Salt and lichen lifted gently off heritage sandstone at low pressure, with the stone left open to breathe and its honey colour back.
Booking a one-off? A couple of cleans a year adds up. The Schmick Plan folds the whole exterior into one monthly price and keeps it handled, so you never think about it again.
See the PlanThe Schmick Guarantee. If any part of a job doesn’t meet the Schmick Standard, tell us and we come back and put it right. No charge, no argument.
Sydney sandstone weathers in a particular way: salt spray off the harbour, black lichen on the exposed faces, a green film wherever the shade sits. After a decade of it, a honey-coloured wall can look closer to charcoal.
We take it off softly. Low pressure, the right treatment for the block in front of us, then the salt and lichen lifted and the stone left to breathe. No blasting, no scarring, no shortcut that a heritage wall never forgives.
This is sandstone cleaning across Mosman, Vaucluse, Double Bay and the Lower North Shore, done the way old stone asks for. Every block is different, so we quote on inspection. Where a surface needs true restoration, we flag it in the condition report and hand you to a specialist partner. We do not wing heritage.
Every block gets read before it gets touched. Here is the finish it is done to, surface by surface.
Soft washed at low pressure. Black lichen and salt lifted, the natural honey colour back, no blast scarring.
Treated at the root and drawn out over days, not scrubbed off the top. It does not grow straight back.
The white efflorescence eased off the face and the stone left open to breathe, never sealed shut over damp.
Worked gently around, old lime pointing left intact. Loose or failing joints flagged in the condition report, not force washed.
Trafficked sandstone cleaned back to grip and colour, edges and nosings done by hand where the machine cannot reach.
Copings, balusters and any carved faces cleaned by hand at close range so the crisp lines stay crisp.
A breathable seal only, applied once the stone is fully dry. It sheds salt and water and still lets the block breathe.
Job-close photos against the checklist. Anything past maintenance is named, marked, and referred to a specialist partner.
We come and read the stone before we quote. Age, exposure, lichen depth, the state of the pointing. Every block is different, so the number is honest to yours.
The same operator returns to your street. Low pressure gear, the treatment matched to your sandstone, everything below the wall protected before a drop of water moves.
Salt and lichen are lifted at low pressure and the carved detail is done by hand, so the face comes back without a mark on it.
The stone is left to breathe and dry clean. The condition report is shot against the Standard, and anything needing true restoration is flagged with a specialist partner named.
“Couldn’t fault them”
Had the windows and the driveway done. Turned up right on 8, finished before lunch, and the driveway honestly looks brand new. Same guy came back for the gutters last month and remembered our dog’s name. Couldn’t fault them.
“Should’ve done it years ago”
They sent me photos of what came out of our gutters. Revolting. Glad it’s gone. Lovely guys too.
“Came out after the storm”
We’re on their monthly plan. After that big blow in June they were out two days later and sorted everything without us having to chase. Worth it for that alone.
“Honest, which is rare”
Our sandstone wall had gone black and I’d assumed it was ruined. It’s come up beautifully. There was one damp patch he said needed a stone specialist rather than pretending he could fix it, which I appreciated. On time, tidy, very fair on price.
“Neighbours all asked who did it”
Windows are unreal. Two of the neighbours came over to ask who did them before the van had even left the street. Booking was easy and they text you when they’re on the way.
“10/10”
Got the whole outside done before we hosted Christmas. Mum asked if we’d had the place repainted. Showed up when they said, price was exactly what they quoted.
Sandstone is quoted on inspection because every block weathers differently. The depth of the lichen, the age of the stone and the length of wall or paving all move the price, so we look first and then give you one firm number.
In the salt and sun of the Eastern Suburbs and the harbour side, every one to two years keeps it easy. Once the grey and lichen are off, a light pass is quick. Leave it a decade and it becomes a much bigger job.
Yes, and it is the only method we will use on old stone. Low pressure and root-level lichen treatment mean the face never scars and the old lime pointing stays intact, which is what heritage guidance on sandstone care calls for.
That is exactly what soft washing is for. The lichen is drawn out over days instead of scrubbed off the top, and the salt bloom is eased off the face. The stone is left open to breathe, never sealed shut over damp.
Most homes are a morning. The treatment then keeps working over the following days as the lichen lifts and the stone dries out clean. We give you the after in the condition report before we leave.
We can, on request, and only with a breathable seal once the stone is fully dry. It sheds salt and water while still letting the block breathe. On the Care tier of the Schmick Plan at $179 a month, we keep an eye on it so it never slips back.
Same crew, same standard, across every corner we serve. Find your suburb: