Roof cleaning - has the contractor ruined my roof tiles?
Discussion
Hi. We’ve just had our roof cleaned by a cleaning company. Quoted for a low pressure soft wash, which I was led to believe would not cause any damage but simply remove the moss and algae build up etc.
The tiles are standard dark grey concrete type tiles which you see everywhere. They’ve now completely changed to a light sandy colour. Raised my concerns with the worker but he assured me the pressure was fine and this is just the natural tile colour. I’m pretty sure they must have stripped the coating off because I’ve now got a yellow roof, completelt different to the neighbouring properties.
Any ideas how to move forward with this? Haven’t paid yet but I’m more concerned about long term damage. Are the tiles going to be more porous now? Is there any way to fix it?
Soft wash on paving / tiles generally means using high concentration sodium hypochlorite (bleach). My guess is that this has bleached your tiles.
In this case, high pressure would be the better option. But it sounds like he didn't test how the tiles would react first to the bleach, and should have done....
In this case, high pressure would be the better option. But it sounds like he didn't test how the tiles would react first to the bleach, and should have done....
Aluminati said:
Lift a tile off and run water on it. See how long it takes to come through.
The only soft wash I know is called doff, and I doubt he did that, because that takes a professional
I mean it said “low pressure wash” on the invoice. I was expecting one of those circular disc attachments but it just looked like a downward pointed pressure washing nozzle.The only soft wash I know is called doff, and I doubt he did that, because that takes a professional
JoshSm said:
When I saw a neighbour have something like this done there was a clue from the big piles of red coloured tile coating all over the ground about exactly what happened.
Gut feeling is they used higher pressure to get the job done quicker. Was told it would be 2-3 day job, but finished in 1.5 days.I’m just not sure what to do about payment. Do I just withold it until I’ve had a roofer come look at it to inspect to check for damage etc?
allegro said:
Was the guy actually on the roof around 20 with zero health and safety gear other than some rather wet looking Reebok classics by any chance?
No, fairly professional setup. Mobile scaffold tower and decent looking kit etc.I’m just not sure how best to approach it. He’s told me that’s just the natural tile colour and that’s how they look after cleaning… but it’s clearly not supposed to be this colour. And, aesthetics aside, I’m more concerned with the ability to keep out the weather.
Badda said:
A house round the corner had that done a couple of years ago, seem to recall they had a new roof not long after. I think it s madness to use these sorts of guys.
Yeah we’re kinda realising this now.We’d seen some other houses nearby getting done over the last year or two and the results looked decent. We picked a very reputable one, but now we have a beige roof.
It's unlikely a tile would look like new after a period of time and especially after any form of cleaning.
Tiles discolour naturally anyway.
However it's likely the surface has deteriorated due to the cleaning. As someone else mentioned recently cleaned roofs seem to need replacing in a reasonable time period afterwards.
Ultimately avoid cleaning if possible as tiles tend to have a smooth surface. Once you can see pores a freeze thaw action will see them deteriorate quickly.
Tiles discolour naturally anyway.
However it's likely the surface has deteriorated due to the cleaning. As someone else mentioned recently cleaned roofs seem to need replacing in a reasonable time period afterwards.
Ultimately avoid cleaning if possible as tiles tend to have a smooth surface. Once you can see pores a freeze thaw action will see them deteriorate quickly.
Well they sound a much more professional outfit than I've seen round my neck of the woods recently.
you always soak the roof with a hose pipe and pop in the loft afterwards. might also be worth asking in a local roofing supply place or builders merchant as to the rights and wrongs of aftercare for you type of tile
you always soak the roof with a hose pipe and pop in the loft afterwards. might also be worth asking in a local roofing supply place or builders merchant as to the rights and wrongs of aftercare for you type of tile
This is a concrete tile like on my house.
They come in various colours.
Note how the top is different to the bottom. Ie, they’re coloured on the outer faces, not just ‘concrete’ coloured.
I think they do ‘wear’ as they age and get lumpy etc, and probably more porous, but mine are ~ 50yr old and still that colour.
I can only assume they’re tinted and in your case that tint has been bleached out.
And concrete can be damaged by bleaching, as I’m discovering while trying to clean concrete floor in my garage.
So they may indeed now be more porous and/or weaker, so could be more susceptible to frost damage etc.
I’d just get a professional report done then pursue for new tiles at their expense.
They come in various colours.
Note how the top is different to the bottom. Ie, they’re coloured on the outer faces, not just ‘concrete’ coloured.
I think they do ‘wear’ as they age and get lumpy etc, and probably more porous, but mine are ~ 50yr old and still that colour.
I can only assume they’re tinted and in your case that tint has been bleached out.
And concrete can be damaged by bleaching, as I’m discovering while trying to clean concrete floor in my garage.
So they may indeed now be more porous and/or weaker, so could be more susceptible to frost damage etc.
I’d just get a professional report done then pursue for new tiles at their expense.
Hate to say it OP, but I think these jet wash roofs are the new spray foam loft insulation. In the same way that sprayed loft insulation is now a big no no with mortgage and insurance companies I think the same will be said of the jet washed roofs.
We had a guy come around our area about 4 or 5 years ago offering it, you could tell who'd had it done as their roofs were a completely different colour to the rest. Unfortunately nearly all of them have needed some sort of remedial work since.
We had a guy come around our area about 4 or 5 years ago offering it, you could tell who'd had it done as their roofs were a completely different colour to the rest. Unfortunately nearly all of them have needed some sort of remedial work since.
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