Moss Off the Roof,and Out of the Gutters.
Moss lifts off the tiles and washes straight into the guttering, which is why a green roof and a blocked gutter almost always arrive together.
Roof Cleaning in South West London, Surrey and West Sussex.
Moss grows on the north-facing slopes first, where the tiles stay damp longest. It holds water against the surface of the tile, it lifts the laps where two tiles overlap, and in a hard frost the water it holds expands and works on the tile surface.
The bigger day-to-day problem is what happens when it comes off. Moss washes down the slope into the gutter, packs down around the outlet and blocks it. That is why we clear the gutters and downpipes as part of the job rather than leaving you with a clean roof and a blocked gutter.
One thing worth knowing: high pressure strips the surface off concrete tiles and drives water up under the laps, which is how a clean roof turns into a leaking one. Tile manufacturers advise against it. Ask us how we intend to clean your roof before anyone starts, and ask anyone else the same question.
Ask whoever cleans your roof how they intend to do it. The answer matters.
Why Some Roofs Grow Moss Faster.
Aspect, shade and the tile itself decide it. Three questions say what to expect for yours.
A roof facing north or west, which stays damp longer, shaded for part of the day, and concrete tiles, which hold moss readily: that is a roof that will green up, and worth clearing before it reaches the gutters. We would look at it and say how we intend to clean it before anyone starts.
Moss is likely to keep coming back.
Cleaning stops moss for a while, not for good. What we can say is how long it is likely to stay clear for your roof.
How to Tell You Need It Looked At.
Green or Black Growth on the Slope
Usually worst on the north-facing side where the tiles stay damp.
Gutters Blocking Every Year
The moss is coming off the roof and going straight into them.
Moss in the Gutters or on the Ground
It is already shedding. It will keep going.
Tiles Look Darker Than They Used To
Growth holding moisture against the surface.
What the Work Involves.
Moss and Lichen Removed
Cleared off the tiles, with the debris taken off the roof rather than left in the gutter.
Gutters Cleared Afterwards
Because that is where the moss ends up. Doing one without the other is half a job.
Downpipes Flushed
Checked through to the drain, since that is where the debris travels to.
Tiles Checked While We Are Up There
Cracked, slipped and delaminating tiles are easy to spot once the moss is off.
Debris Taken Away
Off the roof, out of the gutters and off your property.
Honest Advice on Treatments
We will tell you what a treatment can and cannot do rather than selling you one as a permanent answer.
Roofs Before We Clean Them.
The Questions We Get Asked About Roof Cleaning.
It holds moisture against the tile surface and lifts the laps where tiles overlap, which lets water track where it should not. The more immediate problem is that it washes into the gutters and blocks them, and blocked gutters cause damp walls.
High pressure strips the surface off concrete tiles and drives water up under the laps, which is how a clean roof turns into a leaking one, and tile manufacturers advise against it. Ask whoever is doing the work how they intend to clean your roof before they start.
Yes, eventually. It is growing because of the conditions on that slope, and cleaning it does not change the aspect or the shade. Anyone promising it will never return is overselling. What cleaning does is stop the current growth blocking your gutters.
Yes. Moss comes off the roof and goes into the gutter, so cleaning the roof without clearing the gutters afterwards just moves the problem downhill.
It makes a visible difference to how the property looks from the road, and it means a surveyor can see the condition of the tiles. Whether that is worth it to you is your call.
There are treatments, and they have their place, but they work slowly and they do not remove what is already in your gutters. We will be straight with you about what a treatment will and will not do.
Four Steps From Your Call, to the Job Done.
You Call or Send the Form
Tell us your town and what you have noticed. A photo from the ground helps more than you would think.
We Come and Look
At the actual thing, where it is safe to get to it. You hear what has failed and what it takes to put right, in plain words.
You Get a Written Price
For the work we have described, with time to think about it. If there is a word on it you do not recognise, ask and we will explain it.
We Do the Work and Clear Up
Agreed dates before we start, and everything off the drive when we finish.
Roof Cleaning Across Fourteen Towns.
South West London, Surrey and West Sussex. There is a local number for each area, plus a mobile. If you are just outside, ask anyway.
Other Things We Get Called Out For.
Tell Us About the Roof Cleaning, and We'll Come and Look.
Your name, a number, roughly where you are and what you have noticed. That is all we need.