Commercial Warehouse Roof, Cladding and Gutter Cleaning - Desborough (Kettering Area)

Our portfolio in the Kettering area, Northamptonshire, includes comprehensive, end-to-end cleaning for an expansive commercial warehouse and distribution facility on Desborough Industrial Estate. We only needed 3 days to complete cleaning the metal cladding and roof, clear the gutters and box gutters, and clean the solar panels with pure water. For the high-level work, we used MEWP (cherry picker) access.

The project, at a glance

• Where: Desborough, Kettering area, Northamptonshire
• Site type: Warehouse and distribution facility
• How long did it take us: 3 days
• The scope: Cladding, roof, gutters, solar panels
• Methods: Soft washing, pressure washing, pure water cleaning, DDAC biocide
• What access method we’ve used: MEWP / cherry picker

What was the Challenging part

It didn’t take us long to understand that cleaning the facility wasn’t a walk in the park. Across various surfaces, several problems required our attention. Plus, we had to work as quickly as possible.

From the road, the building looked dull and poorly maintained. It was pretty understandable why - green algae soiling had accumulated across the wall cladding panels. Moss, algae, and debris covered the roof sheeting. Not only do they retain moisture, but they also accelerate weathering. With roof contamination, blocked guttering was no surprise to us. Silt, moss, and leaf debris partially blocked standard perimeter gutters and box gutters - enough to cause overflow and water staining down the cladding below.

The solar panels were mounted on the roof. It only made sense that grime, bird droppings, and organic film would be found across their glass surfaces. As for the roof-level walkways and access routes, they were all slippery with moss and algae. Maintenance access posed a real safety concern - as it should.

Our strategy

We set up cherry picker access around the building perimeter to safely reach the upper cladding, roofline area, and guttering. Obviously, we started with protecting the surrounding surfaces and managing runoff.

Our goal was to remove organic growth and general soiling without damaging paint finishes or sealant joints. The best way to do it was to soft-wash the wall cladding. We went systematically around the building, aiming for even coverage and no streaking.

We cleaned the roof sheeting and made sure that all moss, algae, and debris were gone. Perimeter gutters and box gutters were next. After clearing the blockages, we flushed and inspected the flow. To restore a safe grip on the roof walkways, we treated them too.

For the solar panels, we used a pure water-fed pole system. Deionised water works best because it removes grime without leaving mineral deposits on the glass. Basically, we restored the panels’ energy output without risking the panel coatings at all.

We followed the cleaning by applying a DDAC biocide across the cladding and roof surfaces. It’s how we slow organic growth and keep surfaces looking good between maintenance cycles.

As for our results…

Across all elevations, the metal cladding had a clean, uniform finish once again. We removed moss and algae from the roof sheeting to reduce moisture retention, and cleaned the roof walkways for safe future maintenance access. Our teams cleared and flushed the gutters and box gutters, ensuring proper drainage flow. For improved output, we cleaned the solar panels and removed all grime and bird droppings, and to slow regrowth on the cladding and roof surfaces, we applied a DDAC biocide. Without disrupting site operations, we completed the complex project in 3 days, as scheduled.

Related Services

• Cladding and Facade Cleaning
• Roof Cleaning
• Gutter Cleaning
• Solar Panel Cleaning
• Commercial Exterior Cleaning