Roof Cleaning: What to Expect From Quote to Finish

The quote and survey

Roofs vary too much for a sensible price over the phone without knowing the house. The size, pitch, number of storeys, tile type, depth of moss and access all matter. We quote for free, and a look at the roof is what makes that quote accurate.

This is also the time to ask questions. Which method will be used and why? Are the gutters included? Is a treatment included or an option? Is the company insured? A good roof cleaner answers all of these plainly.

Choosing the method for your roof

There is no single right way to clean every roof. Thick moss is scraped off first. After that the surface is soft washed, low pressure washed or cleaned with hot steam, chosen to suit the tile and its condition. We never use high pressure on a roof, because it can erode tiles, strip their surface and drive water underneath.

Older clay tiles and slate get the gentlest treatment. Sturdy concrete tiles can take a little more. The aim is always a clean roof with the tiles left in the same condition they started in.

On the day

Expect some noise and some falling debris, which is cleared up. Move cars away from the walls, bring in washing and keep pets indoors while work is under way. You do not need to be home as long as the team can get round the house, but many customers like to be there at the start to talk through anything they have noticed.

If the weather turns wet or windy, the job may be paused and finished another day. That protects the roof and the quality of the treatment, and it is a sign of a careful company rather than an unreliable one.

Gutters and treatment

Moss scraped from a roof lands in the gutters, so they are cleared out at the end of the job. A biocide treatment then goes on to kill the spores that cleaning leaves behind. It is intended to prevent the moss returning for up to three years.

The treatment keeps working after the team has gone, and fine growth that was too small to scrape loosens and washes away with the rain over the following weeks.

After the visit

Keeping gutters clear, cutting back overhanging branches and watching the north facing side of the roof all help the result last. Shaded, damp roofs will always grow moss again eventually, but a treated roof stays clean far longer than one that was only scraped.