Contact us today
Concrete roof tiles are built to last. They withstand the test of time and come in a dazzling array of colours and styles to suit homes across the UK.
Beyond their impressive durability and aesthetic appeal, concrete tiles are a smart investment. They offer fantastic value, bringing elegance and protection to your roof without breaking the bank.
Organic growth can, however, colonise roof tiles. Algae will grow on nearly any surface, and the unprotected nature of rooftops allows algae to become established. Eventually this can evolve and symbiose to become moss. Left untreated moss will affect concrete tiles’ integrity, risking in the longer term water damage. Its appearance is often undesirable and out of keeping with a modern property- or the surrounding architecture.
In the video below we demonstrate the cleaning and restoration of roof tiles in Lisvane, Cardiff. Lisvane is a more upmarket area of Cardiff, a pleasant suburban area that is just a short hop from the centre, with good transport connections to the nearby countryside, and the M4. The property owners wanted to maintain the aesthetic appeal of their property.
The project was completed in three stages:
Doff Steam Cleaning – we used the system recommended by Historic England to remove the heavy build-up of organic growth-using low pressure and highly controlled high temperature steam.
Safewash application. We applied this organic solution to kill the single cell green algae, and red staining Aspergillus Niger at root.
Tightly controlled application of Lightning Cleanse – a fully label compliant solution to remove black staining from buildings immediately.
This project was delivered under CDM regulations.
Access was certainly a challenge on this project. Due to the building’s height a vehicle mounted MEWP was required to clean the rooftops. Softwashing UK have the correct IPAF qualifications for using Moving Elevating Work Platforms. This ensured all areas were reached – without having to climb on top of the rooftops. This kept health and safety risks to a minimum, and also saved a considerable amount of time.
The method to clean and restore the tiles was relatively simple once access was attained. We steam cleaned the rooftops, and applied a biocidal treatment. Steam removes staining and kills many organic elements. Steam cleaning is best practice, as pressure washing would risk damaging or dislodging the tiles. The biocidal treatment will kill all lingering elements at root system. This gives the restoration cleaning treatment greater longevity, keeping repeat costs down.
As you can see from the drone footage – the rooftops of these prestigious Lisvane properties were restored to optimum condition and our clients were delighted.
Softwashing UK work with the largest and most innovative companies in the property sector. So whether you own or manage apartment blocks, offices, warehouses, or commercial properties of all types – we have you covered.
We often run large commercial projects under CDM regulations or as principal contractor, or we are more than happy to be a subcontractor on larger building or restoration projects. We are licensed for many kinds of heavy plant and machinery and are able to safely work at height. We are also Streetworks Qualified. If you have tenants in situ, or operate a busy public site, we can manage end to end communications with tenants and customers, to ensure no public interference that could jeopardise costs or health and safety.
