Does Your Roof Need Cleaning or Coating? Here’s How to Tell

Noticing something wrong with your roof is usually quite stressful.

Many homeowners immediately expect the worst and wonder if they will need to replace the roof or if it can be fixed with a cleaning, a simple repair, or a new coating.

It is seldom wise to self-diagnose because by the time one sees a problem, like blocked gutters, curling shingles, cracked tiles, displaced slates, water spots on the ceiling, or damp on the walls, there may already be something more serious hidden underneath.

Before you panic, though, the good news is that if you know what to look for and catch the problem early, it can often be solved by professionals, like Improve a Roof, easily and affordably.

Guidelines to help you make the right decision

Here are some simple guidelines to help you understand what the warning signs mean and how to take the right action to avoid more damage.

Let’s start with some basics first to understand the problem and the right fix:

What is the difference between roof cleaning and roof coating?

While it may seem obvious that roof cleaning and roof coating serve completely different purposes, they often work well together to solve your roofing problems.

Roof cleaning

Roof cleaning removes any dirt or growths on the surface of the roof. This includes moss, algae, lichens, and debris that trap harmful moisture against your shingles or tiles.

IAR’s 5-step wash and refurbish process is designed specifically to kill and prevent moss, lichen, and algae from forming on the roof of your home.

Roof coating

Once the roof is clean and in good condition, a roof coating acts as a protective layer that seals and waterproofs the roof, stopping the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays and preventing any future damage caused by organisms or chemicals.

Thermal coatings also help to keep the house cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

What if you see a problem?

The first step when you suspect all is not well with your roof, or if it looks dirty, is to call in the professionals. Let’s look at what they will do for you. Book a professional roof survey today to get a definitive assessment of your roof’s condition.

What is a roof survey?

A survey gathers all the information you need on your roof’s current health. We use drones, pole cameras, and binoculars to thoroughly inspect:

All the external roof coverings (tiles or slate), ridge tile, valleys, chimney stacks, and flashings.
Any growth or dirt that is harming the roof.
The gutters and downpipes, to make sure there are no blockages, cracks, or leaks.
The loft and inside of the house, looking for signs of damp, condensation, daylight, or visible defects in the roof timbers.

What is a roof risk assessment?

Before any repairs or cleaning can be done, we will do a Site-Specific Risk Assessment (SSRA) to make sure the roof is safe enough to work on. More specifically, we look for:

Signs that the roof is unstable or weak in areas,
Nearby hazards,
Whether it is safe to access the premises and work on the roof, and
Which safety equipment might be needed.

What is the difference between a roof inspection and a roof survey?

In a roof inspection, our experts do a more detailed examination of the roof to:

Find hidden problems, locate leaks, etc.
Test how healthy and strong all the roofing materials, roof timbers, and the underlay are.
Report

After that, you’ll get a full report showing the roof’s condition and what needs to be done right away: repairs, maintenance, or the best treatment.

If the roof can’t be fixed, the report will explain what must be replaced, even the whole roof if needed.

Checklist to help you make the right decision:

Signs that your roof only needs cleaning

If you notice surface moss, stains, dark algae streaks, or blocked gutters, but there are no leaks or damp spots inside.
Signs of dirt or minor cracks on the roof, but no marks on the ceilings or walls yet.
Moss, algae, or lichen on your shingles, tiles, or slates trap moisture and damage the roof surface over time.
Your roof looks a bit worn, but there’s no internal damp or leaks.
If gutters are blocked or overflowing. It usually means debris is washing down from your roof.

Signs that your roof may benefit from a coating

If your roof tiles are clean but visibly ageing, porous, or faded, and previous minor leaks have already been repaired.
If the roof structure is still strong and stable, it may only need minor repairs and a coating.
If the roof covering, like tiles, shingles, or slates, is solid but looks old, a professional coating will spruce it up and make the roof look like new.
If roof materials are still strong but have minor cracks or porous spots. The right coating will seal them and make the roof waterproof again.
If your energy bill is high, a thermal coat that keeps the house cooler in summer and warmer in winter will save you a great deal of money while making your house look new again.

Warning signs: call an expert to inspect your roof.

Despite the importance of looking after our roofs, it is also a natural reaction to hardly ever look at them closely. Yet, when you ignore certain warning signs of common roof problems, it may cost you a fortune later to have the roof repaired or even replaced.

A professional inspection is essential if:

You see water leaking into the loft, or ceiling spaces,
Cracked or missing tiles,
Repeated leaks or damp patches inside.
If you inspect your roof from the ground and notice cracked, loose, or missing tiles, your home is actively exposed to the elements.

What to do next: (act immediately)

If you see any of these signs, do not ignore them! Problems like these only get worse, and the real damage is hidden from your view.

An expert inspection helps find the real cause quickly and will recommend the best fix.

Don’t waste money on the wrong treatment

It is deeply frustrating and costly to discover that you have wasted money on the wrong roof treatment and actually shortened the roof’s life.

A common mistake people make is to have a damaged roof cleaned. It will expose weak materials even more to the weather.
Putting a protective roof coating over moss, lichen, mould, or dirt traps moisture underneath and speeds up the decay of your roof. To have your roof properly cleaned and refurbished will cost even more because the wasted roof coating also has to be removed and then redone. You are now paying three times to have your roof fixed!
Using unqualified persons or cheap materials is an expensive mistake that can lead to greater damage and expensive rework.

Best choice: get a certified roofing professional to diagnose the problem and so protect your home and your budget.

When making your final decision, don’t guess. Get the right roof plan now

Every roof is different. The roof’s age, material, and how much sun, rain, wind, and debris it deals with will affect how you respond to the warning signs. That’s why you should not guess what the right solution is. Before you decide to have your roof cleaned, coated, repaired, or replaced, call a professional to inspect your roof and give you the right advice from the beginning.

Contact our expert team now to book your comprehensive roof assessment and get an accurate, no-obligation quote.

You can call us for free, contact us online, or email us at info@improvearoof.co.uk or customerservice@improvearoof.co.uk

We will even offer you a special 30% early bird discount if you book this month for a free quote.