Roof cleaning in Hereford — moss off, slate and tile left intact.

Not if the method suits the roof, which is why we look before we quote. The Welsh slate on the Victorian terraces around Whitecross, Barrs Court and Bath Street, and the old handmade clay on the timber-framed buildings in the city centre, get a low-pressure clean or a manual dry moss scrape — never a jet wash, which splits slate and lifts the surface off old clay. The concrete interlocking tile on the post-war and modern estates in Newton Farm, Belmont, Tupsley and Bobblestock is tougher and suits a low-pressure clean. Either way the biocide afterwards is what stops the moss coming back, not the water.

Most roof cleans in Hereford cost £550–£950, including the moss removal, a biocide treatment and a free gutter clean. A semi on one of the south Wye estates usually sits towards the lower end; a big detached house on Aylestone Hill or Broomy Hill, a steep slate roof, or a lot of heavy moss pushes it up. We give a written price the same day after a free survey, there's no deposit, and you pay when the job's done.

Up to two years and often longer, which is what our 2-year guarantee covers. The biocide carries on killing spores after we've gone. Hereford sits low in the Wye basin, with the river and the Lugg Meadows on its doorstep and orchards and mature trees all around, so the air stays damp through autumn and winter. North-facing pitches and roofs under big trees will always green up first. Washing the moss off without treating it buys you about a season.

Yes. Most of the old city inside the line of the medieval walls is a conservation area, and a lot of the buildings around High Town, Church Street, Broad Street, King Street and Castle Green are listed, with roofs of old clay tile and slate. On those we only do a careful low-pressure clean or a hand scrape, and we sheet and rinse to keep biocide off lime mortar and leadwork. Taking moss and algae off doesn't usually need listed building consent because nothing is being altered, but anything that touches the mortar, lead or fixings can, and we'll tell you before we start so you can check with Herefordshire Council's conservation team.

Yes. Gutter cleaning is free with every roof clean, because the moss we take off the roof ends up in the gutters anyway. On its own, gutter cleaning starts from £90 and is typically under £150 for a two-storey house. In a city with this many trees, from the big gardens on Aylestone Hill to the older roads around Broomy Hill, gutters and downpipes can block with leaves and moss within a year or two.

Yes, used properly. We use approved biocides at the manufacturer's dilution and apply them in dry weather so they bond to the roof instead of running off. Pets stay indoors while we apply it and for an hour afterwards, and planted borders are sheeted and watered. The River Wye and the River Lugg are both protected rivers, so on houses near the water at Bartonsham, Hunderton or the riverside roads we take extra care with what comes off the roof and where it drains.

Usually not. Most Hereford roofs are done from ladders or a tower with long-reach tools, so no weight goes on the tiles. On tall Victorian houses and steep slate roofs we use a roof ladder hooked over the ridge to spread the load. We'll tell you at the survey which way we'll work and why.

No. A jet wash forces water up under slates and tiles, strips the surface off clay and concrete and can crack old slate, and it does nothing about the spores, so the moss comes back. We do a low-pressure clean or a manual dry moss scrape, whichever suits the roof, and then treat it with biocide. We'll always tell you which method we're using before we start.

Spring and early autumn are ideal. The biocide needs a dry spell to bond, and doing it then sets the roof up before the damp months when moss grows fastest. We work all year round though, as long as the roof is dry enough on the day.