Cleaning Roofs (Rooves?)

[barry1010]

My house is over 60 years old, when my mother died the house she had lived in most of her life was over 100 years old. The roofs had never been cleaned.

Now I see adverts for roof cleaning. When did this become a thing? Why? Every spring I look at my roof and chimney through a pair of binoculars from the outside to check all as it should be, also from inside the loft. I can see some stains on the roof but nothing to concern me.

Is it just a money making exercise? Another thing for people to worry about for no good reason?

[MissTerious2]

Just to say I agree! :0)

[MissTerious2]

Our house is about 250 years old! We did a roof repair when we moved in in 1979. We check for damage. Its never been cleaned!

[barry1010]

Thanks, MissT. I wonder if newer roofing materials need cleaning. I know solar panels do which is one reason I won't consider them - scaffolding is needed to get on my roof

[weecalf]

It will be alright only wan that should be up on roof is Santy

[MissTerious2]

Our house was originally thatched, long before we moved in. We used the old tiles on the main roof when reroofing. Putting clean new tiles on an old brick and flint house would look very strange.

[The Builder]

Another one of those unnecessary "services" that are offered these days.
A high build-up of moss can affect water run-off. Best scraped off with a garden hoe.
Other than that, roofs don't need to be clean.
I've watched them crunching all over a perfectly good roof in their boots while "cleaning" it. Nice clean roof..... and a load of cracked tiles.

File under "those who should get a proper job" ;o)

[barry1010]

That's what I thought, thanks for confirming, Builder

[MissTerious2]

We don't wash the brick and flint walls either ! ;0)

[smudge]

We've noticed more & more adverts for roof cleaning in our area, but can imagine the convo, cleaner to customer: "Btw, you have a few cracked tiles/slates up there, so would you like us to replace them?". Well of course, that would worry a home owner, so more unnecessary pennies in the roof cleaning company's pockets! :/

[Buenchico]

I've just googled "is roof cleaning necessary". Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are plenty of companies who claim, for example, that it will double the life of your roof. This trader though, is far more honest:
"[Q] Is cleaning my roof necessary?

[A] The simple answer is no, its not necessary. Your roof is not going to fail if you don’t have it cleaned. I am yet to see an example of a roof that has failed structurally from lack of cleaning so in those respects in not necessary to have your roof cleaned."
https://www.lbcclean.co.uk/roof-cleaning-faqs-frequently-asked-questions/

[barry1010]

I’d love to know who started this trend

[furrypusscat]

Our bungalow roof had been covered in moss and had been needing cleaning for some time as moss can lift the tiles eventually causing rain water to blow in so my husband and a friend did it last year hiring a scaffold tower and applying first a chemical to soften and help remove the moss and another chemical to stop the moss coming back. So far so good, the roof looks a lot better for doing.