Roof Cleaning in Oxfordshire

How To Clean Concrete Roof Tiles

Dirt, moss and algae usually sees concrete roof tiles as the perfect place to reside. They can damage the structural bonds of your roof, they can lead to overheating of the attic and roof space as well as blocked gutters. In order to protect the structural integrity of your roof and ensure your home and properties are well protected against the elements, it’s therefore crucial to clean your roof regularly. There are plethora of ways to go about this but which method will best suit your concrete roof tile?

When it comes to working at heights, skill and confidence is paramount even if the actually cleaning and maintenance happens to be an easy task. As a result, if you lack the two attributes mentioned, we’d strongly recommend that you call in a professional roof cleaning contractor who can guarantee the best results for help. In this article, we aim to give you a good insight into the concrete roof tiles cleaning process. Let’s have a look!

✓ Use a trowel or stiff brush

This is a manual method which involves scraping off the algae, moss and dirt by hand using an effective tool like a trowel. However, before you do this make sure its a very dry day. Also, you can make use of a stiff brush to scrape off the dirt. Both cleaning tools are very easy and effective means to clean concrete roof tiles.

✓ Use chemicals

You can apply fungicide, moss killers and anti moss treatments with the help of a spray to kill any plant life on your concrete roof tiles. However, you should only do this after you’ve successfully scraped the surface with a trowel or a stiff brush.

How Much Does It Cost To Have Roof Cleaned?

If your roof is dirty, it’s highly recommended that you have it cleaned by a reliable and professional roof cleaning contractor who specializes in cleaning of all types of roofs rather than making it a DIY project or hiring an odd job man who is a jack of all trades. This is due to fact that major mistakes like incorporating inappropriate cleaning agents, pressure as well as wrong cleaning techniques can have a serious negative impact on your home while also putting in mind the several dangers that comes with working at height. However, when hiring a professional roof cleaning person or company, do make sure that the cleaner is fully insured, possesses the relevant training working at height and has the ability to operate access machinery. In other words, when it comes to roof cleaning where safety is the first priority, it shouldn’t always be about the price of the job but the quality of the service you’re going to receive.

There are several variables that determines the cost of cleaning a roof and these includes both the type of the roof in question as well as the size of the house. Let’s take a look!

✓ For a small semi detached or terraced house with a standard front and rear elevation with no side hips, the average cost of cleaning the roof usually starts from £390 and above.

✓ For a semi detached or detached house which is a free standing residential building, the average cost of cleaning the roof usually starts from £490 and above.

✓ For a averaged sized detached house which is a stand alone property, the average cost of cleaning the roof usually starts from £590 and above.

✓ For a large detached house featuring several additional roofs including a porch, double garage and even an extension, the average cost of cleaning the roof usually starts from £790 and above.

How To Clean A Roof?

If you’re planning to clean your roof, but don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place! There are different types of roofs available in the market today and the method used in cleaning one can be largely different from the other. As a result, we’re only going to look at one of the common types of roofs you’ll find in the UK - the Asphalt shingle roof tiles. This roof type is very common and for a good reason. Not only are they visually appealing but they’re also hugely versatile by design which enables them to be adaptable to varying shapes, angles as well as forms depending on your preference or needs. With all the benefits that can be derived from asphalt shingle, they however, need to be properly maintained to help retain their good looks.

To clean your asphalt shingles, you’ll most likely require some type of chemicals especially when dealing with algae stains and some other visual problems. Therefore, make sure you purchase a product marked safe to be used on this type of roof and not those only proven to remove moss and algae stains. Mix the chemical cleaner with a gallon of water and a quart of bleach or as instructed by the manufacturer. Pour the mixture inside a pump-style garden sprayer and mix thoroughly. When done, climb up on the roof and spray as good as you can. Upon completion of spraying the roof with the mixture, then allow to work its magic for some time - about 15 minutes or thereabout should be good.

After that, you can make use of a garden hose to spray down the roof and wash down the mixture entirely. If some stains remain, use a brush to gently wipe the tiles individually.

How To Clean A Fibreglass Roof?

If you have a dirty fibreglass roof or perhaps you’re just planning to have one installed on a newly constructed house, then you’d probably want to know the best way to have your fibreglass roof cleaned.

Generally, fibreglass roofs are of great quality and happens to be a lot more resistant to moisture, heat, water and even fire when compared to the other alternative flat roofing materials. As a result, they require just a little maintenance but this doesn’t mean they should be totally ignored. Truth be told, cleaning of a fibreglass roof is as easy as it get, however, when it comes to working at height, skill and confidence is paramount to guarantee your safety. If you lack any of these two qualities, then it’s highly recommended that you sought the services of a reliable roof cleaning contractor who can do the work safely and perfectly. If you’re able to clean and maintain your fibreglass roof as you should, you wouldn’t have to think about replacement for about 20 to 30 years.

Cleaning is simple and doesn’t take much time. Now let’s take a look at the process.

✓ Preparation. Hose down the vegetation around the area with water to protect them. Once done, mix a gallon of warm water with one quarter cup trisodium phosphate and 1 quart of bleach. Put this mixture into a garden sprayer and sweep any dirt or debris off the roof with a broom.

✓ Application. Spray the mixture over the fibreglass roof, ensuring that it gets to all the necessary corners where dirt may be hidden. Allow this applied solution to sit for up to 15 minutes to loosen the stubborn stains and dirts on the roof.

✓ Finishing. Spray cold water to wash down all the solutions. If there’s still some dirts, you can repeat the process till the fibreglass roof is entirely clean.