St Albans · AL1, AL3, AL4
Roof cleaning and moss removal in St Albans
Moss is worst on the concrete-tiled roofs of Marshalswick and Jersey Farm, where mature trees shade north slopes. Slate terraces get less moss but more lichen. Neither should ever be pressure washed: the concrete tiles lose their surface and the slate laps take on water.
Free photographed survey
Every slope, chimney and gutter photographed.
Report yours to keep
Whether you hire us or not.
Agreed in writing
Scope fixed before any work starts.
One point of contact
Your survey and every follow-up handled by one person, 8am–6pm.
What should St Albans homeowners know?
The city centre and Fishpool Street hold Georgian and older buildings under handmade clay peg tiles. The railway brought rows of Victorian and Edwardian terraces east of the centre, around Clarence Park, Fleetville and the Camp, almost all roofed in Welsh slate with clay ridges. Further out, interwar semis carry plain clay tiles and the 1950s–70s estates at Marshalswick and Jersey Farm use concrete interlocking tiles.
What goes wrong on St Albans roofs?
Nail sickness on Victorian slate. The terraces east of the station are reaching the age where original iron nails fail across whole slopes. Slates slip in a staircase pattern while the slate itself is fine.
Shared chimney stacks and back gutters. Terraces share stacks across party walls. A failed back gutter on one side can show as damp in next door’s bedroom.
Peg tile spalling in the old centre. Handmade clay peg tiles crumble with frost and the oak pegs rot. Repairs need matched reclaimed tiles to sit right.
How do we do roof cleaning and moss removal?
We remove moss by hand, soft wash the roof at low pressure and apply an HSE-registered professional biocide, exactly as its label directs. We do not pressure wash tiled or slate roofs. It strips the surface off concrete tiles and brings moss back faster, and on slate it drives water under the laps.
Full details on our roof cleaning and moss removal page.
Our process
What you get
- 01
Hand removal
Moss scraped off by hand, working down the roof without walking on fragile tiles.
- 02
Soft wash
Low pressure only, so the tile surface and the laps are untouched.
- 03
Biocide
Kills moss, algae and lichen on contact; the dead growth then weathers away over the following weeks and months.
- 04
Gutters and photos
Gutters cleared of debris and the roof photographed: any slipped tiles noted.
Questions
Roof cleaning and moss removal in St Albans: FAQs
Do I need permission to repair my roof in the St Albans conservation area?
Like-for-like repairs usually do not. Changing materials, for example slate to concrete tile, or works on a listed building can. We check with the council before quoting if there is any doubt.
My Fleetville terrace keeps losing slates. Is it the slate?
Rarely. Welsh slate on these terraces usually outlasts its iron nails. We lift a few slates and show you the nails so you can see what is failing.
Roof cleaning and moss removal nearby
Free · Photographed · No pressure
Get a quote in St Albans.
Get a quote for your roofing work. Where an inspection is needed, we photograph the roof, explain our findings in plain English and give you the report to keep.