Commercial Roof Biocide Treatment & Gutter Clearing - Globus Medical, Northampton (NN1 2PT)

Operator on a Nifty articulated MEWP basket beside the Globus Medical UK building in Northampton, branded hire-centre boom in clear view

On 28 May 2026, we carried out a commercial roof biocide treatment and gutter clearing at the Globus Medical UK corporate office, 5 Upper Priory Street, Northampton NN1 2PT. The three connected buildings on the site feature three distinct roof zones in corrugated metal sheet. However, they all share the same problem: heavy lichen growth and gutters blocked by moss. Previously, on 14 May, we conducted a drone survey. We couldn’t provide a quote until we clearly established the scope of the job. As for the work itself, we used a cherry picker (MEWP) to reach the gutter line and roof edge.

The project in summary

Client: Globus Medical UK Ltd (corporate office)
Where: 5 Upper Priory Street, Northampton, NN1 2PT
Survey date: 14 May 2026 (drone survey)
When the job took place: 28 May 2026
Scope: across all three roof zones, we’ve applied biocide soft-wash treatment. We’ve cleared the gutters and provided the client with a guttering condition report.
Access: Cherry picker (MEWP) at the gutter line
How did we do it: Low-pressure biocide soft wash + manual gutter clearance

The tough nut to crack

We had to do our job in a working corporate office across three adjacent buildings. Not only did we have to assess and work precisely on the roof and gutters, but we also couldn’t disrupt activities.

Heavy lichen covered all three corrugated-metal roof areas. Across the sheets and skylight panes, dark, brown-black patches were visible - that’s severe lichen. The kind of stubborn growth that calls for a strong treatment solution.

As expected with such scenarios, the guttering wasn’t looking any better. Moss and organic debris blocked it, and the channels had standing water. Clearing the gutters revealed another issue: extensive rust along their length. In several places, there were actually rust holes through the metal. Of course, we had to show it to the client with clear documentation.

We reached the work area from a cherry picker, which kept us at gutter level for the whole pass.

How did we crack the nut, though

Two weeks before the job, we ran a drone survey to capture the whole layout. We were able to see from all three roof zones the lichen coverage and the gutter lines. Once we had set the scope clearly, we were able to make an informed quote. No one had to go up.

On the set day, we set up a cherry picker (MEWP) to reach the roof edge and gutter line safely. We cleared the gutters by hand and lifted out the moss. Unlike some would expect, we didn’t flush the root mass and debris through the downpipes. Instead, we put them into bags.

Using low-pressure soft wash, we applied a biocide across all three roof zones. The dilution was matched to the severity of the lichen: a stronger 25:1 dilution. To prevent runoff, we protected the downpipes. The client received data sheets for the products used. No, we didn’t use pressure washing on the roof. At all.

We had to photograph the exposed corrosion and rust holes and report them to the client. Our recommendation was to replace all the affected runs with stainless steel.

What was the outcome

We treated all three roof zones with biocide to address the lichen at the root. After clearing the gutters of moss and debris, we didn’t wash them into the downpipes; we bagged them. We were able to complete the day’s work from a cherry picker.

For those who don’t know, the biocide is activated by rainfall. Therefore, 6 to 12 months after our work, the lichen will continue to die back. We plan to record the result and run a follow-up drone survey.

Interested in commercial roof treatment or gutter clearing?

Have recent photos of the building? Send them to us, along with your postcode. Once we see them, we can suggest access, methods, and a transparent estimate. Is it a larger commercial site? We will start with a free, on-site quote visit. If it’s a tall or multi-roof building, we will give our estimate after a drone survey. Call 07307 358765.

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Related Services

Roof Cleaning - full service details and pricing from £600
Gutter Cleaning - residential and commercial gutter clearing
Commercial Exterior Cleaning - dedicated commercial service for Northamptonshire
View all projects - more before-and-after case studies

Project Images

Aerial drone top-down view of three connected flat commercial roof zones with rectangular skylight panels — Drone survey two weeks before the job - the darker rectangular panels are the skylights worst affected by lichen growth.

Oblique drone view of the valley between two roof bays of the Globus Medical building with skylights and shadow line — The valley between two bays - rainwater funnels here so debris and moss settle in this gutter line faster than the rest.

Close oblique drone view of corrugated metal roof panels showing rectangular lichen colonies on the clear skylight panels — Close drone shot revealing the corrugated profile - lichen had colonised every clear skylight on every bay.

View from one roof across two more building bays behind with characteristic blue capping and lichen patches on panels — Looking back across the three connected roofs - the dark rectangles are lichen colonies, not panel colour.

Nifty articulated boom MEWP unit HC6747 from hirecentres.com parked in the Globus Medical car park with the green-lime boom and yellow basket — MEWP delivered the day before - articulated boom with the reach we needed for the highest skylights on all three buildings.

Operator in green hi-vis on the MEWP basket platform with metal safety rail in the foreground, STOP sign in the car park below — Safe access set up - cherry-picker basket positioned at gutter level with the operator harnessed in for the full pass.

Low-angle view looking up at the operator on the MEWP basket with the green hire-centre boom against sky and the Globus Medical facade behind — Looking up from ground level - the articulated boom positioned the operator straight over the gutter line.

Wide site view with a skip container and works van in the foreground, the MEWP centred and the Globus Medical facade lit in afternoon sun — Site context shot - the skip took the bagged gutter debris and the works van carried the soft-wash kit.

Wider view of the MEWP with boom fully extended and the operator at gutter level beside the two-storey Globus Medical corporate frontage — Boom at full reach - two storeys plus the gutter line puts the working height above six metres, comfortable for this articulated boom.

View from behind the MEWP with a white directional arrow on the tarmac and the operator on the basket reaching the building gutter line — From the rear of the unit - the boom angles over the building line so the operator works the gutter from above.

Boom in working position with the Globus Medical frontage behind - this single frame captures the equipment, the client and the day in one shot.

Operator-eye view from the ridge of the front bay across two more roof bays with four large skylight panels and blue capping — Eye-level view from the front ridge - the same three bays the drone surveyed, now from where the work actually happens.

Panoramic view of the front roof from the cherry-picker basket showing wide brown-black lichen patches across cream corrugated panels — Front roof from the MEWP - the contrast between clear panel cream and lichen-stained panels was consistent across all three roofs.

Top-down view of a corrugated roof panel with heavy black-green lichen bands and a vertical white streak of biocide foam being applied — Biocide soft wash going down at 25:1 dilution - the chemistry does the work; visible colour change happens over 6 to 12 months.

Spray plume of biocide solution captured mid-air landing on the corrugated roof panels with blue parapet and overhanging trees behind — Plume mid-air - low pressure means a wider fan, slower travel, and biocide stays where it lands instead of bouncing off the panels.

Operator hand holding a low-pressure spray wand applying vertical streaks of biocide foam down a corrugated metal roof panel with the blue parapet behind — The spray wand at close range - fan-pattern nozzle, walking the biocide solution down each corrugated ridge one stroke at a time.

Landscape view of a corrugated roof panel with white biocide foam coverage along each ridge and the characteristic blue parapet trim above — Coverage check - biocide laid down evenly across every ridge before the dwell phase, ready for the rinse pass.

Strictly vertical top-down view of the ridge joining two corrugated panel slopes with screw fixings and pale residual biocide spots — Ridge detail with fixings visible - biocide reaches every joint, and the white spotting is dried product that reactivates with each rainfall.

Close-up of the gutter edge between wall and corrugated roof with a thick mass of green-black moss in the corner — Years of build-up in the gutter line - moss, leaf litter, and seed debris settled where rainwater couldn't run them out.

The same gutter section viewed from a more oblique angle with adjacent trees and the wall context visible — Same gutter from another angle - the trees overhead make this stretch a magnet for falling debris all year round.

Top-down view of a metal trowel resting in the moss mass with a black debris bag open ready for collection — Manual scoop with a metal trowel - the only way to lift the bulk safely without flushing debris down towards the downpipes.

A gloved hand with a visible tattoo pulling a clump of moss with its root mat out of the gutter, debris bag alongside — Pulling out a root mat by hand - moss roots cling to the metal, so they need physical removal before the gutter can drain freely again.

Close view of a gutter completely filled with brown mud and organic debris with a red and white plastic scoop blade resting in the middle — Mid-clear shot - the layer of mud beneath the moss had been holding standing water against the gutter base, accelerating the rust underneath.

First-person view of both gloved hands holding a white plastic scoop loaded with mud above an open black debris bag on the roof panel — Operator-eye view of a scoop loaded with wet debris on its way to the bag - this is the unglamorous middle of any gutter clearing job.

A scoop lifted vertically holding a compact block of wet mud out of the gutter line during clearing — Lifting a compact mud block clear - the soil-density material at the bottom is what blocks gutter outlets long after the moss is gone.

Close-up showing a clear division between a freshly cleared rust-yellow section of gutter and an adjacent section still full of dark mud — Progress shot - one half cleared, the other still to go. The exposed rust started to tell us the second half of the story.

Operator in a hi-vis vest leaning over an almost-emptied gutter section with one hand braced on the corrugated panel — Final pass on a section - the operator works the corners by hand to lift the last fines that a scoop can't reach.

Longitudinal view of an emptied gutter showing extensive brown-orange rust along the full surface and stagnant water at the base — Gutter emptied - and the reason we recommended replacement reveals itself: continuous rust end-to-end and water that no longer drains cleanly.

Long oblique view of an old gutter free of debris but with severe brown rust corrosion and visible perforations through the metal — Same gutter further along - the perforations alone make any further cleaning a stopgap. Replacement to stainless steel was the only durable fix.

Oblique view of a gutter corner section with remaining mud at the base and the yellow-green MEWP basket in the foreground — Working from the basket - keeping the access platform close lets the operator handle delicate corners without disturbing fixings.

Dramatic close-up of an irregular star-shaped hole rusted through the gutter metal with brown timber fascia visible below — A single rust hole at close range - water already finds a faster path through the metal than along it, soaking the fascia below.

Side-by-side composite showing the rusted gutter on the left and a proposed clean stainless steel gutter insert on the right — Before-and-after visualisation we sent with the report - stainless steel inserts under the same blue capping, no more rust to manage.

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