Walk the streets of Dover Heights and two kinds of house stand out. Mid-century homes in face brick, often with tiled roofs, steel or timber windows and modest glazing. And modern rebuilds, with render or cladding, flat or metal roofs, and walls of glass facing the ocean.
Both live in the same salt and wind. They age in very different ways.
Mid-century face brick
Face brick is one of the most forgiving materials on an exposed coast. It does not need painting, it sheds water, and it tolerates salt better than most finishes.
Its weak points: mortar joints eroded by wind and salt, efflorescence where moisture moves through the wall, rust staining from steel lintels above windows, and black growth on south faces. Clean with low pressure and a biocide, never acid, which attacks mortar. More: efflorescence on brick.
Tiled roofs on these houses are often original concrete or terracotta. Concrete tiles lose their surface coating with age; pressure washing strips what is left. Soft wash, and check ridge capping. More: soft washing versus pressure on roof tiles.
Modern rebuilds
Render, acrylic texture coats, fibre cement cladding and large-format glass look sharp new and need more maintenance to stay that way on a clifftop.
Render and texture coats: streak below sills, grow algae on shaded faces, and chalk on sunny ones. Soft wash only; pressure damages acrylic coatings. More: render, acrylic render and texture coat.
Cladding: fibre cement, timber and composite each have manufacturer cleaning requirements. Timber cladding greys and grows mould. More: timber cladding.
Glass: far more of it, on the most exposed elevation. Salt film needs regular attention. More: salt on glass and aluminium.
Metal roofs: Colorbond and Zincalume need rinsing in coastal areas where rain does not reach (under eaves, overlaps). Manufacturer warranties in marine environments often depend on it. More: Zincalume versus Colorbond.
Which needs more care
The modern rebuild, usually. More glass, softer coatings and more metal, all on the exposed side. The mid-century brick house is lower maintenance but has older roofs, gutters and joinery that need inspection.
Washing before painting
If a rendered house is due for repainting, washing comes first: paint does not bond to salt, chalk or growth. More: washing before painting.
Renovating a mid-century house
Many Dover Heights mid-century homes are being extended rather than replaced: a new upper level in render or cladding on top of an original brick ground floor. The result is two maintenance regimes on one house. The brick base needs gentle cleaning and its mortar watching; the new upper storey needs soft washing, glass care and attention to flashings where new meets old.
The junction between old and new is where problems start: flashings, sealants and the line where render meets brick. Look there first after heavy weather.
See the Dover Heights maintenance calendar and our house washing service.
