Method matched to the tile
Slate, clay and concrete each take a different approach, and we choose after seeing the roof rather than pointing the same pressure washer at everything.
Roof Care / Roof Cleaning
Roof Cleaning and Moss Removal in London
Manual moss removal, soft wash and biocide treatment that protect your tiles and extend the life of your roof.
Get a cleaning surveyMoss holds water against your tiles
This page is for anyone in South and West London whose roof has gone green, is shedding moss into the gutters or has started to look neglected from the street. K & M Roofing Solutions removes moss, algae and lichen from slate, clay and concrete roofs and treats them so the growth does not return within a season.
The reason it matters is not appearance. Moss is a sponge sitting on your roof: it holds rainwater against the tile instead of letting it run off, and in a London winter that water freezes, expands in the surface of the tile and breaks it up. The clumps that break loose then wash into the gutters and block them, which pushes water down the wall. A mossy roof is a roof ageing faster than it should.
The risk in cleaning it is doing more harm than the moss. High pressure aimed at a Victorian slate or an old clay tile strips the weathered surface and drives water under the laps. So the method is decided by what your roof is made of, which is the first thing we establish at survey.
Benefits
How we clean a roof
Moss killed at the root
Scraping the surface leaves the root system in the tile and it grows straight back, so we treat the growth as well as removing it.
Gutters cleared the same day
Cleaning a roof puts a lot of moss into the gutters. We clear them and the downpipes before we leave, which is not an optional extra.
Protected against regrowth
A biocide treatment applied after cleaning keeps the roof clear for years instead of months, which is the difference between a clean and a fix.
What we offer
Roof cleaning work we take on
Soft wash cleaning
Low-pressure water with specialist agents that kill moss, algae and lichen at the root without touching the surface of the tile. This is the right method for natural slate, old clay and anything fragile, which covers most of the Victorian and Edwardian stock in South and West London.
Pressure washing
Higher pressure for durable interlocking concrete tiles, lifting ingrained carbon pollution and heavy soiling that a soft wash will not shift. Used selectively, on roofs where the tile can take it, and never on slate.
Manual moss removal
Careful hand scraping with tools matched to the tile profile, which is the only safe way to shift thick moss beds without breaking anything. Slower than blasting it off, and the reason nothing ends up in pieces on your lawn.
Biocide treatment
A pH-neutral solution applied after cleaning that soaks into the tile and neutralises the spores left behind. This is what buys you years rather than a single season, and it works quietly over the following weeks rather than instantly.
Scope
Signs your roof needs cleaning
- Green or black staining visible from the street
- Thick moss beds sitting along the tile laps
- Moss clumps collecting in gutters and hoppers
- Gutters overflowing after every heavy shower
- Plant growth taking hold in the valleys
- A roof that stays wet long after the rest has dried
- White lichen crusting on north-facing slopes
- Loose grit washing out of concrete tiles
How it works
How our roof cleaning service works
1
Free survey
We identify the tile type, check its condition and confirm which method it can safely take. Cleaning a roof with cracked or slipped tiles just drives water inside, so we check that first.
2
Report and itemised price
You get photographs, the recommended method and an itemised price covering cleaning, treatment and access, normally within two to three working days.
3
Protection and access
Ground, planting and drains are protected, and access is set up. Most domestic roofs are reached from a tower or ladder rather than full scaffold.
4
Cleaning
Moss is removed by hand or soft wash depending on the tile, working down the slope. A typical London terrace takes one to two days.
5
Gutters cleared and site left clean
All gutters, hoppers and downpipes are cleared of the moss the clean has dislodged, and the ground is washed down before we leave.
6
Biocide applied
Once the roof is clean and dry we apply the biocide treatment that keeps the growth from returning, and tell you honestly when it will need doing again.
Why choose us
Why customers choose K & M Roofing
01
Certified HYDRONYLON applicators, a system most London roofers cannot offer.
02
One team for the whole job, from survey to sign-off.
03
Rated 5.0 by 60 customers on Google.
04
Qualified roofers doing the cleaning, so a cracked tile or perished flashing uncovered during the work gets reported and put right instead of hidden.
05
Transparent pricing with no hidden costs, and a 10-year workmanship guarantee.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Soft wash uses low-pressure water and specialist chemicals to kill the growth, while pressure washing uses force to blast it off. Soft wash is the right method for natural slate, old clay and any weathered tile, because it removes the moss without removing the surface of the roof with it. Pressure washing is faster and suits durable interlocking concrete tiles. We choose based on what your roof is made of and its condition.
It can, and on the wrong roof it definitely will. High pressure strips the protective surface off concrete tiles, breaks up weathered clay and slate, and can force water up under the laps and into the roof space. That is why we survey first and use pressure washing only on tiles that can take it. If someone quotes to pressure wash a Victorian slate roof, get another quote.
Typically three to five years on a London roof, depending on how much shade and tree cover it has. North-facing slopes and roofs under trees stay damp longer and green up sooner than a south-facing slope in the open. We will tell you at survey which category your roof falls into rather than quoting the same interval to everyone.
Every five to ten years for most London roofs, and more often where the roof is shaded, sits under trees or faces north. The better answer is to treat it rather than repeatedly clean it: a biocide treatment after cleaning stretches the interval considerably, and clearing the gutters annually stops the moss that does grow from causing a second problem.
It is priced by roof area, pitch, tile type and access, because a steep slate roof reached from scaffold is a different job to a low concrete roof reached from a tower. What moves the price most is how much moss there is and whether it has to come off by hand, plus whether you want the biocide treatment that stops it returning. There are no reliable published UK rates for roof cleaning that we would stand behind, so we do not quote a per square metre figure sight unseen. A binding price from K & M Roofing Solutions follows a free survey.
Yes, indirectly but genuinely. Moss holds water against the tile rather than letting it run off, and that trapped water freezes and expands in winter, breaking down the tile surface. The clumps that break away block gutters and valleys, which sends water down the wall instead of into the drain. Moss will not put a hole in a sound roof this year, but it shortens the life of the covering and causes the blockages that do the real damage.
Usually not. Most domestic roof cleaning in London is done from a tower or from ladders with roof ladders where needed, which keeps the cost down considerably. Full scaffold becomes worthwhile on very steep roofs, on tall buildings, or where the cleaning is happening alongside repairs that need proper access anyway. We tell you which at survey stage and price the access as a separate line.
Yes, and with particular care. Slate is thin, brittle and held on nails that grow fragile with age, so walking a slate roof carelessly causes more damage than the moss ever would. We work from proper roof access, clean by soft wash rather than pressure, and re-fix any slates that turn out to be loose while we are up there.
Free on-site estimate
Let us talk about your roof
Tell us what is going on and we will arrange a free survey. No pressure, no hard sell, just honest advice and a clear price.
Kamil07593 196505
Mateusz07544 188268