1
Inspection
We check tile condition, valleys and pointing first, and photograph anything cracked or corroded before we touch it.
Dulux Accredited Applicator
Roof Cleaning
in Thornbury.
Thornbury's Edwardian weatherboard homes mostly wear original terracotta, and old, weathered tiles like these need a gentle hand.
10-Year Warranty
Melbourne & Surrounding Suburbs
4.9 Rating | Google Reviews
10yr Warranty
Fully Insured
Family Owned
Postcode3071
RegionNorthern Suburbs
Common roof stockTerracotta tile · Concrete tile
NCC climate zoneZone 6
Roof Cleaning · Thornbury
What's really growing on Thornbury roofs
Thornbury's Edwardian weatherboard homes mostly wear original terracotta, and old, weathered tiles like these need a gentle hand. A soft wash is the right approach: a biocide treatment kills moss, lichen and mould at the root, then a low-pressure wash lifts it away without stripping the tile surface. High pressure cracks fragile old tiles and has no place on these roofs. Thornbury's mature street trees along Station Street and toward the Merri Creek also drop into gutters and valleys, so we clear those as part of the job. On the concrete-tile infill homes, the same gentle method brings the colour back.
Thornbury's slightly more open blocks let more sun reach the roof than the tighter terraces further south, but shaded pitches near mature trees still hold enough moisture for moss to establish.
Local roof weather
Roof weather in Thornbury
With rain falling on around ~125 days a year and shaded, south-facing pitches staying damp, moss and lichen take hold quickly on Thornbury roofs.
~125
rain days a year
days with measurable rain
November
wettest month
when leaks show up most
~6
days over 35°C
thermal stress on coatings
Extreme (11–13)
summer UV
fades tile coatings
Melbourne UV now:
Now in Thornbury: °C,
Annual rainfall: 750–800 mmest.
Climate normals (2015–2024) from Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis — gridded reanalysis, so rainfall is an estimate that runs a little high versus long-term gauge averages. Live UV from ARPANSA, live conditions from Open-Meteo.
The process
How a True Roof soft wash works
2
Treat
A biocide treatment is applied so moss and lichen are killed at the root, not just wiped off the top.
3
Soft wash
Low-pressure washing lifts the dead growth and grime without driving water under the tiles or stripping the surface.
4
Clear & check
We flush the wash debris out of the gutters and do a final check so you are left with a clean roof and clear downpipes.
Roof types in Thornbury
Soft washing suits terracotta and concrete tile roofs and older, more fragile tiles that high pressure would damage. Colorbond and metal roofs are washed even more gently. If a roof is due for more than a clean, we will flag whether sealing or restoration is the better spend.
Our standard
Our cleaning crews are fully insured, and any repair work we recommend is backed by a 7-Year Workmanship Guarantee and a 10-Year Dulux Acratex Material Warranty.
Real Results
Before & After.
Every roof we restore is a masterclass in transformation. Swipe to see what's possible.
What affects your price
What drives the cost of cleaning in Thornbury
- Whether the roof is fragile period terracotta or hardier concrete tile.
- The amount of moss and leaf debris in valleys and gutters.
- Access, generally more straightforward on Thornbury's wider blocks.
The Hidden Cost of Moss
Clean it now. Replace it never.
| Soft Wash Clean from $750 | Tile Replacement + Re-roof $8,000 – $20,000+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Removes moss, lichen, and algae at the root | ||
| Preserves manufacturer tile warranty | ||
| Safe, no high-pressure tile fracturing | ||
| Completed without disrupting the household | ||
| Restores tile porosity and water run-off | ||
| Prevents pointing deterioration beneath the moss |
Moss is not cosmetic. It is structural damage in slow motion.
Lichen and moss anchor into tile surfaces and hold moisture against them 24 hours a day. That constant dampness accelerates freeze-thaw micro-cracking through Melbourne winters, erodes pointing mortar, and quietly voids the tile manufacturer's warranty. Most homeowners find out the hard way when tiles start fracturing or when their insurer queries maintenance records after a claim. A soft wash costs a fraction of one tile replacement row and it buys back years of tile life.
We'll tell you honestly whether a clean is all you need, or if there's more going on.
Current offer · Thornbury
Save $250
Thornbury roof cleaning — your questions
Yes — it's the safe choice. Soft washing does the work chemically at low pressure, so Thornbury's fragile period terracotta is cleaned without the cracking high pressure causes.
Yes — it's a common job for us given how much original terracotta is still on the roofs here. We plan the wash around your specific tile condition.
Cleaning reveals problems like cracked tiles or failed pointing, but it doesn't repair them. If we spot something during the wash we photograph it and quote the fix separately.
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