Roof Care & Maintenance
Moss removed without damaging the covering
Cumbria and the Borders grow moss on roofs better than almost anywhere in the country. Removing it is straightforward; removing it without harming a hundred-year-old slate roof takes a bit more care.
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Moss Removal: the short answer
Moss removal is the targeted stripping of moss growth from a roof covering and its drainage using manual scraping and low-pressure soft washing, followed by an optional biocide treatment to slow regrowth. It is carried out to restore drainage and prevent water being held against the covering.
Who this is for
- Properties with heavy growth on shaded or north-facing slopes
- Homes under or near mature trees
- Owners whose gutters block with moss every autumn
- Anyone preparing to sell and wanting the roof to present properly
Signs you need this work
Moss bridging the courses
Once growth spans from one unit to the next it channels water sideways instead of down.
Lifted slate and tile tails
Growth under the tail breaks the lap and lets wind-driven rain in.
Gutters full of green debris
The moss is already blocking your drainage, whatever the roof looks like.
Helpful roofing advice
Independent guidance from our advice centre — what the symptoms may mean and what your options are, before you commit to any work.
How it works
Our process, step by step
Inspect and assess
How established the growth is, and whether the covering can be cleaned safely at all.
Protect the property
Ground, planting and drainage covered before work starts.
Manual removal
Growth scraped and brushed off by hand, working with the lap rather than against it.
Soft wash
Low-pressure rinse to lift residue without forcing water under the units.
Clear all drainage
Gutters, valleys and downpipes flushed of the debris the clean produces.
Treat and report
Optional biocide applied, and any defect found is photographed and passed on.
Why it matters
What you get from doing it properly
Drainage cleared as part of the job
Moss removal that leaves it all in the gutters is only half done.
No damage to the covering
Manual and low-pressure methods only.
Longer intervals between cleans
Biocide treatment slows the regrowth significantly.
Common questions
Related
Work that often goes with this
Roof Cleaning
Roof cleaning removes moss, algae, lichen and debris from a roof covering and its drainage. Done correctly it protects the covering and restores drainage; done with a high-pressure lance it strips surface material, drives water under the units and can take years off the roof's life.
Gutter Cleaning
Gutter cleaning clears leaves, moss and silt from gutters, hoppers, outlets and downpipes so rainwater leaves the building rather than overflowing down the wall. It is the cheapest preventative maintenance available and prevents damp, pointing erosion and fascia rot.
Preventative Roof Maintenance
Preventative roof maintenance is a scheduled programme of inspection, drainage clearance and minor repair that catches defects while they are still cheap. It is the difference between a fifty-pound repair and a five-thousand-pound one, and it is the single best-value service on this list.
Roof Repairs
Planned roof repair fixes an identified defect — slipped slates, cracked tiles, failed flashings, valley or ridge problems — before it becomes water ingress. Repairs are appropriate where the covering and structure are otherwise sound and the fault is localised.
Coverage
Moss Removal across our patch
Carlisle and north Cumbria are our core area. We work regularly across the rest of Cumbria and southern Scotland, and take planned projects further afield.
Not sure what your roof needs?
Tell us what you are seeing and we will tell you honestly whether it is a repair, a maintenance job or something that needs replacing. Consultations and written quotations are free.