Guide To Planning Your Roof Cleaning And Maintenance

There's a lot to owning a home...a whole list of chores that take up the weekends when you have other things to do like relaxing, we know. But there are some things you just have to get done, so the last thing you're probably thinking about is roof cleaning and maintenance.

You probably already take care of the yard work and general house maintenance, but let us ask you something - have you taken a good look at the grime on your roof?

It's all too easy to ignore the roof since you see it every day. What could change? Maybe a few twigs and leaves that weren't there last Friday? What about roof stains? Have you noticed how dark the roof color has gotten over the last year or more?

Not every roof gets stained so badly, but many here in Portland Metro do, so regular roof cleaning maintenance is something we need to plan for. Black roof stains are a problem that needs to be taken care of and taken care of right.

Blackened Roofs Often Mean Algae Problems

The black stains are not the algae itself but are the byproduct left by the microorganism after it eats the limestone of your asphalt roof shingles. If your roof has darkened in color or has black streaks on it, algae are most likely causing it. Rarely, it's bad roofing materials that cause the stain, but with our climate, it's almost surely algae.

The algae damage and ugly stains will only continue unless you do something about roof cleaning. However, you need to do it the right way, or you'll only add to the roof damage.

Why Professionals Use Low Pressure To Clean Your Roof

Power washers will get the roof stains off, true, but they can also damage the shingles. Professionals who know what they're doing us low-pressure roof cleaning. This involves using lower water pressure and gentle cleansing formula that is specifically made to lift stains from deep down without causing harm to the material.

Low water pressure of around 60 to 300 psi is used to clean the roof with this method. This is slightly higher than the 40 psi that your garden hose produces and weighs less than the 3,000-6,000 psi, and higher, that professional pressure washers produce. Roofing manufacturers only approve low-pressure soft washing for roof cleaning maintenance, so that's good advice to listen to.

Additionally, low-pressure roof cleaning can include a certain algaecide mixed in the formula to prevent future algae growth for several months.

Getting Professional Roof Cleaning vs. DIY

It may seem like a good idea to get on your roof and do the roof cleaning yourself. Perhaps you're even looking for a rental machine and planning to do the work yourself. You should know that professional roof cleaning really is very affordable and that our Portland Metro pressure washing pros have access to products you don't.

Plus, we've been trained to use soft washing for roof cleaning, and we own the right equipment to get the job done safely and right. It is at least worth getting an estimate to see the value you can get from professional service.