Pressure Washing in Sintra

About our service in Sintra

Lichen is the difficulty in Sintra, because it does not come off the way dirt does. It bonds to the stone and grows into the surface, so the temptation is to raise the pressure until something happens, which is exactly how granite gets scarred and lime joints get emptied. Instead, pressure is matched to the substrate and the growth is dealt with chemically and patiently instead: a biocidal pre-treatment, dwell time, then a moderate wash, then a second pass if needed. We always test out of sight first, on the back of a wall or a step nobody uses, and set nozzle and distance from that. On old mortar we work with the joint rather than into it. Access and water are the practical issues on serra properties. Long drives, gradients, steps and gates mean equipment has to be carried or repositioned, and many quintas have a single outside tap a long way from where the work is. We settle water and power at the survey, including whether a private supply is involved, and plan how much water the job needs, because a dry summer can bring municipal restrictions on use that apply here as much as in the city. Run-off also needs directing on a slope: gullies and channels are cleared and covered, moss and grit are raked up and removed rather than flushed down towards the property below, and we work downhill in stages so the residue can be collected. We explain the limits before we quote. In this microclimate, growth returns. A path under trees will be green again in a season or two, so what makes sense is a clean followed by a treatment, and then a repeat at an interval you choose, rather than a promise that it is dealt with for good. Lichen shadows on granite, old oil in a courtyard, rust runs below ironwork and staining under a leaking gutter often remain visible, and some stains will not come out. Old roof coverings, which in this damp collect moss quickly, are inspected first and frequently should not be washed at pressure at all. In the historic area it is worth checking any change of appearance with the câmara before work begins.

What we are usually asked for in Sintra:

Services Included

• Granite and rubble walls treated for lichen, then washed at low pressure
• Driveways, cobbled entrances and gravel-edged paths cleared of moss
• Stone steps and terraces cleaned where growth has made them slippery
• Quinta yards, outbuildings and retaining walls washed in stages
• Gates, railings and stone gateposts cleaned with the ironwork protected

Areas We Serve

We travel across Sintra, from the vila and Estefânia to São Pedro de Penaferrim, Portela de Sintra, Colares and Monte Santos, Monday to Saturday from 9am to 8pm, closed on Sunday.

Work Gallery