Cleaning Roofs With Uncommon Shingles
The above advice applies to roofs with asphalt shingles. If you have a less common style of shingle on your roof, it may be safer to use a pressure washer to clean them. Homeguide actually recommends homeowners with clay roof tiles use a pressure washer set at 1200 psi to clean their roof.
If your roof does have specialty shingles, do further research and check with the manufacturer to learn exactly what kind of cleaning methods they recommend.
Hiring A Professional Roof Cleaning Company Is An Investment In Your Home
Regular, professional roof power washing will restore the overall appearance of your home’s roof, removing built-up soot, grime, dust, and other debris, as well as various stains and areas of discoloration. Roofing shingles and tiles will then look fresh and vibrant so that your entire home seems cleaner and newer.
A soft wash system will also remove algae, mold, moss, and mildew that is typically unreachable with a standard hose or pressure washer. The detergents and surfactants used during a soft pressure washing are meant to penetrate all nooks and crannies of a roof, dissolving dirt and debris trapped under shingles and around roof eaves. Low-pressure rinsing won’t strip away loose tiles or granules on the shingles themselves, while still protecting those tiles from damaging storm residues.
A thorough power washing also reveals areas of damage along the surface of a roof. A home’s roof might have soft spots, indicating the need for structural repair, hidden under water stains or layers of soot and grime. A professional cleaning reveals damaged areas so that repairs can be made promptly, preserving the framework of the home and avoiding roof leaks and eventual water damage.
Do It Yourself And Save Big Bucks
Professional roof cleaners charge hundreds of dollars the bigger the roof, the more hundreds youll spend. And they have to repeat the cleaning every few years. If your roof slope isnt too steep and youre comfortable working on it, you can clean it yourself and save the dough.
Youll need a full-body harness, a garden sprayer, a garden hose and a nontoxic, noncorrosive roof-cleaning chemical. Some manufacturers sell a special tool applicator and rinsing tool, but if the staining isnt severe, you may not need them.
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In Conclusion: Roof Cleaning Is Effective
Hiring a professional roof cleaning company may be the way to go if you have an unwalkable roof. Theyre going to have all of the proper equipment and will protect your landscape along with reducing liability because their pumps can shoot high enough that they do not need to climb on the roof to clean it. All in all, roof cleaning can lengthen the life of your roof, as the algae is currently eating the limestone in the shingles and the coating on your metal roof reducing the life of the shingles or metal roof dramatically making them brittle after deterioration. Roof Cleaning can kill the algae at the spore level and a proper roof cleaning should last at least 3 years, unless your home sits under mass amounts of canopy and has a lot of vegetation dropping on it year round or problems with drainage on the roof .
Have your roof cleaned to extend the life of your investment, we all know it wasnt cheap.
The Best Way To Clean A Shingle Roof
When black patches or streaks appear on your roof it is best to have shingle roof cleaning service performed right away. The bacteria that cause this blackened appearance are literally eating your shingles. This makes roof cleaning an essential part of your home maintenance plan here in Morristown NJ. But like most things in life, there is a right way and a wrong way to clean a shingle roof. Its important that you know the good from the bad so that you can make an educated choice when selecting a roof cleaning company here in Morristown.
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Preventing Algae And Moss Growth
Pressure Washing Concrete Prices
A simple pressure washing of concrete runs from $0.08 to $0.20 per square foot. It goes up from thereif the pavement is greasy and requires power washing plus a concrete detergent, it will cost $0.25 to $0.35 per square foot. The concrete detergent breaks up the dirt, grease, and oil and makes the pressure wash easier and faster. To clean your concrete curbs, it costs $0.25 to $0.60 per linear foot because it requires more fine-tune cleaning with a turbo nozzle.
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How To Pressure Wash Asphalt Shingles
Have you noticed moss or ugly stains on your asphalt roof? If you’re ready to get your shingles spotless, consider soft washing, a form of pressure washing. It’s a powerful and environmentally friendly method for roof cleaning that will leave your home or commercial roof looking great. If you’re interested in doing the job yourself, keep reading for steps on how to soft wash your asphalt-shingle roof.
How Much Does It Cost To Power Wash A House
The average cost to pressure wash a house is $173 to $358 with most homeowners spending $265. A one-story house costs about $1 per linear foot to pressure wash, while a two-story house wash will cost double at $2 per linear foot. If you have a brick home, it can be pressure washed for $0.15$0.40 per sq. ft. Vinyl siding is priced differently than stucco siding because it has to be cleaned more gently.
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How To Clean Metal Roofing
- Written by Shrey Ravi on Nov 03, 2009To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.Reviewed by Charles Ramos, Jr. on Nov 06, 2019
To get the longest life out of your metal roofing, you must establish and stick to a schedule of regular maintenance. There are several means available for cleaning the metal roofing, like pressure washers and wire brushes. Cleaning becomes all the more important for the houses with metal roofing that lies in an area susceptible to mold and mildew. These tips will help you approach cleaning your metal roof the right way so that you don’t end up causing damage.
Assess the Scope of the Project
First of all, assess the overall condition of the surface. It requires a lot of effort to prep and clean off an old metal roof because of the corrosion that builds up over time and the several layers paint. Although an old roof that has been properly maintained requires less labor to prep and clean, there will still be some corrosion and old paint that needs to be removed. On the other hand, cleaning a new roof doesnt need as much preparation or effort.
Ensure Your Safety
Scrape Paint and Corrosion
Clean the Mold and Mildew
Repeat this process until the area is free of mold and mildew. Then rinse the area with water thoroughly.
Clean the Dirt and Debris
Repeat the process if necessary.
Touch up Paint as Needed
Benefits Of A Roof Cleaning Service
Using an experienced roof cleaning professional, regular roof cleaning provides many benefits to the homeowner.
- Appearance Discoloration from dirt, algae, fungus, and bacteria and become an eyesore to your beautiful home. Regular cleanings keep roof algae at bay and increase your curb appeal.
- Roof Lifespan Beyond being an eyesore, fungus, and bacteria discoloration can shorten the lifespan of your homes roof. Moss and mold grow between shingles, lifting the shingles to allow water into the lower layers.
Keep your roof looking spic and span while ensuring its lifespan with regular maintenance cleanings that could otherwise lead to roof replacements needs before the end of your roofs warranty. These cleanings also remove debris so your roofing system operates at its peak performance. Serving all homes in the Greater Seattle area.
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Why Alpine Roof Care
Established in 1992, Alpine Roof Care has been providing the greater Seattle area including Mill Creek, Arlington, Edmonds & Renton professional, punctual and affordable roof cleaning services. With the ability to service all aspects of roof maintenance including roof repair, roof sealing, reroofing, and roof cleaning there is no need to bounce around from company to company. Instead, get all your clean roof needs met here and keep your family warm and dry.
We are a forward-thinking company and is proud to be one of the first in the area to implement green roofing. Our green roofing program recycles 90% of its tear-off materials accumulated during a roofing repair or roof replacement service. Along with the use of environmentally safe products, we strive to give you the best possible reroof and roof replacement services while taking care of the environment.
We proudly serve the greater Seattle area including:
Roof Cleaning With A Pressure Washer
Some may believe that you can clean your roof simply with a pressure washer, and while that would probably work theoretically, using a pressure washer for roof cleaning is the kiss of death for the integrity of that roof. Especially if you are trying to clean an asphalt shingle roof. The granules will start to come off and will end up in the gutters, which can and does happen normally with age, but speeding up the aging process for the roof, is not the best idea and is something we avoid.
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Minor Roof Maintenance To Prevent Major Problems
Perform Simple and Safe Roof Inspections
Choose a day once or twice each year to inspect your roof. If youre comfortable climbing a ladder, you can see your roof up close. If not, you can do a relatively thorough inspection from the ground using binoculars. Look for:
Minor repairs like a cracked or missing shingle may be easy for you to handle yourself. However, you may want to leave larger or more complicated issues for a professional roofer. Either way, make sure you review the manufacturers warranty before you have any roof work done , to keep your roof under warranty
Unclog Your Gutters
Gutters guard the structural integrity of your house by channeling water away from its foundation, but they also protect your roof. Gutters keep water away from roof shingles and prevent ice dams, which form when snow melts on higher levels of your roof and freezes as it runs down the colder shingles an issue thats as bad as having standing water on your roof.
Proper gutter maintenance is one of the most important ways to prevent serious water damage to your home. Fortunately, most homeowners can fix gutter clogs the most common gutter problem themselves. If your gutter is clogged, water may sit on your roof and cause leaks. Its a good idea to check gutters twice per year and after big storms.
Roof Cleaning
Get Your Equipment Ready
Buy or rent a pressure washer and fill the reservoir with an approved cleaner. Be sure to follow all the instructions, since the type of cleaner varies with how high your roof pitch is. Cleaners for steep roofs need to stick to the surface better than other kinds.
The goal is to do all the work from the ladder, so figure out where you’re going to set it as you move around the building. You’ll want a flat surface on the ground and a place where it won’t crush the gutter on top. And watch out for overhead lines, especially with an aluminum ladder!
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Roof Cleaning Services In Tampa Bay Florida
Peters Pressure Washing provides safest roof cleaning services in Tampa Bay, Florida. You must know that traditional pressure washing is not always a solution if algae, mildew, or mold take a toll on your roof.
Sometimes, a roof may need a simple soft wash that removes mildew or algae without damaging shingles or tiles. Call our experts for professional roof cleaning solutions using soft washing techniques.
Black Algae growing on your homes roof is an unsightly blemish that can reduce the beauty of your home and make your roof look worn out. Fortunately, there is a safe treatment available that will both effectively remove the algae and make your roof look new again.
Is Pressure Washing The Right Method To Use For Roof Washing
Pressure washing for the exterior of your home in the Bloomington area isn’t a secret. Wise homeowners not only know about it, but they also make it a point to schedule their service once a year.
What does often get neglected is the most essential part of the home – the rooftop. Scheduling a separate service for roof washing is crucial for taking care of your home’s first line of defense against the elements.
Pressure washing may be ideal for concrete, but it’s not the best approach for cleaning more delicate materials, like asphalt shingles. Before you hire a power washing company that will blast away your shingles along with the dirt, it’s time to learn a little something about alternative methods.
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Use Low Pressure To Spray It Clean
The power of a pressure washer can damage the shingles on your roof, so it’s important that you select the proper spray tip. Start with a medium pressure spray pattern, and adjust from there accordingly. Always stand on a dry area of the roof, as wet shingles can be very slippery. Aim the pressure washer down the roof , and keep the tip of the wand at least a foot away from the surface when starting.
NEVER aim your pressure washer up the roof, as it can push water under the shingles. Spraying water under your shingles can both tear off the shingles and force water under them and into your home. Cover a few shingles at a time, and move the wand slightly closer to the surface as more power is needed. It is very important that you constantly inspect for any damage you may be causing throughout your cleaning. Follow these steps and your roof will be looking great in no time. Don’t excessively clean your roof, as it’ll add more wear and tear. Only do this as needed. You shouldn’t have to pressure wash your roof any more than once every year or two at most.
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What People Are Saying About Us
Exactly what I needed, they did an awesome job on my gutters. They even took pictures of troublesome areas on my roof to help ensure I was well informed of potential future issues
I couldn’t be more pleased with the work, the professionalism, eagerness to please, communication, follow through, follow up and the price was excellent too. Would not hesitate to recommend
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No one ever said that running a business was easy, but it certainly can be rewarding. The goal is, of course, to operate a lucrative company, and the decisions you make will determine if that’s possi
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Questions To Ask Roof Cleaners
- Are you licensed and insured?
- Are you a member of the RCIA?
- Do you charge a flat fee, hourly rate, or per square foot?
- Is it safe to pressure wash my roof?
- What type of cleaning chemicals will you use on my roof?
- Will the chemicals harm my pets or plants?
- Will you cover my plants before cleaning the roof? If yes, do you charge extra for it?
- Will you blow off the roof before cleaning it?
- How long will the cleaning take?
- What safety precautions will you take?
- How often should I have my roof cleaned?
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What You Shouldnt Do About Your Asbestos Roof Shingles
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission says you should leave asbestos materials in good condition alone. Asbestos is dangerous when disturbed, meaning when the substance breaks from the material and floats in the air. Inhaling loose fibers is the first step in someone developing mesothelioma.
What are the ways you can disturb asbestos in roof shingles? Well, power-washing is surely one. You should avoid this method of cleaning your homes shingles.
It may seem harmless to spray something with water, Leeper wrote, but at high pressure its like hitting the surface with bullet force.
That bullet force can disrupt asbestos roof shingles by damaging the material. While the substance may resurface as shingles dry out, its a moot point. Any exposure, for any amount of time, is dangerous.
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