Stroke an old fabric hood and you may feel a rough, almost furry texture where green algae has settled in, and in a downpour the cloth goes dark rather than shedding beads of water. Either one tells you the proofing has worn away. Roofs are cleaned by hand wherever the car is parked, drive or street. Canvas and mohair-type hoods go through cleaning, drying and then reproofing. A vinyl roof is already waterproof, so it gets a clean followed by a UV protectant instead.
Melbourne and its surrounding villages are all on our list, and the van brings water and power along. While the hood is being done, we also clear the channels that drain rain away from the roof well. The rear window gets gentle handling, because a plastic screen picks up scratches much more readily than glass. Pricing begins at £50 and depends on the type of roof and the state it is in.
What Melbourne's weather does to a fabric roof
Around Melbourne a fabric roof is wet for long stretches of the year. There are 148 wet days on average and 778mm of rainfall, and from October to January humidity never drops below 84%, so a hood that drinks in one shower can still be damp days later. Those conditions suit moss and green algae, above all on cars standing under garden trees or alongside a hedge that sheds leaves and sap on top. When the growth works its way into the weave, it keeps moisture pressed against the seams and the fabric wears out sooner.
Cold weather adds a second risk. Each year the area sees 31 air frost nights on average and 6.4 days of snow, and any water trapped in grubby, unproofed cloth turns to ice and swells within the fibres. A hood that has been cleaned and freshly reproofed lets that water run off before it settles. Flats make up only 6.4% of homes in the Census 2021 neighbourhood (MSOA) that contains Melbourne, which suggests most soft tops round here are kept outside on a drive and not under cover.
Melbourne at a glance
| Distance from our base | 5.9 miles by road (4 miles as the crow flies), about 13 minutes off-peak, south of DE24 5BN |
|---|---|
| Postcode districts | DE73 |
| Rain | 778 mm a year, with 148 days of 1 mm or more |
| Frost | 31 air frost nights a year on average |
| Height at the centre | about 66 m above sea level at the centre point |
Census 2021 figures cover the Census 2021 neighbourhood that contains Melbourne. Sources: ONS, postcodes.io, OpenStreetMap, Open-Meteo (2015 to 2024).
Roof treatments around Melbourne and DE73
Soft top cleaning and treatment are available in Melbourne and Woodhouses, and out to King's Newton, Wilson, Ticknall, Stanton by Bridge, Ingleby, Barrow upon Trent and Swarkestone, all within DE73. Please have the roof raised and latched, with clear space to walk right round the car. Working on a drive is simplest, and around seven homes in ten across the Census area are detached or semi-detached, though a legal roadside space works fine when the weather is dry. Because the hood has to be dry when the proofer goes on and for several hours afterwards, a wet forecast may mean we suggest a different day.
Neighbourhoods
Nearby villages
What Your Convertible Top Treatment Includes
- ✓ Hood inspected for wear and seam condition
- ✓ Fabric or vinyl pre-soak and gentle agitation
- ✓ Moss, algae and staining treated
- ✓ Thorough rinse and drying time
- ✓ Fabric hoods reproofed, vinyl given UV protection
- ✓ Rear screen cleaned with care
- ✓ Seals and drain channels cleared
- ✓ Aftercare advice for your hood type
When to book and how to look after the hood
Late spring and early autumn are the windows to aim for. By April and May, humidity in Melbourne has dropped back to 76% and frosts are mostly over, so the proofer gets the dry hours it needs to set. A treatment in early September readies the roof for winter before October pushes humidity up to 84%. Try not to book right after several wet days in a row, as fabric soaked all the way through won't take the proofer as it should.
Between visits, sweep leaves, sap and bird mess off gently with a soft brush before they leave marks. A fabric hood should never go through an automatic car wash, and a pressure washer should be kept well away from the seams and the rear screen. Once the autumn leaves have come down, look at the roof drains and clear them. For a car that stays outdoors over winter, a breathable cover does a much better job than a plastic sheet, which holds condensation against the roof.
From Our Google Reviews
"Absolutely incredible. Came in the afternoon, saw the state of my Jeep and did an unbelievable job. The idea of cleaning that car had been weighing on me for a while and these guys made it so easy. They made sure they did the job right, and saved me so much money compared to the other quotes I had. Thank you."
Convertible Top Treatment in Melbourne: Questions
In most cases, yes. The growth is brushed out of the weave using the right brushes and cleaner, rinsed away, and the fabric is left to dry fully before the proofer goes on. If moss has been there for years, a light stain may stay behind, and badly worn cloth might not get its first colour back. A new coat of proofing leaves algae far less to cling to.
It is close to the limit. October humidity here is 84%, November's is 87%, and the dry spells get shorter, which makes it harder for the proofer to cure. For autumn work, early to mid September is the safer choice. An October clean can still be worth doing, leaving the reproofing until late spring if the weather won't cooperate.
Yes, plastic rear screens are handled with extra caution. We use soft cloths and cleaners suited to the material, nothing abrasive, because plastic marks much more readily than glass. They are never rubbed while dry, and the brush used on the fabric never touches them. A screen that is already cloudy or crazed will look better after cleaning, though it may not come back completely clear.
More Services in Melbourne
Convertible Top Treatment Nearby
- Convertible Top Treatment in Swarkestone 1.8 miles north-west
- Convertible Top Treatment in Ticknall 2 miles west
- Convertible Top Treatment in Weston-on-Trent 2.1 miles north-east
- Convertible Top Treatment in Aston-on-Trent 3 miles north-east
- Convertible Top Treatment in Chellaston 3.3 miles north
- Convertible Top Treatment in Castle Donington 4.1 miles east