Roofs in Letchworth take a beating from British weather. Our soft-wash specialists strip moss, algae and lichen back to clean tiles without high-pressure damage — and treat the surface so it stays clear. We cover Letchworth and the wider neighbouring suburbs. Roofs round here see cool, wet shoulder seasons that suit moss colonisation on north-facing roofs, and most of the properties we treat are built with Edwardian clay tiles, modern concrete interlocking and reclaimed slate — so we tune the soft-wash mix and dwell time to whatever's on your ridge.
Most of the roofs we treat around Letchworth are built with Edwardian clay tiles, modern concrete interlocking and reclaimed slate. Each tile type needs a slightly different approach — concrete tiles need a gentler biocide dwell time than slate, and pantiles need careful scraping in the lap. Here's what's included on a typical Letchworth job:
Every tile cleared by hand from a roof ladder or scaffold tower — no pressure washers, no broken tiles. The right approach for the older roofs you see across Letchworth.
Professional biocide applied at low pressure. It kills moss, algae and lichen at the root and keeps working for months — important given the cool, wet shoulder seasons that suit moss colonisation on north-facing roofs.
Gutters cleared, downpipes flushed, debris bagged and taken away. Included on every Letchworth roof clean.
Photos of every slope, ridge and valley. You'll see exactly what's on your roof before we quote — no pressure.
We re-bed loose ridge tiles and flag failing pointing while we're up there. Small fixes done on the day; bigger ones quoted separately.
Optional annual top-up applied from the ground. Stretches results from "several years" to "indefinitely" with minimal cost.
The short answer: cool, wet shoulder seasons that suit moss colonisation on north-facing roofs. Moss spores are airborne almost year-round, and any roof slope that stays damp for long periods will start to colonise — usually on the north-facing pitch first, then under any overhanging trees.
Around Letchworth, the combination of Edwardian clay tiles, modern concrete interlocking and reclaimed slate and neighbouring suburbs's climate means most roofs need attention every 3-5 years if they've never been treated, and far less often once a biocide programme is in place.
Left untreated, moss holds water against the tile surface, freezes and thaws through winter, lifts the lap, and eventually pushes debris into the gutter line. That's when small problems become roof-replacement problems.
Yes. We clean carefully around PV panels and mounting brackets and avoid running biocide over the cells.
After a full scrape, soft-wash and biocide treatment, most roofs in Letchworth stay visibly clear for several years. An optional annual top-up biocide stretches that further.
Never. High-pressure water strips the protective coating off concrete tiles and forces water under slate. We hand-scrape and soft-wash only — that's the only safe way to clean a roof.
Yes. We use a professional, fully biodegradable biocide. We mask off planting where needed and flush gutters and downpipes once we're finished.
Without a biocide treatment, yes — usually within 12-18 months. The biocide is what kills spores at the root and keeps the roof clear long after we leave.