We travel the north mainland regularly
Brae is a normal part of our working area rather than an exception, and we plan work in the area so travel does not dominate the cost.
Brae, Shetland
Roof Cleaning & PropertyMaintenance in Braeand the North Mainland
Brae property takes weather from both sides of a narrow isthmus. We clean roofs, walls and gutters and carry out the repair work behind them, travelling up from Lerwick.
17 years' property experience · Lerwick-based team · Free, no-obligation estimate
17 years' experience
In Shetland property
Shetland coverage
Lerwick-based team
Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm
Local office hours
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Local Relevance
Working in Brae
Brae sits on the narrow neck of land between Busta Voe and Sullom Voe on the north mainland, roughly half an hour north of our Lerwick base on the A970. It is one of the larger settlements outside Lerwick, and it is the natural centre for a wide area of the north mainland.
The wind here is the defining feature. With water on both sides and very little shelter, properties in and around Brae get driven rain from almost any direction, and the difference between a well-maintained roof and a neglected one shows up faster than it would in a sheltered valley.
Housing in the area reflects the growth that came with Sullom Voe: a good deal of 1970s and 1980s stock alongside older crofting properties, farm and agricultural buildings, and more recent private builds. Larger plots and open sites are common, which usually makes access for cleaning and roof work easier than it is in a tight town centre.
Because we come up from Lerwick, we tend to plan Brae work efficiently: quoting, scheduling and, where owners in the area are doing work at similar times, grouping visits. If you are in Brae, Voe, Muckle Roe or the surrounding north mainland, it is worth telling us what else needs doing while we are there.
Getting to Brae
We are based at 68 Commercial Street in Lerwick, so Brae is served directly by our own team rather than by a subcontractor brought in from elsewhere. Brae is roughly half an hour north of Lerwick on the A970, and we travel up regularly for both cleaning and maintenance work.
We do not publish a guaranteed response time, because we would rather give you a real date than a marketing promise. Call 01595 747045 during office hours and we will tell you honestly when we can be at the property, and whether the work is weather-dependent.
Property types we work on in Brae
- 1970s and 1980s housing built through the Sullom Voe years
- Older crofting houses and steadings
- Agricultural and outbuilding structures
- Newer private builds on open plots
- Let and staff accommodation
- Community and commercial buildings serving the north mainland
What we are usually called for here
- Wind-driven moss and lichen removed from exposed roofs
- Gutters cleared and downpipes checked after gales
- Render and cladding softwashed rather than blasted
- Storm damage to roofing repaired
- External joinery repairs on weather-beaten elevations
- Insulation work as part of wider improvements
Services Here
Services available in Brae
Every service below is carried out by our own team. Follow any of them for the full detail on methods, process and cost.
Roof Cleaning in Brae
Moss and lichen stripped from roofs that take weather from both voes.
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Roof Coating in Brae
Protective coating after cleaning, worthwhile on the most exposed elevations.
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Gutter Cleaning in Brae
Gutters and downpipes cleared and checked after the gale season.
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Softwashing in Brae
Low-pressure cleaning for render and cladding on wind-driven walls.
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Driveway Cleaning in Brae
Drives, paths and yard areas cleaned back to a safe, even surface.
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Joinery in Brae
Repairs to doors, frames, facings and outbuilding timber.
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Insulation in Brae
Insulation work on older north mainland housing, in the correct sequence.
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Roofing in Brae
Roofing repairs for storm damage and coverings past cleaning.
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Woodworm Treatment in Brae
Treatment of affected timber in older crofting properties and steadings.
View serviceWhy Us
Why property owners in Brae call us
Exposure priced honestly
Open sites make access easier but the weather harder. We tell you what we would expect for a property in that position rather than quoting a sheltered-site result.
One team, several trades
Cleaning, joinery, roofing, insulation and woodworm treatment are all handled in-house, which is worth more the further you are from town.
17 years in Shetland property
David Arthur built the team out of estate agency and property management, so the recommendation is based on what the building needs over years, not what fits a day.
We do not publish job counts, response-time guarantees, accreditations or warranty claims for Brae, because we have not been given verified figures to publish and will not invent them. What we can tell you is documented above: where we are based, how long David Arthur has worked in Shetland property, that the work is done by our own team, and that the estimate is free.
Local Conditions
The problems Brae property actually has
Wind from two directions
With Busta Voe on one side and Sullom Voe on the other, Brae properties rarely have a consistently sheltered elevation. Driven rain reaches walls and roof junctions that would stay dry elsewhere, and water gets into places a vertical drop never would.
In practice this means details matter: flashings, verges, ridge fixings, gutter joints and the seal around openings. Cleaning reveals the state of those details, which is often the most valuable part of the visit.
1970s and 1980s housing reaching an age
A lot of the housing built through the Sullom Voe period is now at the stage where original roof coverings, rainwater goods and external joinery are at or beyond their expected life.
That is not a crisis, but it does change the right answer. On a roof that is genuinely worn, cleaning it makes it look better without making it last longer. We will say so rather than take the cleaning job.
Gutters and open sites
Open, windy sites fill gutters differently: less leaf litter, more grit, moss fragments and wind-blown debris, often packed tight at the outlets rather than spread along the run.
Because it is compacted, it does not clear itself in heavy rain the way loose debris sometimes does. Downpipes block at the top, gutters overflow at the joints and the water lands against the wall.
Outbuildings and steadings that get forgotten
Older crofting properties and agricultural buildings around Brae often have timber and roofing that has been quietly deteriorating for years, because nobody looks at a shed the way they look at a house.
Those structures are usually cheap to keep and expensive to replace. A day of joinery and roofing repairs on an outbuilding routinely saves a rebuild later, and it is the sort of work our maintenance team was built for.
Our Process
How a Brae job runs from first call to finished work
Step 01
Tell us about the property
Call or send the form with the property type, its location and what needs doing. It takes a couple of minutes and costs nothing.
Step 02
We assess and price it
We look at the roof, walls, gutters or grounds, work out the right method for that building, and give you a clear price for the work.
Step 03
The work gets done
Our own team carries out the cleaning or maintenance work, tidies up, and tells you plainly about anything else we found while we were there.
Coverage
Brae and the areas around it
We cover the Shetland Islands and Orkney from our office at 68 Commercial Street, Lerwick. If you are near Brae, we almost certainly cover you too, ask.
Full service detail is on our cleaning & property maintenance services pages, and you can reach us any time through the estimate form below.
Questions
Brae: the things people ask first
Do you serve Brae?
Yes. Brae and the surrounding north mainland are part of our regular working area, served from our base in Lerwick.
How fast can you reach Brae?
Brae is around half an hour north of Lerwick by road. We do not publish a guaranteed response time: availability depends on our schedule and the weather. Call 01595 747045 during office hours for a real date.
Does it cost more because Brae is further from Lerwick?
We price each job on what it involves, including access and travel. Grouping work, doing the roof, gutters and any repairs in one visit, is the practical way to keep travel from being a significant part of the cost.
Do you offer emergency call-outs in Brae?
We work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm and do not advertise a 24-hour service. For urgent storm damage, call during office hours and we will be straight with you about when we can attend.
What does roof cleaning cost in Brae?
It depends on the roof: size, pitch, covering, growth and access. There is no fixed price and we would not quote one without seeing it. The estimate is free and carries no obligation.
Can you work on agricultural and outbuildings?
Yes. Steadings, sheds and outbuildings are common work for us around Brae, both for cleaning and for joinery and roofing repairs.
My roof is 40 years old: is cleaning worth it?
Sometimes not. If the covering is worn out, cleaning improves the appearance without extending the life. We will tell you if repair or replacement is the better spend rather than sell you a wash.
Is softwashing suitable in such an exposed spot?
Yes, and it is usually the right method. Exposed render and cladding are more vulnerable to pressure damage, not less, so low-pressure cleaning protects the surface you are trying to improve.
Can you do several jobs on one visit?
That is the sensible way to work at this distance. Tell us everything the property needs when you call and we will plan it as one visit where we can.
Free Estimate
Get a free estimate for your Brae property
Tell us what the property needs, roof, gutters, walls, repairs or all of it, and we will plan the visit properly and give you a clear price before we start.
property@arthurandsimpson.com
68 Commercial Street, Lerwick, Shetland ZE2 9EZ
Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm · Closed Sat & Sun
17 years' property experience · Lerwick-based team · Free, no-obligation estimates