Roof Cleaning in Crows Nest

Material changes from one roof to the next. The conservation area statements list unglazed terracotta tile, with slate and corrugated metal on Victorian cottages and rear extensions, so a single house can carry two roofing types. 52 Ernest Street, on council's history walk, has slate tiles with terracotta ridge caps and finials. Concrete and terracotta tile and corrugated or Colorbond metal are all cleaned. Slate roofs are cleaned too, with the method chosen at the inspection.

A hipped roof has faces turned in every direction, and that is where the differences begin. Southern planes get less sun and dry more slowly, and low skillions at the back often sit in the shadow of the main roof, a neighbour or a boundary tree. Growth tends to start in those spots.

Position adds to it. The Pacific Highway follows the ridgeline, with land falling gently east and north-east towards the Warringah Expressway, so roofs in these streets step down the slope in view of one another. Those near Falcon Street or the highway also sit beside major roads, where a film of traffic grime settles on the surface and can give organic growth something to hold.

Inspection comes first on every job, and only then is a soft wash or controlled pressure cleaning chosen. Mention any loose chimney pots or cracked flashing you already know about.

Crows Nest roofs are increasingly seen from above. Council's planning statement mentions district views from the upper levels of taller buildings, and the approved concept over the metro station runs to towers of 21, 17 and nine storeys. A neighbourhood of low cottages becomes a view for whoever lives or works up there, and a blotchy roof is more obvious from that angle than from the footpath.

Growth removal also buys time. Moss and lichen hold water on the surface, which is hard on older tile and corrugated sheet, and modified roof forms are listed among the things the conservation controls consider uncharacteristic. Looking after the roof you have is simpler than planning any change to it. An anti-mould and lichen treatment is applied after cleaning to slow regrowth.

With the surface clear, the inspection is more useful. A slipped tile, tired flashing around a chimney or rust starting on a rear skillion is far easier to spot, and small repairs can be arranged with your roofer before water reaches a ceiling.

Semi-detached owners get a particular benefit from cleaning at the same time as their neighbour, since a pair of houses reads as one building from the street. Before-and-after photos with each job give landlords and sellers a plain record of what was done.