Roof cleaning problems. What can go wrong?
There’s a lot of things that can go wrong with roof cleaning if it’s not carried out by experienced professionals. This blog article explains some of the potential roof cleaning problems and things that can go wrong when you get your roof cleaned.
Firstly, there are certain types of tiles that shouldn’t be pressure washed. These are sandy faced tiles where pressure washing the tile is going to take off a layer of the top surface and make the tile more porous, and it will actually enable the roof to get dirtier more quickly as the tile will become an ideal habitat for the growth of moss and other fungi to flourish.
Secondly, There are many people out there carrying out roof cleaning and not providing a professional service. These people will end up doing more damage to your roof and leave you with larger expensive problems, such as broken tiles, a leaking roof, pointing blown out around the ridge tiles, blocked gutters and blocked downpipes, plus a very messy property.
What should you look for when choosing a roof cleaning company ?
So that you can avoid the costly mistakes mentioned above here are a few things you should look for when choosing someone to clean your roof .
When choosing a roof cleaning company, have a look at their website and social media channels, see if they have videos of them doing the job. It’s easy to get a before and after photo of a roof, but a video doesn’t hide how the job is carried out. Ask the contractor how they plan to access the roof. Many less professional companies will opt for using ladders to get onto the roof, and then either walk on the roof or use a ridge ladder to access the roof for cleaning. This can be ok in certain examples but it is not the safest method of cleaning a roof. It is much safer to use a cherry picker where possible or scaffolding towers.
So a good question to ask the contractor at the quote stage is, “How do you plan on accessing the roof?” Their answer will indicate their level of professionality and also their adherence to safety standards. The last thing you want is someone falling off your roof or seriously injuring themselves on your property.
Inexperienced roof cleaners can cause leaks coming through your tiles!
Lastly, Washing the roof using the incorrect technique can cause water penetration. The water can get under the tiles, and especially if there’s no membrane water can start coming through the internal areas in your property. This can lead to expensive decoration repairs, the internal walls will need to be thoroughly dried out, The water stain will need to be treated and the ceilings would need to be repainted. This is not something that you want to be dealing with.
Why cheap is not always the best
When choosing your roof cleaner, price is likely going to be one of your deciding factors. However, the cheap solution is not always the best. There are concealed costs when choosing the cheapest provider. For example, the person who quotes to clean your roof more cheaply, is likely not going to use a scaffolding tower or a cherry picker to access through the roof. “So what?” You might say. Number one, they’re not going to be doing it safely. So more risk of them injuring themselves on your property. Number two, by them getting on your roof either by way of ladder or walking, it’s also increases the chance of cracked and damaged tiles.
The cheaper contractor may not have the correct insurance for doing roof cleaning and working at that particular height. So always check with your chosen provider, ask them to see a copy of their public liability and employers liability. This will show you whether they are insured for roof cleaning and insured for working at height. Next time you’re choosing a roof cleaning provider, try to avoid the concealed costs of choosing the cheapest quote.
To recap, check reviews, check for videos of previous work, check for video testimonials from real life customers. It’s easy for people to get fake written reviews, but a real life customer on camera is a good indication that the company is reputable. Check insurances, check public and employers liability and make sure the contractor is insured to be working on your roof. Check whether any accidental breakages are included in the job, whether any accidental breakages of tiles will be replaced included in the price, or whether this is a surplus price to be added on.
Access, ask the contractor how they plan to access your roof. If it is just by ladder, then this is not the safest solution. This also increases the risk of damage. Does the company have their own cherry picker? If the company has their own cherry picker, you will likely be getting the safest job and will also likely be getting good value for money as they do not to have to hire in the cherry picker.
