Roof Cleaning Retford offers a full roof cleaning service for residential and business properties in Retford and surrounding areas in Lincolnshire. Roof cleaning is a relatively quick improvement to make to the look of your property, by removing moss, dirt and more that has accumulated there.

As a roof ages and become more porous, they are gradually affected by moss and dirt. Keeping your roof clean and without moss and dirt can be challenging for most owners and becomes a major annoyance.

Wouldn’t it be great to have your roof looking like new again?

Why have it cleaned?

A really serious accumulation of dirt, moss on roof tiles and other natural growth may cause major issues with your roof and the durability of the tiles will over time be affected too. If you ignore your roof, you’ll find these plants will swiftly spread out of control with their roots finding their way into weaknesses in the tiles of the roof, steadily widening them over the course of time until cracks appear. Like all living organisms they need water to survive, and once it has rained, they’ll act like a sponge securing as much water as possible. Once it finds its way through the cracks into your roof it may well cause serious and expensive deterioration to the rafters and joists. Also you could well become aware of moss that has dislodged and rolled down the roof ending up in your gutter which can result in overflowing rainwater from your gutter which penetrates and damages your fascia’s. Really then, getting a roof cleaned is an important service for many reasons.

For many though cleaning their roof is purely an aesthetic choice and we don’t fault you for that! Roofs can become very unattractive because of organic growths like lichen and moss, and this is when a roof cleaning company is needed. Roofs are also periodically discoloured and stained by a frequent bacterium called gloeocapsa magma affecting the familiar appearance of your otherwise charming dwelling. Of course, this bacteria growth is not unusual nonetheless it isn’t nice to look at and gradually it can damage your roof. Comparing a clean roof and one that hasn’t been cleaned can be night and day. After months and years of seeing your roof get dirtier and dirtier wouldn’t it be great to see it looking as good as new once more?

The next question is, “Is this a simple DIY job that I should try to do myself?” Let’s consider some evidence to propose what the best possible solution is here.

Should I just do this alone?

The biggest reason why a lot of people haven’t attempted to clean their own roof is because it usually means working at a height where most of us wouldn’t feel comfortable or safe. At these kinds of heights any type of slip can result in a very serious wound.

Also, many would think having your roof cleaned involves pressure washing however it doesn’t have to and here are some reasons why preferably a roof shouldn’t be pressure washed. Jet washing may remove moss from the roof, but the intense jets of water may disturb the tiles and other roof fittings, risk flooding the loft space and there is a good chance that the moss will simply grow back!

Power washing additionally affects the longevity of the tiles which could mean more trouble further down the road with most tile manufacturing companies also warning people against this method of roof cleaning.
Pressure washing your roof is the least ideal option as this could dislodge or break frail tiles from the pressure of the power washer but can also ruin your roof when disturbing the tiles from walking on them.

Many rogue tradesmen who carry out this kind of work, reckon it’s easy money or that it doesn’t take a lot of skill. Is there any truth in that? A job like this requires a level of experience and skill that we can deliver. Using the correct roof access equipment, the right tools and our skill and understanding we can deliver a roof cleaning service that pleases you without you needing to put yourself in unnecessary danger.

Which is the best way to clean my roof?

It is best to have your roof cleaned by a specialised cleaning company. One of the most gentle yet most beneficial ways to remove roof moss and clean your roof is by employing the scraping approach. By using a 9″ scraper in dry conditions will efficiently flake off any moss on the roof and there won’t be any scratch marks on the tiles from doing so.

As previously stated – using this approach the tiles are not damaged and there is no flood risk, unlike other methods such as high-powered pressure washing.

Another effective method is to use chemicals. Utilising a fungicide/moss killer once the moss has been scraped off will absorb into the tile but most importantly into the overlaps of the tiles killing off any lichen, tiny moss spores and any other organic growth on the tiles. This step can take some time once the excess moss has initially been scraped away but again there is no damage to the surface of the tile and by adding an application of specific chemicals this will prevent the moss from returning for several years making this the most worthwhile method.

How is it done?

We will inspect your roof with care and attention before commencing any work, to determine the best cleaning method to use depending on your roof. Then we will consider what’s growing there and the best way to dislodge the growth. Next we can start to work on cleansing the roof of organic colonising growths by getting deep into the moss root system and killing the spores. You’ll notice an immediate improvement and continued change as time progresses.

Some things to consider.

We’ve already considered some other factors that can affect a roof cleaning service. So, consider just a few more.

• Size of dwelling and the size of the roof.
• The level of vegetation that is currently on the roof.
• Type of roof – e.g. in the case of a thatched roof, no water is used.
• How accessible is the roof?
• Height of the roof.

Keeping all of the above in mind, it is not worth risking serious injury to you or dis-repair to your house by attempting a DIY roof clean. Fill in the quote form or ring us for a quote, and leave it to us.