What we clean
- Every roof panel, glass or polycarbonate, on the outside
- The glazing bars and end caps, where green film and moss build up first
- The ridge and the box gutter, cleared by hand where it can be reached
- The conservatory's own small gutter and its outlet
- Side windows, frames and sills, so the whole room matches
How we do it
Most conservatory roofs are cleaned with a long water-fed pole and a soft brush, working from the ground. The water is purified, so it dries clear without the smears tap water and washing-up liquid leave behind. Where the roof is too deep to reach from the ground, we work from a ladder against a solid part of the structure, not the panels.
We don't use a pressure washer on conservatory roofs. High pressure can force water past the seals and lift the end caps, and on older polycarbonate it can scratch the surface.
Glass or polycarbonate?
Glass roofs come up bright again once the film is off. Polycarbonate sheets (the ribbed, slightly cloudy ones) clean up well too, but if the sheet itself has gone yellow or brittle from years of sun, no cleaning will make it clear. We'll tell you that at the quote rather than after the job.
Moss inside the flutes? Twin-wall polycarbonate can grow algae inside the channels where the end tape has failed. That is inside the sheet, so it can't be washed out from above. We'll point it out if we see it.
How long does a conservatory roof clean take?
Most domestic conservatory roofs are done in a single visit, usually within a morning or an afternoon. A large orangery, a heavily green roof or one that needs the box gutter clearing by hand takes longer. We tell you roughly how long when we quote, so you know what to expect.
Do you need to be home?
Not usually. The work is all outside, so as long as we can get into the back garden we can clean the roof while you're out. Leave the side gate unlocked or tell us the code, and let us know about any pets. We'll send you a message when it's done.
Will cleaning stop leaks?
No, and we won't pretend it will. Cleaning sometimes helps when a blocked gutter is overflowing, because clearing it lets water drain away. But a leak through a failed seal, a slipped panel or a cracked sheet is a repair job for a conservatory specialist. If we spot something like that while cleaning, we'll tell you.
Roof lanterns and orangeries
Roof lanterns on flat-roof extensions and the glass roofs on orangeries are cleaned the same way: soft brushes and pure water on a long pole, from the ground or from a ladder on a solid wall. Nobody stands on the flat roof or the glass. Our guide on how to clean a roof lantern explains why.
How to keep it clean for longer
The green comes back fastest where the roof stays damp. Cutting back overhanging branches, clearing the conservatory gutter every autumn and brushing off fallen leaves all slow it down. Our post on why conservatory roofs go green goes into the causes.
Getting a quote
Send us a photo of the conservatory from the garden on WhatsApp, with your postcode. Tell us whether the roof is glass or polycarbonate if you know, and whether there's a gate. We'll come back with a price and a rough idea of when we can do it.