01293922243
01293922243
Skyhawk Exterior Cleaning was contacted by the team at RSPB Pulborough Brooks Wildlife Sanctuary to carry out a roof survey on their historic barn buildings overlooking the wetlands.
These barns are old, characterful structures set within one of the UK’s most important bird reserves. Due to the environmentally sensitive location and the surrounding wildlife habitats, strict instructions were given:
No chemicals were to be used anywhere on site.
This immediately shaped our approach.
In most projects, we would carry out a manual moss removal followed by an application of professional-grade biocide (such as BAC50) to kill residual spores and prevent rapid regrowth.
However, in this case, chemical treatment — even environmentally compliant products — was not considered best practice due to the proximity of protected species and water systems.
The priority therefore shifted from long-term sterilisation to:
✔ Removing damaging moss weight
✔ Protecting the structural integrity of the roof
✔ Maintaining complete environmental compliance
We opted for a carefully controlled, low-pressure cold water wash system.
This allowed us to:
Over the course of a full week on site, with a dedicated team, we removed:
Well over 3 tonnes of wet moss from the barn roofs.
The volume alone highlights the risk the structure was under. Wet moss can hold significant water weight, increasing strain on fixings, battens, and the roof structure beneath.
The sanctuary remained open to visitors throughout the project.
We therefore had to:
This required constant communication, flexibility, and strict safety management.
Despite not using chemical treatment, the visual transformation was dramatic.
While the lichen will not be chemically neutralised (as it would be under a biocide programme), the roof is now in a far safer and healthier condition.