As people have said, destroy it.
I've inherited an ivy-covered house and I am pulling it all down to replace with trellis and climbing roses. They're more work in terms of training them, but they're better looking and don't destroy the mortar or the paintwork on windows.
+1. An up-side is it can hold very damaged walls together. To be fair though, the downsides rule 90 something % of the time.
Blocking the sun makes walls in winter colder, not warmer.
NT
I regard it as an easy way for all kinds of insects and other crawly creatures, like burglars, to gain access. I hack and destroy the stuff before it gets much of a hold. Cut the main stalk(s) at the bottom and let the growth die off. It will then pull off the wall much more easily. If it's been there for ages, it will take some doing though; be prepared for a repaint/repair/touchup job once it's gone.
It puzzles me when people pull it off. Cut the stem near the ground and forget it. It'll do the rest itself, slowly.
NT
Slowly - often very, Very, VERY slowly. Hidden under a clematis*, I recently found a load of almost fossilised ivy that I killed about 15 years ago. It was still valiantly adhering to the wall, and took quite a bit of shifting.
*Clematis is another thing that invades roofs, lofts and TV aerials.
That's unusual though, usually its defoliated soon enough and all gone after a few years
NT
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