Roof painting

The roof is not leaking. But it is faded, uneven in colour, and the north-facing surfaces have taken on a greenish-black tinge that does not disappear even after a wet winter. You have had a quote for a new roof, and you have set it aside again — that figure belongs to a different conversation than the one you meant to have this year.

For many roofs, painting is the middle step that exists between leaving it as it is and replacing it. But only when it is done as a system, not as a coat of paint.

What we actually do

Roof painting is three jobs that must happen in order. Skip the first, and the other two are wasted.

Stage 1 — cleaning. Full roof cleaning using the softwash method: low pressure, an algae-killing agent left to work, mechanical removal of thick moss first. All surfaces, hips, ridge edges and valley gutters. Gutters and downpipes are cleaned and checked. This is not preparatory work we can shorten to save time — paint bonds to what it is applied on, and if it is applied on algae, it bonds to the algae.

Stage 2 — inspection and repair. Loose and cracked roof tiles are straightened or replaced by agreement. We go over penetrations, chimneys and roof windows. If the roof is in too poor a condition to paint, we say so here — it is cheaper for you to hear it at the inspection than to discover it in three years.

Stage 3 — priming and two coats. The facade, windows, terrace, plants and flower beds are covered. Primer is chosen according to the roof's material and condition, and applied to a dry surface at the right temperature. Then two coats of topcoat, with coverage checked between coats. Chimneys, roof windows, vent caps and ridge edges are treated separately, because it is the edges and penetrations that give away a rushed job.

Finally, we tidy up, remove the waste, and you receive photo documentation from every stage — from how the roof looked, through the cleaning, to the finished result.

Why it pays off

A painted roof is a protected roof. The surface treatment on concrete roof tiles is what makes the tile repel water rather than absorb it. Once that treatment has worn away after twenty to thirty years, the tile begins to take up moisture, and moisture in roof tiles in winter means frost damage. Applying a new surface before that process has gone far extends the roof's lifespan substantially.

Then there is the economics. Roof painting is a substantial job, but it sits in an entirely different order of magnitude than a full re-roofing — and for a roof that is technically sound but worn on the surface, it buys many extra years.

And for the property's value: the roof is the first thing a buyer sees from the road, and it is the single part of the house it is most costly to be wrong about.

How often should you have it done?

Rarely. Done properly, with cleaning, priming and two coats, we are talking about a treatment that lasts many years. In between, a roof clean every 3–5 years keeps the result in good order — moss on a painted roof surface holds moisture in exactly the same way as on an untreated one.

How long does it take?

Several days. Cleaning, drying time, priming, drying time and two coats cannot be compressed, and each stage requires dry weather. You will receive a schedule with dates as part of the fixed-price quote.

Book an inspection for roof painting — you receive the fixed price in writing, and we do not begin until you have approved it.