As the only native climbing plant, ivy develops impressive growth potential. With its adhesive roots it claws at the wall of the house and will not let go voluntarily. Since the robust aralia plant lignifies over the decades, it sometimes develops into a heavyweight. At the same time, the stable adhesive elements penetrate every crack in the wall. Sooner or later, removing ivy from the facade turns out to be indispensable. It’s definitely not a walk in the park, but it’s not impossible either. With a good dose of perseverance and the following tips, you will destroy the roots. Find out all the details here.
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weaken ivy
Once the decision has been made to remove ivy from the wall of the house, the plant turns from a versatile ornamental plant to a hardened enemy. Cutting off the vines from supplies is therefore a smart strategic move. Ivy does not act as a parasite. As a result, the clinging roots do not absorb any nutrients and are dependent on the supply from the roots in the soil. Before you start destroying the roots on the facade, target the underground root system.
- Saw through all connections to the soil roots
- Over the next 3-4 weeks, the tendrils will weaken
It takes some time for the nutrient stores in the shoots to run out. The waiting time can be put to good use by completely digging up the extensive root system.
Remove ivy from plastered facade
If you are faced with the task of removing ivy from a plastered and painted house wall, you have a much better hand than with other construction methods. The classic method works with a lot of pressure and plenty of water. The destruction of the ivy roots using dry ice is more modern.
Material and tool list:
- High-pressure cleaner with dirt blaster
- ladder
- weed scraper
- Telescopic style
- gloves and respirator
The work begins with the fact that all ivy tendrils are torn off the facade. Now the previous weakening of the plant by separating from the ground root is noticeable. In most cases, not all areas of the house wall can be reached via the ladder. In this case, clamp the weed scraper onto the telescopic handle and quickly scrape off the shoots. Then spray off all the rest of the clinging roots with the sharp water jet of the high-pressure cleaner. It is unavoidable that loose plaster is also removed in the process. You will not be able to avoid new plastering and painting of the house.
Due to the exorbitant water consumption with this method, the high-pressure cleaner is only an option if you have your own well.
Materials and tools list for the modern approach:
- Dry ice blasting system with accessories
- ladder or work platform
- Weed scraper on telescopic handle
- Drahtbürste
- Certified protective clothing with respiratory protection
Dry ice blasting systems can be rented in well-stocked specialty stores. On average, the rent costs around 100 euros per day. It is advisable to carry out the rough removal of ivy from the house wall on another day so that the machine can be used as effectively as possible. Destroying the roots is more convenient if you do it on a work platform than on a ladder. The physically strenuous part of tearing off or scraping off the ivy shoots has already been completed. The dry ice is sprayed directly onto the remains of the adhesive roots via a narrow pipe. The wire brush then cleans the miserable rest off the wall. The extent to which new plastering is then required depends on the condition of the facade.
Removing ivy from a slate wall
The roots that stick to a slate wall can be destroyed a little less easily. The comparatively smooth surface of the natural stone makes it easier to remove ivy.
Material and tool list
- scraper
- triangular grinder
- 120 or 180 grit sandpaper
- ladder or work platform
- protective clothing, breathing mask
After the preparatory work has been completed, first scrape off the remains of the adhesive roots as far as possible. The triangular sander does the finishing touches. If you finally want to give the slabs a new shine with a cleaning agent, never use a commercially available cleaning agent with acid components, as this will damage the stony material. An alkaline-based preparation is suitable.
Cleaning a wooden wall from ivy
It could hardly be more picturesque when lush green ivy decorates a wooden wall. Anyone who decides with a heavy heart to remove the ivy from a wooden house wall will not get far enough with the aforementioned working techniques. Due to the natural wood pores, the roots are deeply anchored in the material and must be destroyed just as deeply.
Material and tool list
- weed killer
- pressure sprayer
- ladder or work platform
- weed scraper, wire brush
- High-quality protective clothing with respiratory protection
You first pull off all tendrils from the wooden wall that you can get hold of by hand. Especially thick, lignified shoots are easier to remove if they are cut into sections with pruning shears or a saw. Now scrape any root fragments from the wood surface. This allows the weed killer to penetrate deeper into the pores. As a result, it takes a few days for the remains of the ivy root to turn brown and dry before it can be removed with a wire brush. Experience has shown that the wooden wall must then be varnished again.
Various organic weed killers are available in specialist shops, which are definitely preferable to a chemical club. These include products such as Finalsan AF UnkrautFrei Plus or COMPO Bio weed killer Herbistop AF.
Challenge: clinker house wall
Experience has shown that ivy does a great job on a clinker house wall. The clinging roots find an excellent hold on this coarse material, while at the same time they use every little gap in the joints to cling there as well. That’s no reason to throw in the towel right away, because with a lot of patience you can completely remove ivy even from a brick facade.
Depending on the age of the plant, you can remove the roots of the ivy with a high-pressure cleaner and dirt blaster just as safely as you would on a plastered house wall. If ivy has had time to take root in the stones for decades, go one step further. In facade cleaning, sand has proven itself as an abrasive for many years. A compressor generates a strong jet of air that takes the sand from a container and sprays it onto the wall of the house at high speed. The adhesive roots of ivy rarely have anything to oppose this. Suitable devices for private use can be rented for a price of 80 to 90 euros per day.
Material and tool list
- Sandblaster with abrasive
- telescopic work platform
- Full protective clothing
As with the other procedures described, the ivy growth should first be weakened and then roughly removed. After you have carefully studied the operating instructions for the sandblasting device and put on the protective clothing, the work can begin. Although it is time-consuming, it is not physically demanding. The only disadvantage is that parts of loose joints can come loose and have to be renewed in a later work step.
Alternatively, it is now possible to add another blasting agent to the dry ice process, the dry ice pellets. These are crushed nut shells, glass beads or some other natural material. It is said that in this way the same cleaning success is achieved as with sandblasting. There have been no field reports so far, given the topicality of this invention.
Flaming work on facades
Thermal devices have proven their worth in the biological control of weeds on sealed or paved paths. From the flame burner to the infrared heater, hobby gardeners can get rid of annoying and stubborn weeds. It is therefore reasonable to assume that this method should also be used to remove ivy from the facade. Since you are entering truly fire-dangerous terrain here, you are urgently warned against attempting it on your own. Dramatic accidents have already occurred, including the complete destruction of the property. If you see no other way than to destroy the roots by flaming them, contact a specialist company.
Keep self-climbers at a distance with climbing aids
It’s really not child’s play to remove ivy from the house wall. However, that is by no means a reason to do without the lively, natural facade greening with this undemanding self-climbing system. Already during the planting you can effectively prevent later problems if you take the following measures:
Allow ivy to climb the rope system
Cable systems made of stainless steel are available for every facade, from clinker to half-timbered. They are fastened with eyebolts and cable clamps. Cable tensioners are only required for larger wall surfaces. A wide variety of kits are available in specialist shops, from the light kit with a wall distance of 5 cm to the heavy kit with a distance of 7 cm from the wall to the massive kit that keeps ivy up to 9 cm away from the facade.
grid systems
If the taut ropes don’t appeal to you, ivy lets you climb up a decorative grid system. A simple and inexpensive version are bar gratings made of stainless steel or glass fiber reinforced plastic. Metal grid mats are a touch more robust. For example, if you would like to green a noise protection wall with ivy, this solution on hot-dip galvanized steel is definitely an option. Wall trellises are an interesting way of keeping ivy growth in check. They keep the adhesive roots away from the house wall and at the same time offer a representative appearance.
wooden trellis
The classic wooden trellis is still up to date. Anyone who prefers a natural material as a climbing aid for ivy is well advised to use a wooden trellis. There are hardly any limits to creativity here. Detailed planning is important in view of the old age and the weight that ivy can reach. From historical to ultra-modern design, wood offers many possibilities. Above all, you hardly have any problems if the facade greening has to be removed.
Conclusion
A facade overgrown with ivy looks extremely picturesque and decorative. If the green wall decoration has to be removed for any reason, the task will be expensive or very time consuming. Luckily, there are several methods to choose from that will sooner or later lead to success. If you are dealing with a slate wall, the cheapest way to get away with it is to use a grinder and spatula. On a plastered and painted house wall, you pull yourself out of trouble with the help of a high-pressure cleaner. Optionally, a dry ice blasting system destroys the roots. With a bit of luck, ivy can be removed from a wooden facade using a weed killer and wire brush. If you are confronted with a clinker house wall, master the challenge with a sandblasting device or a wire brush and a lot of time.