Commercial Exterior Cleaning in Salford

What Salford premises are up against

Salford runs from the glass and steel at the Quays and MediaCity through to the older industrial estates at Agecroft, Eccles and Irlam, and the cleaning problems change as you move between them. What they share is traffic film off the M60, M602 and the East Lancs, and the damp that comes with sitting in the Irwell corridor.

At the Quays the buildings are tall, glazed and exposed to wind off the water, which means salt-free but relentless grime on glass and a lot of gull and pigeon activity on ledges and roof edges. Inland, the older units carry more moss and algae on cladding and render, particularly where blocks shade one another.

Either way, rain does not clean a building. It moves the dirt around and leaves tide marks down the panel joints, which is the streaky look most people recognise but do not know the cause of.

Cladding, render and glazed elevations

Coated cladding and render are soft washed: biocide, dwell time, low pressure rinse. The coating stays intact and the growth dies at the root, so you get eighteen months to two years rather than a few months.

Glazed elevations and curtain walling are cleaned with purified water so there is nothing left on the glass to dry into spots, and the frames and cappings get done at the same time. Where height rules out poles we will say so rather than quoting a job we cannot reach properly.

Car parks, walkways and public areas

The Quays has a lot of public realm: walkways, steps, bridges and frontages where footfall is constant and a slip is somebody making a claim. Algae on paving near water is a year-round problem, not a winter one.

We clean with rotary surface cleaners for an even finish, treat afterwards to slow regrowth, and clear drains and channels as part of the work. On the industrial estates at Agecroft and Irlam it is more about oil, tyre marks and moss in the shaded bays, which is the same equipment and a different plan.

Gutters, outlets and flat roofs

Industrial units around Eccles, Irlam and Agecroft have long box gutters that collect silt and moss, and the flat roofs at the Quays have outlets that block with wind-blown debris and bird nesting material. Both put water inside the building when they fail, and both are cheap to maintain compared with the repair.

Ground-based vacuum clearing with camera footage before and after is standard on our commercial work. Annual for most sites, twice where birds or trees are a factor. See gutter cleaning.

Glazing, shop fronts and signage

Retail and hospitality frontages around the Quays, Eccles and Swinton run fortnightly or monthly. Office glazing is usually monthly. Industrial frontages twice a year.

Where gulls and pigeons are active, the frequency has to go up or the mess etches into the frames and the signage. It is far cheaper to wash it off regularly than to deal with what is left after a summer of it baking on.

Commercial solar arrays

Roof arrays across Salford lose output to city soiling and bird mess more than to moss. A single badly shaded panel drags the string down, so a clean is worth more than people expect on a large array.

Purified water, soft brushes, no chemicals, no pressure and nobody on the glass. See solar panel cleaning.

Access, tenants and getting it done quietly

Mixed-use buildings mean residents above offices and restaurants below, so timing matters. We plan around that: early mornings for frontages, nights where water and noise would be a problem, and coordination with building management for access and permits.

Risk assessments, method statements and insurance documents are issued before we start. For managing agents we will attend tenant meetings or send the paperwork straight to the building manager if that is easier.

What it costs and how we plan it

Access drives the price in Salford more than the square metreage does. A ground floor retail unit at Eccles and a six storey glazed frontage at the Quays might be similar in area and nothing alike in cost.

We survey, quote a fixed price with the scope written down, and most clients then move to a plan that spreads glazing, gutters, solar and external areas across the year. Multi-building portfolios are priced as one contract.