Roof cleaning across the North East

A roof covered in moss and organic growth stops behaving like a roof. Moss holds rainwater against the tile instead of letting it run off, it works its way into the laps between tiles, and every time it is dislodged by wind or frost it ends up in the guttering, where it starts the next blockage.

We clean roofs in more than one way because roofs are not all the same. Depending on the tile and the amount of growth, the work may be a moss scrape followed by a soft wash, a low pressure wash, or a hot steam clean. Once the roof is clean, a treatment is applied that is intended to slow moss regrowth.

Aside from the condition of the tiles, a cleaned roof changes how the whole property reads from the street. It is one of the few jobs that visibly lifts a house and adds to the kerb appeal every property should have.

Roof soft washing applies a dilute cleaning solution at low pressure, lets it work on algae, lichen and the black staining that streaks concrete tiles, and then rinses it away. It suits most modern concrete interlocking tiles and many clay tiles, because the cleaning is done by the solution rather than by force. Slate and older, weathered tiles are assessed carefully, as some surfaces are better left with a gentler steam clean.

Tile roof cleaning starts with identifying what the roof is made of. Concrete tiles are porous and hold growth in their texture, clay tends to grow lichen on the exposed edges, and slate mostly picks up surface algae. We are trained in biocide use, so treatments are applied with the plants, ponds and drains around the house in mind.

Flat roof cleaning is a different job from a pitched roof. Felt, rubber and fibreglass coverings hold water in shallow puddles, and moss and algae grow where it sits. These coverings must not be scraped hard or blasted, so a low pressure clean is the usual approach. Garage roofs and single-storey extensions can often be done on the same visit as the main roof. Tell us what the covering is when you ask for a quote.

It depends on why you want it done. If the roof is sound but green, a clean changes how the whole house looks and stops moss feeding the gutters. If tiles are cracked, slipped or porous, cleaning will not fix them and a roofer should look first. Our guide is roof cleaning worth it goes through the decision, and how long roof cleaning lasts looks at what affects regrowth.

Where the main problem is thick moss, our roof moss removal page covers that job in detail. Glass and polycarbonate roofs are handled by conservatory roof cleaning. For the towns we serve as local roof cleaners, see the roof cleaning areas list, and for what drives the price, the roof cleaning cost guide. Offices, units and shops are covered by commercial roof cleaning. We are fully insured.