How to Clean Your Roof Correctly

Cleaning your roof can give your house a polished look that doesn’t cost as much as getting a new one. Not every roof needs cleaned every year, but with Ohio’s high summer humidity and unpredictable weather, mold and mildew can build up quickly. We highly recommend that homeowners call a roofing professional when cleaning, since any time spent on the roof is a high-risk situation. And, typically a professional roof cleaning isn’t as expensive as homeowners think. If you do decide that a DIY method is best for you, here are some things you should know:

Remove Debris

Debris is often lightweight and can be removed with just your hands. As always, if you’re getting on top of your roof, make sure you are following proper safety protocol and wearing durable gloves. If your roof pitch is more than 7/12 on a single-story shingle roof, 6/12 on a two-story shingle roof or 5/12 on a metal roof, do not walk on it under any circumstances! Call a roofing professional instead. If your roof is a safe pitch, you can also use a soft broom to brush off debris, just make sure not to apply too much pressure to the broom. Another way to remove debris from the roof is with a blower. Although this does eliminate some of the walking and bending over that other methods entail, this method can cause debris to end up in vents, garage spaces and the attic since you aren’t in control of where debris lands. This method is also dangerous for shingle roofs – it can break the adhesive between shingles and remove granules. Only use this method if you can be sure that you can blow the debris from the ridgeline, or top of the roof, down.

Clean Streaking and Algae

Dark streaks are a type of algae that live off the minerals in your roof shingles. Algae thrives in moisture and is commonly found when roofing is in shaded areas. To remove staining you will need to apply a cleaning solution to your roof. There are two main ways to clean streaking off a roof – pressure washing and chemical cleaning. Pressure washing uses highly pressurized water to remove mold, grime and algae. This method is only acceptable for metal or concrete roofs because the water pressure can damage shingles. Chemical cleaning is also an option to remove streaking and algae, but make sure that you take into consideration chemical runoff and potential residue damages.

Get Rid of Moss

Most of the time, hosing off your roof and gently scraping the surface with a long-handled, soft-bristle scrub brush can remove moss. In extreme cases when moss has become a large issue, a chemical cleaning can also remove and prevent moss from coming back.

Roofing Experts

We take pride in giving each of our customers a roof that complements and properly protects their home. If you need help with anything from cleaning to a roof renovation, call Enterprise Roofing today at 937-453-3933. Our roofing professionals provide unmatched attention to detail to every aspect of every project.