Roof Cleaning & Moss Removalin Cheltenham, Gloucester& the Cotswolds.

Our roof clean is a two-stage treatment: a careful manual scrape and brush of every moss-heavy tile, followed by a fungicidal soft-wash that kills lichen and algae at the root. The result is a clean roof today, and a roof that stays clean for 18–36 months.

Designed for concrete, clay, slate and synthetic-slate roofs across pitched residential properties. Suitable for terraces, semis, detached, dormer bungalows, listed cottages and chapel-style roofs. Not suitable for flat felt or single-ply membranes — those are a different trade.

Book when you can see green or black streaks running down tiles, when moss is visible from the ground, or when your annual gutter clean returns clumps of moss. Most Cotswold homes benefit from treatment every 2–3 years.

Moss holds water against the tile surface; water freezes in winter; ice expands and fractures the tile. Within 5–10 years of unchecked moss growth, a roof that should have lasted 40 years can need a £8,000 re-cover. A £400 clean prevents this entirely.

Real risks

• Frost-fractured tiles that admit water into the loft and rot the rafters underneath.
• Clogged valley gutters that overflow into the loft hatch ceiling, ruining plasterwork and insulation.
• Constantly blocked gutters as moss clumps wash down with every storm.
• Premature roof replacement — a £6,000–£12,000 job that a £400 clean usually prevents.
• Insurance disputes when storm damage is judged 'pre-existing wear' caused by moss build-up.

Common mistakes

• High-pressure jet washing, which strips the protective coating off concrete tiles and shortens roof life by decades.
• Hiring a generalist with a pressure washer and a ladder — most roof damage in the UK is caused by well-meaning cleans, not the moss itself.
• Spraying bleach from the garden, which kills the surface algae but leaves living spore in the joints to regrow within months.
• Walking the roof in standard work boots, cracking up to a dozen tiles unnoticed in a single visit.
• Cleaning the roof but skipping the gutters and valleys — moss debris clogs them within days and undoes the work.

What you actually get for your money.

Roof life extended by 10–20 years

Removing moss before frost cycles split the tiles is the single biggest factor in roof longevity.

Gutters stay clear for longer

Most autumn gutter blockages are washed-down moss. Treat the source, halve the cleans.

Lower insurance risk

A maintained roof keeps storm-damage claims valid. Insurers increasingly cite pre-existing wear.

Restored kerb appeal

A clean roof transforms how a property reads from the road — buyers and valuers both notice.

Safer than DIY by a margin

Roof falls are the single most serious household accident category. We carry the harnesses, the insurance and the experience.

Long-lasting result

Biocide kills spore at the root, not just the surface. Most treated roofs stay visibly clean for 24–36 months.

£2m public liability, full RAMS, certificates on request before any booking is confirmed.

Materials we work on

We work on concrete interlocking tiles (Marley, Redland, Sandtoft), clay plain tiles and pantiles, natural Welsh and Spanish slate, Cotswold stone tiles (with extra care), and modern fibre-cement slates. Each surface has a different porosity, coating and structural tolerance — our method changes accordingly.

Methods we use

Primary method on most pitched roofs is a controlled soft-wash: a low-pressure application of a fungicidal biocide that kills moss, lichen and algae through the spore stage, followed by a manual scrape of heavy moss patches using a plastic-bladed tool that won't score the surface. Where the homeowner wants a full visual reset, we follow with a downward, controlled rinse — never an upward jet that lifts tiles or forces water under laps.

Variations of the service

Soft-wash only (treatment without scrape — best for light algae); full scrape and treatment (heavy moss); roof clean plus repointing of ridge and verge mortar; lichen-specific extended treatment on north-facing Cotswold stone; conservatory-roof clean as a separate listed service.

Situations it applies to

We handle everything from a single-storey extension roof to three-storey townhouses with chimney stacks, valleys and dormers. Common scenarios: tree-shaded properties with persistent moss, pre-sale clean-ups before estate agent photos, post-roof-repair tidy-ups, and routine 2–3 year maintenance for owners who want to preserve the surface they paid for.

Residential vs commercial

Residential work is photographed, scrape-and-treatment to a homeowner's brief. On commercial pitched roofs — schools, care homes, light industrial — we add scaffold or MEWP access, full RAMS, and scheduled re-treatment contracts. Quote includes safe lay-down areas for plant and a documented method statement.

Related services.

Protect your roof for the next 20 years.

Free drone survey on every roof quote. Honest assessment of whether you need a clean — or just a check.