Gutter clearing meets gardening duties

OneFifty recently carried out a roof clean on a large industrial unit in Swindon. The roof of the building had an unusually high parapet wall which made it hard to see what state the roof might be in. We had been called in because the managing agent had spotted a tree growing above the parapet wall and realised urgent action was required.

Nature finds a way

There were quite a few big trees growing close to the building and a lot of leaves were landing on the roof, completely clogging up the gutters. Over time these had composted, creating a very fertile medium for plants to grow in. Seeds landing on the roof had quickly become embedded in the leaf compost, taken root and flourished.

Director Andy Morris said; “It's actually not uncommon to find plants, and even trees, growing on roofs and in gutters that are not regularly cleaned. This is because seeds carried on the wind become embedded in accumulated leaves and debris where they take root and often flourish. Obviously, this is not good for the building as water is prevented from flowing along the gutters and away from the building. Water that accumulates on the roof often seeps into the building structure, causing serious long-term damp-related problems."

Roof cleaning and gutter clearance

It was a pretty straightforward project. Thanks to the parapet wall, once they were on the roof our operatives simply required safety lines to carry out the work.

It had actually been quite some time since the roofs had been cleaned so our team rolled up their sleeves and got down to work, using shovels to dig debris out the gutters and then giving the roof a thoroughly good clean. It turned out that the tree that had alerted the agent to the problem in the first place was actually a couple of feet tall!

The agency was delighted with the outcome and have contracted us to carry out regular roof cleaning to prevent a repeat incident.

To find out more about our exterior cleaning services please contact Max or Andy on 0333 234 1445 or email your enquiry and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

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