Do You Clean Your Roof? Don’t Wait Yntil it’s Too Late

How often should you clean your roof? Is it necessary to clean your roof? What will happen if you don’t clean your roof?  ALL great questions.

What has your experience with Roof Cleaning been?

Even though we’re never aware of the importance of the roof, since we only see it when we’re outside, the roof is one of the most important parts of our house. Could you imagine having four walls but no roof? All the rain, snow or sun falling down on you without any protection at all times? No, that doesn’t work, right? So, roofs are important, yes, but are you cleaning them as often as you should?

If you postpone the cleaning of your roof you’ll see terrible consequences: it will start to present damages that will affect the quality of your roof’s protection and this could cause leaks or any other problems you’d definitely want to avoid. Cleaning your roof is essential to avoid any collateral damage. In the end, it is your roof that is exposed to all of these adverse climate conditions, so you should be taking better care of it.

As time goes by, the action of rain and wind could cause problems on your roof. When you don’t clean your roof, it becomes dirty, since it gets filled with dirt, dust, soil, leaves and any other thing that may be passing by. And this causes your tiles and shingles to not only stain, but also to be damaged and constantly breaking. All the dirt and damage going over your roof will negatively affect the structure of the house, causing cracks and leakages. No one wants to be sleeping to the sound of some constant leaks in the corner of the room.

Besides, birds, insects and other animals could choose your dirty roof to create their little nests, which could lead to having an infestation that could be a threat not only to your health but also to the entire neighborhood. Of course, all of these problems depend on the time you let pass before having your roof cleaned, the state of your home and the materials your roof is made of. The most advisable thing to do is to clean your roof at least once a year, but an expert might tell you to do it more often, based on their evaluation of your roof.

What happens if I have a terrace?

Many buildings and homes have terraces that can be used when the time is right for it, since most of them do not have a roof, but mainly act as one for your home. Fair to say, these terraces are usually used mainly in late spring, summer and early autumn. To use them safely, avoiding slips or trips due to the accumulation of dirt or the appearance of fungi and algae on the surface, a thorough professional cleaning is necessary. The best time to do it is at the beginning of spring, before the season of greater use of terraces.

It is not uncommon that bacteria, fungi, pollen and polluting particles accumulate on terraces, especially when they are not cleaned frequently. When good weather makes its way, we tend to use our terraces more and they are more exposed to the ambience’s cruelty.

This also happens in porches, where this dirt accumulated by the action of wind and currents easily penetrates into the interior of the house. So, it becomes not only a cleaning problem, but also a health problem, as many of these particles negatively affect the health of people and pets and cause allergies and other respiratory problems.

Thus the importance of cleaning these elements at least in spring. Besides, regularly cleaning your roof and other surfaces will make them look better, which is a nice add up. The house itself will look better and will make it look like it’s being taken care of, not as some abandoned lot that no one cares about. Maintaining the looks of your roof and your house in general will not only feel great for you and your visitors but will also maintain the value of the property. And in case there is something that needs to be repaired, you’ll notice in these yearly cleanings, so it will be easier to avoid further problems.

Maintaining a clean and sanitized roof is the key to enjoying a space in your home or business that is completely insulated from inclement weather, and to avoid possible leaks or broken tiles. With a few simple tips and certain maintenance routines, the cleaning job will be much simpler and more effective.

Roof cleaning step by step

The main tip to keep a roof clean and in the best possible conditions requires continuous maintenance. It is therefore advisable to perform at least an annual review when all parts are relatively new, or even a couple of times a year, this will depend on many factors that your expert roofer will be able to tell you. The steps to follow are usually always the same. Just keep in mind that you can always turn to professionals to perform the work.

First of all, we need to take into account all the safety measures to perform this work. We recommend you have a safe ladder, as well as gloves to avoid cuts, a helmet, so you can be safe if by any chance you fall off the roof, and some other measures you deem necessary, such as ropes to avoid possible falls. When you are working on the roof, walk very carefully. It can be easier than you think to fall or break a tile.

So, once you’re on your roof, you should be looking for damaged pieces of the shingle panel. Carefully check each of the shingles to find the ones that are broken or have small cracks, and replace all the damaged ones as quickly as possible. Look for pieces that are the same as the ones you already have installed, and always buy a few more than you need, in case problems pop up later.

Once you’ve done that, you can do a thorough cleaning of the roof. For this, many people recommend that you use a pressure gun of more than, 8300 KpA and maintain a certain distance between the mouth of the gun and the roof. This distance should be of more than half a meter, to avoid possible breakages. For a better result, you should try using a pressure gun that has the option of adding some cleaning component that contains chlorine to the water you’re using.

Clean your roof completely and then let it dry. Once it is already dry, you could use some products that offer you more protection and a better overall look for your roof. There are many products you can find on specialized stores that will save you so much time and will give you a better result. You’d usually want to give it a first coat of polish to protect it from external agents. Then, after the polish has settled down and dried, you could get a coat of primer, so you make sure that it holds on to the different climate conditions it may face.

You could also paint your tiles, using heavy-duty acrylic paint for long-lasting protection. Either way, it is important to seal all the pieces, using a special transparent sealer to maintain the work you’ve done. Once you’ve done this, then it is all done, you’ll have an almost brand-new roof and will have no worries for leakages. Still, it is important to call an expert roofer if you see anything wrong or if you prefer to leave this important task onto the professionals.