Hallo all,
Looking for some advice on cleaning moss from my concrete tiled roof....on the house, not the car!!
Roof is pretty well covered on the North side, not quite as bad on the others. Big clumps of it too!
Moved into the place a few months ago, and made a note then of getting it cleaned - put it out of my mind until somebody offered me a free quote today
on getting it done and sealed with some kind of 'polymer' coating. Pictures did look nice, with a convincing pitch too....
To cut a long story short, they wanted £7.5K. Cough.
Anyway, it's now at the forefront of my mind to DIY it....
Soooo, has anybody here cleaned a roof? Jetwash? Hard brush? Bleach? Copper strips? Don't bother? Read a lot tonight on interweb, but as usual
back here for sound advice from 'those who know'
Cheers, Rich.
Jetwash and a ladder? Might need a wand extension but even my cheap as chips Argos special will whip moss off at a fair distance....
Should be doable with a power washer as said above. 7.5K is well OTT. What sealer are they going to use? Do you need some? If you do try going to
local builder centre (trade place) and see what they sell. Good stuff aint cheap but way cheaper than your quote. Ill do the job for 7K
might be a bit difficult getting a jet wester, with electric, and hose up there, and then actually use it without standing up (especially if
you're not great with heights )
a good stiff brush might be easier to control, pressure washer will be quicker
i'll do it for £6500
[Edited on 14/8/09 by blakep82]
got a catalog with the right stuff on the desk at work.
Basically its pressure washer and then its painted with this sealant similar to brick paving clear seal
will post the details monday
Just wait for winter and let the snow bring it off!
I'm not sure how big your roof is, but I'm pretty certain you could completely renew it for that sort of money!
I think one of these cleaning / sealant companies was featured on rogue traders!
I wouldn't jet wash it, you'll be jetting crap under the tiles.
Get one of those long brushes with a hose thingy if you must clean it.
Cheers
Mike
Whilst tile porosity is not unheard of, it's not that widespread a problem. These sealing products are providing an answer to a problem that by
and large doesn't exist.
If your roof ever needs money spending on it, it's far more likely to be in the areas of verges, ridges, flashings or potnetially the odd broken
tile.
Painting sealant on never attends to these issues.
It does make it look a bit newer for a while though.
My own note of caution if you feel that you want to jet wash the roof is to make sure that you prevent all of the moss etc. from going into the
downpipes. failure to do that means you'll end up with a problem you didn't have beforehand .
In my youth I worked on an image conscious pig breeding farm -roofs were all covered in dust from extractor fans as well as moss lichen etc
We just power washed it all off - longhose, big machine, hundreds of square meters cleaned in a couple of days. You will be surprised at how much
stuff comes off and some kind of dutch hoe/ stiff broom will help to keep the mess at bay - if you are blowing it off the roof the garden flowers/ dog
/ cars will all get a good spattering!
Get a cat ladder to spread the weight as if you crack a few tiles you will be in to more work, cost and the inevitable nagging.
I don't think I'd bother with a coating if roof is watertight, spend the cash on a bigger and better power washer with all the gizmos they
make now, then you can flush the drains, scrub the decks, wash your chassis etc etc
atb
Mike
A few years ago we had a company doing just the same, maga bucks, and promising wonders, one local guy had his roof done, total waste of money, already, (after three years), starting to grow moss. Best bet is to jet wash your roof down, and expect to do it every couple of years, BUT, it's relativly cheap in comparison. Cheers Ray
Put some copper sheeting along the top ridge and it will keep the moss away for everafter you have washed it
http://www.copperridge.co.uk/ works on bricks as well
be careful if its a an old roof it might not have felt underneath and if your standing at a low point of the roof and you are preasure washing up the
roof the water will come in to the loft. The presure washer thing sounds real messy, to have water and moss running down my house dont sound good, a
stiff brush sounds loads better 
Keep the 7.5 k in the bank as the lads have said, that seal that someone is trying to sell wont last.....they never do
mark
If you use a pressure washer make sure you angle the lance so that it is pointing towards the gutter otherwise you force water under the tiles.
Were they wearing Stetsons and riding horses and are the tiles concrete or asbestos ? You could get a big roof tiled for that kind of money and have the job done properly. Hire a roof ladder and weld a bit of plate to a garden hoe to make a scraper if you must go up and do it.
My neighbour just went up onto his roof with a hoe and a stiff broom. Got rid of the worst of it, and what was left wasn't worth worrying about.
It was a bungalow though!
It's probably a good idea to have a good look at the joists, rafters, etc up in the loft space before walking about on the roof, or work from a
roof ladder (best idea).
quote:
Originally posted by mangogrooveworkshop
got a catalog with the right stuff on the desk at work.
Basically its pressure washer and then its painted with this sealant similar to brick paving clear seal
will post the details monday
Do not Jet wash your roof or add one of these so called sealants, if you have a build up of moss and other debris brush it off using a stiff brush or
get a roofer in to do it - shouldnt cost more than a couple of £100 for an average 4 bed detached.
If you need a reliable roofer drop me a message and I will get you some names for some of our approved contractors over there
Paul ( Technical Manager - Roofing manufacturer)
A neighbour of mine, in Leeds, power washed his roof tiles once. He tied his 'safety line' to the aerial wored to the chimney and washed
away.
Washed off the tiles outer coating and had to re-roof.
House out the back of me had a company jet wash the tiles and now it looks like a brand new roof!
Honestly - dont Jet wash your roof - it will do more harm than good, most roof tiles have a glaze that protects them against rain erosion - they not made to take jet wash pressure, the new sealents available are questionable quality over the long term and can cause other issues, the roof tiles allow the roof to breathe and prevent condensation etc - if you seal it then moisture only goes one way ... down and then its hello mould !
http://www.polycoteuk.com/product.asp?t=p&pid=1100&nid=508
Just had aquaseal knocking at the door offering a free quote on a similar roof seal that you describe. I declined their kind offer.