🏠 Is Moss Ruining Your Roof? The Honest Truth About Roof Cleaning

🚩 Why You Can’t Ignore the Moss

• The Freeze-Thaw Effect: Moss holds water. When winter hits and that water freezes, it expands. This is the #1 cause of cracked and 'blown' roof tiles in the UK.

• Gutter Chaos: As moss dries out, it falls off in clumps and ends up exactly where you don’t want it—blocking your gutters (which we’ve already talked about!).

• Tile Damage: Certain types of moss actually eat into the lime or concrete of your tiles over decades, making them porous and brittle.

🚩 The Two Ways We Restore Your Roof

We offer two distinct methods because every roof in Milton Keynes and Northampton is different. Here is the honest breakdown of why we use them:

Manual Scraping & Biocide Treatment (The 'Gentle' Specialist)

This is our most popular service for older or more delicate tiles.

• The Process: We use profiled scrapers that match the shape of your tiles to manually remove every clump of moss. We then apply a professional Biocide treatment.

• The Benefit: The Biocide soaks into the tiles, killing the invisible spores. Over the next few months, the weather finishes the job, leaving your roof cleaner and cleaner. No high pressure, no risk to the fixings.

Professional Pressure Washing (The 'Instant' Transformation)

For sturdy, modern tiles that need an immediate 'new' look.

• The Process: Using specialist equipment. we use controlled pressure to wash away years of grime, lichen, and moss instantly.

• The Benefit: You get an immediate 'day and night' transformation. We always follow this up with a fungal wash to ensure the moss doesn't come back next season.

💰 Why is Roof Cleaning a High-Value Service?

We’ll be honest: Roof cleaning is one of our more expensive services, and for good reason. It’s not just 'spraying a bit of water.' When you hire us, you are paying for:

• Safety & Insurance: Working at height requires specialist ladders, harnesses, and high-level liability insurance to protect your property.

• Specialist Chemicals: The Biocides we use are professional-grade and aren't available in DIY shops. They keep your roof clean for years, not just weeks.

• Labour Intensive: Manually scraping a roof is hard, physical work that takes time to do correctly without snapping tiles.

• The Result: A clean roof prevents 'freeze-thaw' damage and saves you the £10,000+ cost of a full roof replacement.

⚠️ A Note on Pricing: Why "Cheap" Can Be Costly

We always recommend that homeowners get multiple quotes for a high-value job like roof cleaning. However, we have to be honest: if a quote comes in significantly cheaper than the rest, you need to ask why.

Roof cleaning is a complicated job. If it's done wrong, it can lead to broken tiles, flooded lofts, or dead garden plants. Before you hire anyone (including us!), we urge you to do your due diligence and ask these three vital questions:

"What chemicals are you applying?"

"Many 'cowboy' outfits use cheap, harsh bleach that can damage your tiles and kill your lawn. At H&N Exterior Solutions, we only use PureSeal biocides. These are premium products that are fully in line with HSE (Health and Safety Executive) guidelines. They are designed to kill moss spores safely and effectively."

"If you are pressure washing, what 'Bar' pressure are you using?"

"If a contractor turns up with a standard jet wash and blasts your roof at full power, they can strip the protective surface right off your tiles. You need to know they are using professional, adjustable equipment. We calibrate our pressure specifically for your tile type to ensure a deep clean without the damage."

"Are you fully insured for 'Work at Height'?"

"Standard public liability insurance often doesn't cover a tradesman if they are up on your roof. Always ask to see proof of specific 'Work at Height' insurance. If they don't have it and an accident happens, the liability could fall on you.

Because every roof varies in size, height, and moss density, we do not offer 'flat rates' or small call-out fees for this service. We provide a full, honest assessment and a bespoke quote tailored to your home’s specific needs.