Jump past the menu
North Shore Exterior

Exterior cleaning in East Auckland

East Auckland is largely a suburb of one era. Howick, Pakuranga and Bucklands Beach grew through the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Botany Downs followed from the mid-1970s, and much of it sits close to the Tāmaki River, its creeks or the beaches of the Tāmaki Strait. We’re North Shore based but quote here regularly, and the same two themes come up every time: salt and age.

Which East Auckland homes pick up the most salt?

The ones near the water, and there’s a lot of water. Howick lies between the Tāmaki River and the Tāmaki Strait, Bucklands Beach sits on a peninsula between the two, and Pakuranga is built on low ridges between Pakuranga Creek and the Tāmaki River, both estuarine arms of the Gulf. In NZS 3604 terms, anything closer than half a kilometre to the coast, or a hundred metres to a tidal estuary, sits in the top salt-exposure band.

Homes inside those bands collect salt on the surfaces rain doesn’t rinse: soffits, the tops of windows, the undersides of decks and the sheltered side of the house. A regular house wash and window clean keep it from building up on paint, glass and aluminium.

What should owners of 1960s and 70s East Auckland homes know?

That the paint and roof deserve care. Pakuranga was built up heavily in the 1960s, its town centre opening in 1965, and Howick’s main suburban growth came in the 1960s and 70s. On a house that age, WorkSafe’s advice is to assume lead in the paint, and anything built before 2000 may well have asbestos in its roof, soffits or cladding.

So walls get a low-pressure soft wash that leaves sound paint alone, and roofs from that era are cleaned at low pressure or treated with a spray, never water blasted. Our roof cleaning page explains the difference between roof types, including decramastic tiles, which WorkSafe specifically warns can contain asbestos.

Do newer Botany homes need anything different?

Mostly a gentler touch on newer claddings. Botany Downs was farmland as late as 1959 and became housing from the mid-1970s, and the wider Botany area has kept growing since, so you’ll find plaster, sheet cladding and big areas of aluminium joinery alongside older weatherboard homes. Plaster and coated claddings get a soft wash, because a high-pressure jet can mark them or force water in at the joints.

The climate is a little wetter than central Auckland: NIWA’s normal annual rainfall for Pakuranga is about 1,212 mm, against roughly 1,137 mm in the central city, with July the wettest month. That’s enough for green growth on shaded walls and slippery paths, which water blasting clears from concrete and pavers.

Jobs we quote in East Auckland

Questions from East Auckland

Which East Auckland suburbs do you cover?

We quote across East Auckland, including Howick, Pakuranga, Half Moon Bay, Bucklands Beach, Cockle Bay, Botany, Dannemora and Flat Bush. Most of our work is on the North Shore, so tell us your suburb when you ask for a quote and we’ll confirm the booking times available on your side of the city.

How often should a Bucklands Beach or Howick house be washed?

Once a year suits most homes, with a second wash for houses right on the water. Salt and grime build up fastest on sheltered surfaces such as soffits and under decks, so it’s worth making sure a wash reaches those areas rather than just rinsing the open walls.

Nearby suburbs

Ask for a quote

Pop in the job and your suburb. We'll ring you back to talk it over and give you a price.