How to Remove Ivy From a Wall

Ivy on your home's walls may add a distinctive look and some serious curb appeal, but that comes at a price. It also provides refuge for all kinds of insects which will inevitably find a way into your home. The vegetation can also trap water against the exterior surface of the structure, weakening siding and masonry over time. If you've finally had it with the ivy crawling up your walls and you're ready to remove it, save yourself further headaches by taking it down with this method.

Things You'll Need

• Extension ladder
• Garden clippers
• Push broom
• Large plastic tub
• Water
• Laundry detergent

Instructions

1. Use garden clippers to cut the ivy that can be reached from the ground. Start by focusing on one section at a time, cutting the vines at easy-to-reach places. When you cut a vine, pull on it gently. If it pulls away without resistance, throw it into a pile. If you feel resistance, don't pull harder; just clip as much of the vine off as you can reach and move on.

2. Continue moving around the house, cutting off the low hanging ivy in the same fashion, until only the well-anchored parts of the plant remain. Do not attempt to remove those sections at this stage.

3. Lean the extension ladder against the house, taking care to make it set firmly on stable, flat ground. Climb the ladder and continue clipping away the ivy in the same manner described in Step 1.

4. Move and adjust the ladder as needed until you have cut away all of the ivy on the structure, with the exception of the sections that just won't let go of the walls.

5. Wait at least one week, monitoring the ivy closely. It should start showing signs of drying and decay within the first 2 days. You should plan to finish the job between 1 and 2 weeks after cutting away the bulk of the ivy, because that is when the most settled sections of the plant will be at their weakest.

6. Mix a solution of about 2 gallons of water and about 1 cup of laundry detergent in a large plastic tub. Take a large, clean push broom with a long handle and dunk the brush end into the solution.

7. Use the brush end of the broom to scrub the walls, starting with the sections that can be reached from the ground. The moisture and scrubbing action will be enough to completely remove the weaker dying sections. Some pieces may still hold strong to the building, but if you cover them in the soapy solution, they'll finish dying at an accelerated rate.

8. Set up the extension ladder again. Climb, move and adjust the ladder as necessary, taking the push broom with you, until you have reached and scrubbed all of the formerly ivy-covered areas. Once the entire structure has been treated in this way, the ivy problem should be taken care of once and for all.

Tips & Warnings

• Ivy tends to spread fast and far, so most of these removal jobs are fairly extensive. It will move much faster if you have at least one person helping you, but a team of three or more is ideal.

• Extreme caution should always be used when climbing ladders. Follow all of the manufacturer's safety guidelines that came with your ladder.

• If you use a dirty push broom to scrub your building, you'll scrub dingy water right into your exterior siding or masonry. Start with a clean broom.