. If there's moss or lichen as well, roof treatment deals with that.
Gutters on the hill streets. Up the slopes around Miramar and Strathmore, the wind dumps leaves and grit in the gutters even when there's no tree next to the house.
Townhouses and flats
Newer two- and three-storey townhouses in Kilbirnie usually have plaster, fibre cement or metal cladding. These need a gentle soft wash, not a water blaster, so the coating isn't damaged. For a block or a body corporate, see commercial building washing.
Nearby
We work right across Wellington city, out to Karori and over to Petone.
Call or text 027 303 8398 for a free quote.
Miramar & Kilbirnie questions
How often should a house near Lyall Bay be washed?
At least once a year. Homes that face the sea or the southerly may need it more often, because the salt builds up faster.
Can salt really damage my house?
Over time, yes. It dulls paint, eats at aluminium joinery and speeds up rust on iron. Rinsing it off regularly is cheap insurance compared with replacing those things.
Do you wash townhouses and units?
Yes. Tell us how many storeys and what it's clad in, and we'll give you a quote.