Roof cleaning and moss removal aim for the same end result but the methods of how that result is achieved is very different. Firstly, roof cleaning will utilise a pressure washer set to a lower level of pressure suitable for the roof tiles to avoid damage. We can utilise our on board boiler unit to warm the water up to steam clean the roof too if needed, this is typically useful where there is heavy lichen build up where cold water alone wont shift it. The roof will be dosed with a post biocide treatment too to ensure all moss and lichen has been dosed to die. This is a good option for your roof if you desire an instant clean look compared to the gradual clean look that the other method offers. The downside to this option is if there is damage present to the roof already or a leak already exists then when we come to clean the roof although the pressure has been dialed down, the water from the pressure washer is still effectively heavy rainfall on your roof so water ingress is likely. A healthy roof without preexisting damage or leaks will have no trouble at all.
The other method of cleaning a roof is moss removal using a manual scraping method followed by a biocide treatment. Essentially, we use tile scraping blades that match the profile of your tile, this is attached to our long reach extension poles. We will scrape the bulk of the moss off your tiles, our aim is not to achieve 100% removal rate with the scraping, instead the post biocide treatment that is applied will then kill in remaining moss that is left on the surface or between the joints of the tiles. Any organics left on the roof such as lichen, moss and algae will die the same day the biocide is applied; however it will take time for these to weather away. Typically any remaining moss will be gone within 1-2 months, surface organic staining and algae will be gone within 6-12 months and lichens including yellow and white will take the longest, typically 18-24 months to fully disappear. These are all estimates and is incredibly weather dependent but the important thing to remember is all of it will be dead from the biocide treatment within 24 hours upon contact. This method is cleaning is great for when there is an existing leak which you do not want to directly contribute to too, it is also effective for more fragile tile types. This is also a cheaper option for your roof to be cleaned.
