Monday, March 18, 2024
HomeCleanHow Often Should You Clean Your Roof

How Often Should You Clean Your Roof

Is Roof Cleaning Necessarily

Should You Clean Your Solar Panels? Before/After Testing!

Personally, I do not think roof cleaning is entirely necessary. Its certainly necessary if the person wants the roof to look like new, or is worried about the overall appearance of their property. Its certainly necessary if the person is fed up cleaning out the gutters regularly, because their getting blocked by the moss or its definitely necessary if the person is fed up with sweeping moss from their front door or their patio. But structurally, I dont think its necessary.

There are some people that may argue that a build up of moss can increase the weight on your roof, and that moss can hold water and it can freeze, and create unnecessary strain on your roof. But I havent personally seen an example where a roof has been destroyed because it has not been cleaned. So, personally, to be completely honest, I dont think roof cleaning is entirely necessary, unless you want to improve the appearance of your home, or again, youre fed up with dealing with moss.

Tips To Clean A Metal Roof

A few other factors you may want to keep in mind while cleaning metal roofing include the following:

Deep cleaning isnt required every year with most metal roofs. Since they have high-performing qualities, theyre deficient maintenance. We usually recommend deep cleaning your roof every 2-3 years, depending on your environment, to ensure it looks its best. However, to ensure your roof is able to perform to its best abilities, you should do routine checks multiple times a year. This includes checking for debris, any damages, or other factors that could decrease your metal roofs life expectancy.

It Doubles Your Roofs Lifespan

A new roof is a substantial investment, so of course you dont want to have to replace your roof any sooner than necessary. Regular cleaning can double your tile roofs lifespan. Without regular cleaning and maintenance, your tile roof will not last as long as it should. By having your roof cleaned, you can extend its life expectancy by up to twice its remaining life.

Of course, it is important to make sure your roof cleaning team uses gentle techniques, such as the soft wash process Kelly Roofing uses on our South Florida roofs. Power washing can etch the tile, cut through sealants, make the tile more porous, and make matters worse in the long run.

Don’t Miss: How Much To Repair A Trailer Roof

How Do I Find And Hire A Professional Roof Cleaner

Finding the right roof cleaner can be challenging. At HouseholdQuotes, we can connect you to roof cleaners in your area. Click the button below to tell us more about your project, and well help you find someone quickly and easily:

Comparing Quotes Could Save You Up To 40%:

Once youve found your trader, the search doesnt stop there you should check their online reviews, too. By reading reviews you can get a far better idea of the quality of the company you plan to use, considering their professionalism and competency as well as their overall work ethic.

As a useful starting point, you should ask your friends and neighbours, too. It should be easy enough to see which friends and neighbours have had their roofs cleaned so, why not ask a few of them if they would recommend the contractor who did the work for them?

How To Clean A Metal Roof

CNY Roof Cleaning

Cleaning your metal roof is much easier than you may think. The most important aspect of keeping it clean is safety! Try to wear shoes with good traction, stay off the roof when it is wet, clean as much as you can without walking on it, and never clean your roof alone. Making sure someone else is present when youre attending to your roof is vital, in case you were to fall!

The materials that are best and safest to use on your metal roofing are simple. Choose a soft towel, a sponge, a soft-bristled brush, or another minimally abrasive cleaning tool for scrubbing grime and build up. Like a car, you do not want to use anything that will damage or scratch the top layer of your metal roof. Most buildup should come off of your roof with plain water and a little scrubbing, but if you need soap, its best to use a mild option like laundry detergent or car soap!

To begin cleaning your roof, make sure you have an appropriate ladder. Use the ladder to reach your roof and manually remove as much debris as you can. Leaves, branches, pinecones and pine needles, and other piles of debris are dangers for wear and tear on your metal roof! Its important to rid your roof of these piles and materials each year. If there is debris out of your reach, carefully mount your roof and remove it. Remember, safety first!

Recommended Reading: Will A New Roof Lower My Homeowners Insurance

Falling Leaves And Other Debris

If you often notice leaves or other debris from trees accumulating on your roof, you may want to think about more frequent roof cleanings. Heres why:

When leaves cover your roof, they also trap moisture, which makes it easier for moss, fungi, and bacteria to grow, which can also cause the development of leaks. As we know, excess moisture equals bad news for roofs in the Pacific Northwest!

Should You Clean Or Replace Your Roof

If you’re looking at your roof and thinking it looks a little worse for wear, it might just need a good cleaning. Sometimes, the buildup of algae and moss on a roof can make the shingles look like they are in worse condition than they really are. A professional roofing contractor can inspect your roof and talk to you about its condition. If they think that cleaning it is the best option, they can either do the work themselves or direct you to a reputable roof cleaning company.

If it does turn out that your roof needs replacement, your contractor might recommend shingles that contain copper or another material that helps to repel algae growth. A roofing pro can also give you tips on keeping your roof clean and how frequently to schedule cleanings.

You May Like: How To Get Moss Off Roof

How Much Does Roof Cleaning Cost

Roof cleaning is an important part of house maintenance as it acts as a preventative measure to avoid any future problems with accumulating water, or eventual damage to your roof tiles. With that in mind, roof cleaning can come in many different shapes and sizes depending on what you want and need to do.

The two ways professional roof cleaners will operate will either be using a hand-removal method, known as hand-scraping, else they will use a pressure washer to expedite the process.

For a hand-removal process, such as having moss removed, you can look to expect the following prices:

House Size
£595 to £795 2 to 5 hours

Hand-removal is far cheaper than pressure washing, with a terraced house costing between £395 to £420. While its best to ask the professionals to assess your roof before settling on the correct type of maintenance, for roofs with no underlying problems, moss removal should normally suffice.

For a semi-detached house, you can expect to pay between £495 and £520 for moss removal, and an average-sized detached home can bring in costs of £595 to £620.

As the houses get larger, the price increases, with a large, detached house costing more than £795. However, moss removal is an important part of roof maintenance and will stop other natural growths if treated with a biocide after cleaning.

For a pressure washing process, you can look to expect the following prices:

House Size
£900 to £1,100 2 to 5 hours

Comparing Quotes Could Save You Up To 40%:

Is Cleaning My Roof Necessary

How Clogged Gutters Are Deep Cleaned | Deep Cleaned

The simple answer is no, its not necessary. Your roof is not going to fail if you dont have it cleaned. I am yet to see an example of a roof that has failed structurally from lack of cleaning so in those respects in not necessary to have your roof cleaned.

That being said there are many reasons why you might want to get your roof cleaned

If you want a clean roof without moss and are fed up with the gutters getting full, and are fed up with cleaning moss from the patio, then roof cleaning would definitely be a good idea, but only when you appoint an experienced person or company to clean your roof. Personally Ive seen many roof cleaning jobs done badly by other companies and when they are done wrong the overall result detracts from the property and the property stands out like a swore thumb.

Read Also: Does Hail Damage Metal Roofs

Dont Pressure Wash Without The Help Of A Professional

Many homeowners mistakenly think they can save some money by taking the pressure washing into their own hands. However, pressure washing is incredibly complicated, especially if you have solar panels installed on your roof.

To save yourself from danger and prevent irreparable damage to your roof, you should always hire a professional to pressure wash it.

Related: Shine Pressure Washing

Use The Right Equipment

At the bare minimum, youll need the following equipment to clean your roof:

  • A safety harness

Youll only need lye if youre battling mold and algae since it is better at permanently removing colonies and dissuading them from reforming. Unfortunately, lye is dangerous to handle directly, so youll need protective equipment like gloves and a face shield to use it.

Don’t Miss: How Much Is A Tesla Roof Cost

Why Should You Clean Your Roof

Cleaning your roof is one of the best ways to keep your roof in the best shape. When you clean your roof, it improves your homes exterior. Apart from that, it helps maintain your roof by removing dirt and debris and tree branches that can cause serious damage if not cleared from the roof. Moreover, cleaning your roof also gives you a chance to inspect your roof for signs of damage. However, you cannot identify signs of damage when you go for DIY roof cleaning. Hence, you need to choose the services of a professional roofer who can clean and inspect your roof and identify any signs of damage and need for repair.

When Is The Right Time To Clean My Roof

Practical Tips to Help You Maintain Your Gutters in Columbus, Ohio ...

What most of the roof cleaners recommend is that you have to regularly clean your roof at least once every year. This way, you will be able to know if there are some developing problems on your roof and you will be able to fix it as soon as possible.

Also, you will be able to save money on repairs if you have your roof clean every year. Some problems that you might encounter is discoloration. Yes, you can actually remove this but this discoloration of your roof will then soon come back.

Having your roof regularly cleaned will be able to let you distinguish if these kinds of cases may need some replacement process or not. Pretty sure you would not want to end up fixing the same problem over and over again right?

Read Also: How Much Dies A New Roof Cost

How Should You Pressure Wash

Before you jump onto your roof, make sure youve done your research on what water pressure you need and wear the right clothing to stay safe. It is much safer to clean your roof during a dry, sunny day instead of during the rain. Minimising the wet surface you need to walk on helps reduce your risk of slipping. Make sure to wear non-slip shoes that cover your entire foot, and make sure they are steel-toed to protect yourself from dropping anything on them. When you are on the roof, know where you can and cannot stand. Some roofs arent as stable in the direct center as they are on their supports. Also know where you will have your pressure washer on the roof. The last thing you want to do is trip over it and have a huge accident.

Keep in mind that different types of roof tiles will react differently to water pressure. For example, tiles that are made from ceramic or clay need less pressure to clean, to avoid the risk of cracking them. If you have a spare roof tile around, you can test your equipment on it, to see the reaction of pressure washing your roof tiles.

Leaf Or Debris Build Up

While leaves may seem as harmless as dirt, this is not the case. Leaves building up on your roof can lead to serious damage. If leaves, twigs, branches, and other debris have a chance to build up on your roof, they can wind up in your gutters and cause your gutters to accumulate rainwater.

By quickly cleaning off the leaves, you can prevent this damage from occurring.

Don’t Miss: What To Do With A Flat Roof

Can You Power Wash Asphalt Shingles

Yes, it will make it look sparkling clean, but also you’ll end up replacing the roof system sooner rather than later. The damage caused by pressure washing is not immediately noticeable. Pressure washing strips the granules from asphalt shingles. Therefore it strips away years of your roof’s lifespan.

How Do You Get Rid Of Roof Moss

RV 101® – How to Cleaning & Protecting RV Roof – Dicor

Our moss removal procedure involves a few different steps.

  • We use a combination of air and soft brushing to loosen moss and blow it out from between your shingles, tiles, or shakes without damaging them.
  • When cleaning tile roofs in Vancouver and clearing them of moss, we may also use high-pressure water in extreme cases if necessary. We will NEVER use high-pressure water on a composition shingle roof as this can be damaging.
  • To finish, well apply a preventative treatment over the entire roof to stop new moss growth.
  • You May Like: Is Synthetic Roof Underlayment Better Than Felt

    How Often You Should Clean Your Roof And Why

    Cleaning your roof seems like a daunting and dreadful task that no one wants to do often. Despite this, a clean roof has its advantages. It is essential to consider that the more often you clean your roof, the less complex the task will be. Not only will an easy job be easier to get started on and finish, but your roof will be left in better shape and can even be protected from dangers.

    Ensuring The Professional Is The Right Fit

    When reaching out to potential contractors, always ask for any quotes to be handed to you in the written format and if anyone refuses this, refuse to work with them.

    Verbal contracts arent binding, and no matter how lovely someone seems when theyre discussing your job with you, they can easily refuse the memory of something which can end up costing you greatly.

    Finding out about their experience, and whether or not theyre more accustomed to hand-removal or pressure washing will help to narrow your search to find the right contractor with the best skills for your project.

    Finally, asking for proof of a contractors insurance is one of the most essential steps in the whole process. Without insurance, if damages happen, nothing is covered whether thats physical damage or otherwise.

    Read Also: Do Solar Panels Cool The Roof

    Roof Tile Maintenance Is Essential To Keep Your Roof Space In Good Condition

    A cracked or otherwise damaged tile can be fixed, but its essential not to neglect any missing tiles. In addition, damaged roofs will cause problems in the future. It is best to schedule a routine roof cleaning service to clear the moss and dirt build up to uncover any potential damaged tiles.

    Its essential to have an annual maintenance check for your roofing to keep it in good condition.

    A professional will come by to inspect the integrity of every roof tile thoroughly and safely. When there is bad weather and storm damages that could potentially cause water damage at any moment, you need a professional roof cleaner to inspect to help stop potential costly problems.

    How Can I Save Money On Roof Cleaning

    CNY Roof Cleaning

    Comparing quotes is a great way to potentially reduce the cost of roof cleaning. HouseholdQuotes can help you get quotes from multiple roof cleaners near you, so that you can find someone that suits your budget. Click the button below to get started:

    Comparing Quotes Could Save You Up To 40%:

    Climbing up onto the roof and cleaning away the dirt and moss on the roof tiles isnt the sort of weekend DIY job that most homeowners would or should consider. Bearing this in mind, it appears to be a far better idea to leave it to someone else.

    It can be dangerous to work on the roof, as any sort of fall can lead to a serious injury. The professional firms who offer this service employ experienced tradesmen who are comfortable working at heights and take all of the necessary precautions to stay safe while up there.

    This doesnt stop you from helping your contractors out, though and you can do this in some simple preparation before they arrive.

    Ensuring there is suitable parking arrangements for their vehicles can save time and stress, as well as making sure theres plenty of ground space around the property for them to be able to access the roof.

    Further to this, removing anything from the ground that might get damaged during the cleaning is essential. Vehicles, garden ornaments or furniture should be moved out of the way in case anything falls on them during the job.

    Recommended Reading: How Much Is A New Roof And Gutters

    How Often Should A Roof Be Cleaned

    Cleaning a tile roof is necessary for the long-term maintenance of your home. Cleaning it every few years can protect you from moss and algae build-up that might be more prevalent in homes with less cleaning consistency.

    Roof cleaning should be thought of as essential home maintenance. The constant accumulation of dirt and other debris on it can lead not only to premature wear but also potential costly damage. It can also lessen the curb appeal and lifespan of your roofing.

    RELATED ARTICLES

    Most Popular