Render Cleaning in Swansea- removing red algae on the Welsh Government Buildings

Render Cleaning Swansea- Cleaning and treating red algae on Welsh Government Buildings

The Job

Llys y Draig are buildings in Penllergaer, Swansea, in South Wales. They are owned and run by the Welsh Government with the help of outsourced facilities managers. They house the nation’s fisheries department. The estate offers a pleasing work environment, with a moat containing fish, and surrounding gardens with much plant life. As such the area is also enjoyed by wildlife. The gardens and moat surrounding the offices mean that the building is subject to a lot of humidity, in an area with above UK average precipitation. The humidity surrounding the building led to a large build-up of diverse biofilm that grew across the buildings’ surfaces. There was a substantial build-up of single cell green algae, and red algae, and also the more tenacious black mould, Aspergillus Niger. This had the effect of seriously impacting on the aesthetics of the building.

What We Did

The Welsh Government, and their department of fisheries, are keen on sustainability, and embed sustainability as much as possible into all their work. The building managers were aware that it was necessary to treat the biofilm and clean the building. Protecting plant life and water courses while doing so was a specialised task that required skill and sensitivity. However, after direct consultation with Softwashing UK the building managers stipulated that the best course of action was to clean the building as opposed to repainting the building.

The results

Softwashing UK were able to clean and treat Llys Y Draig on time and budget. The building was cleaned with steam, then Safewash applied. The work took place over the weekend to cause minimum disruption to the workplace. The photos speak for themselves and all parties were delighted with our results.