Cedar shake washing, brightening and sealing in Harvey Cedars

What owners tend to describe

• A finish applied a few seasons ago that is now flaking and holding dirt
• One elevation weathered years ahead of the other three
• Green growth in the shadow line under each course on the bay-facing wall

Why this comes up in Harvey Cedars

The island is so narrow through the borough that a house can take ocean salt on one elevation and bayside damp on the other, and both are working on it at the same time. The bay-facing walls grow algae faster than almost anywhere on the island because the air off the meadow is humid and the afternoon shade is deep. That is the context any crew working in Harvey Cedars is dealing with.

Heavily rebuilt after 2012, so a high proportion of the stock is modern, elevated and tall — three usable levels above a ground-floor entry is common. Cedar shake, painted fibre cement and PVC trim dominate, with a good deal of glass facing both water.

Getting the work done in Harvey Cedars

There is very little room between houses here, and much of the bay side is reached through the property rather than around it. Boom and ladder work is the norm on the newer stock simply because of how tall it is.

Any permit for this runs through Harvey Cedars. State registration has to be current before one is issued.

How it is normally done

Cedar is the island's signature and it is also the least forgiving material out here. The wash has to be gentle enough not to raise the grain and thorough enough to take out the growth living inside it, usually followed by a brightener that resets the colour after cleaning. Whether it then gets sealed is a real decision, not a default: a bare shake wall silvers evenly and asks nothing of you, and a sealed one looks better for three to five years and then has to be done again. A crew that will not talk you through both is selling you the second one.