So you have a slate roof and you are researching the best way to clean a slate roof?
We’ve cleaned a many slate roofs over the years and here we share our insights…
Cleaning of slate tiles rooftops is perhaps not as much in demand as it is for concrete roof tiles, or indeed clay tiles.
This is because the smooth surface of slate tiles makes it difficult for moss to adhere to and grow from – generally only growing in the joints between tiles where vegetation and bird droppings can get caught and grow moss.
Types Of Roof Slates
On some older properties you will even find slate tiles that contain asbestos.
The first step to cleaning a slate roof is to identify the type of slate used, is it natural or man made? If it is man made then we need to identify if the slate tile is manufactured with fibreglass, cement board, asphalt or off course asbestos.
The first step to cleaning a slate roof is to identify the type of slate used, is it natural or man made? If it is man made then we need to identify if the slate tile is manufactured with fibreglass, cement board, asphalt or off course asbestos.
If the slate tiles are uniformed then there is a very high chance that they are man made as slate is obviously a natural product and natural product are not uniformed by nature!
The Hidden Risk Of Cleaning Roof Slates…
Basically the coating has perished exposing the inner fibers of the man made slate tiles.
Some companies suggest doing a test patch in an inconspicuous area to see if the coating has failed, while this may sound like a great idea and the perfect solution it can lead to huge disappointment once your roof has been cleaned.
You guessed it, the tiles in the test area were sound and once the whole roof has been cleaned and chemically treated there are whiteish, slates with failed coatings visible across the roof.
Here at The Roof Moss Cleaners Ltd we always advise against the treatment of man made slate roofs as until each tile has been cleaned it is literally impossible to know the outcome.
If a client is happy with the risk then of course we will proceed with a complete roof scrape and biocide treatment, or steam clean followed by biocide treatment – as per your request as our client.
Methods Of Physically Cleaning Slate Roof Tiles & Natural Roof Slates
Natural roofing slates can be brittle and crack fairly easily unless a high level of caution is exercised by the roofers working on your roof.
Some brands of man made slates can be much stronger and happily take the weight of a man on a roof ladder however we prefer to take the safest option possible in terms of safety of your roof and that of our roof cleaning team.
We always take the safe approach to roof cleaning, carrying our slate roof cleaning with a MEWP (Mobile Elevated Work Platform) in the form of either a Mobile Boom Lift cherry picker, a Truck Mounted Cherry Picker or a Mobile Access Tower.
The cleaning itself is carried out using either:
Telescopic roof scraping tools
Or
Telescopic steam cleaning technology
Slate Roof Cleaning Before & After Photos
Contact The Roof Moss Cleaners Ltd Today For An Expert Roofing Slate Cleaning Service
Call our office on 01494 355645 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, or submit your enquiry via the form on this page.
We always aim to give a fixed price roof cleaning quote as fast as possible, on the same day in many cases!
