Ballsbridge fronts, from the hall door down
A typical Ballsbridge period house is built over a basement. A flight of granite steps climbs to the hall door, cast-iron railings guard the drop to the basement area below, and a tiled path runs from the gate. Each of those surfaces needs a different approach, so a good wash here is never one setting on the machine from start to finish.
You'll find these houses from the roads off Pembroke Road to the avenues around Herbert Park, alongside later red-brick terraces and houses whose front gardens have become block-paved parking. We look at what each surface is made of first, then choose:
- Hot water at moderate pressure for granite steps and kerbs
- Low pressure and a wide spray for Victorian tiles and painted railings
- A full hot-water wash for block paving and concrete
- A soft wash for painted or rendered walls
Many of the larger houses are now divided into flats or used as offices, so the steps and path are shared. In that case we deal with whoever looks after the building, whether that's a management company, a landlord or one of the owners, and wash in sections so residents can still get in and out.
Granite steps up to the hall door
Granite is hard-wearing, but steps that have carried over a century of feet show it: dark patches where everyone treads, green algae on the shaded side, and rust streaks where an old railing or boot scraper meets the stone. Cement patch repairs from years ago often show up as a different shade once the step around them is clean.
Hot water lifts most of the grime and the green, and brings back the grey speckle of the stone. Rust marks usually lighten without vanishing completely. Our stone cleaning page goes into granite, brick and older stonework in more detail.
Victorian tiled paths
The tiled path from the gate to the steps is one of the best features of a Ballsbridge front, and one of the easiest to ruin. Many are geometric patterns in red, black and cream, and the colour is often still there under a dull grey film.
We wash tiled paths at low pressure with a wide spray, working along the pattern, not across the edges of the tiles. Grout and the edging along the flowerbeds get the same gentle treatment. Cleaning can't re-fix loose tiles or replace broken ones, so we flag any we see for a tiler. If part of the path was relaid or patched with newer tiles, mention it, because replacements sometimes clean up a slightly different shade from the originals.
Railings and basement areas
Cast-iron railings collect green growth at the base and grime along the top rail. A low-pressure wash takes that off without stripping sound paint. Where paint is already flaking or rust is breaking through, we keep the lance well back and point it out, because a painter is the right person for that.
The basement area at the bottom of the steps down is often the dampest, shadiest corner of the house. Moss and algae grow fast on the steps and paving down there, leaves gather, and the gully drain blocks. We lift the leaves off the gully grate before we wash, so the water has somewhere to go, then sweep up the moss and grit afterwards.
spotless.ieBlock-paved drives, patios and rooflines
Where front gardens have been turned into parking, herringbone block paving is common. It responds well to hot water, which lifts the moss, tyre marks and oil film. Some joint sand comes out with the moss, so we'll tell you afterwards whether the drive needs re-sanding. Our driveway cleaning page explains more, and patio cleaning covers the walled gardens out the back.
The mature trees around Herbert Park and along the avenues also fill gutters every autumn and keep roofs damp and mossy. We can clear the gutters and take moss off the slates or tiles with roof cleaning on the same visit. Taller period houses take more planning, so send a photo showing the full height.
Want a price for your Ballsbridge home? Send photos of the steps, path, railings or drive on WhatsApp, with a note about parking. We'll reply with a fixed price, usually the same day.
Match days, parking and getting in
Ballsbridge has two things most Dublin suburbs don't: the Aviva Stadium on Lansdowne Road and the RDS. On big event days, roads close and parking gets very tight, so if there's a match or a show on the date you have in mind, mention it and we'll book a quieter day.
Most streets have pay-and-display or permit parking, and the van needs to be reasonably close to the house. A visitor permit, a space on the drive or a loading spot nearby all work. If the only way to the back garden or the basement is through the house, tell us so we can plan the route.
If you're in Sandymount, Irishtown or Ringsend, see power washing in Sandymount and Dublin 4. We also clean carpets in Ballsbridge and handle property clear-outs in Ballsbridge, and every other surface we wash is on our power washing page.
