Roof Cleaning Tips Every Homeowner Should Know | Kerrisdale Roofing and Drains

Make sure your roof is in good shape so Santa can land safely this coming Christmas Eve! If you are planning to clean your roof, here are some tips to consider.

Keep yourself safe
Before getting started, it’s important to set the stage for a safe experience. Be sure to wear shoes that aren’t slippery to ensure you don’t fall. Also, if your roof is slanted, you can further protect yourself from a fall by tying yourself to the chimney with safety rope to help you stay secure. Use safety goggles so debris doesn’t get in your eyes as you work. Wear thick gloves so cleaning materials don’t get on your hands. Source: Modernize

Clean using the right chemicals
If you search online, you’ll see hundreds of posts on roof-cleaning methods. In less than 10 minutes, you’ll sign off convinced that all you need is a few gallons of household bleach and a power washer set at its lowest setting.

We don’t recommend that approach. Even at low pressure, a power washer can seriously damage shingles. Plus, chlorine bleach is a corrosive agent that can damage metal roof flashings, gutters and downspouts. It can lighten the color of your roof and “bleach” anything the overspray contacts. And the runoff harms plants. But here’s the kicker. Bleach may kill the top layer of algae and lighten the stains, but it doesn’t kill the underlying algae. So the algae colony gets right back to work.

Sodium hydroxide (lye) products, on the other hand, work better than bleach and are less harmful to vegetation. But they’re also corrosive, and using them requires you to don full protective gear.

So look for a roof-cleaning product that’s noncorrosive and safe for the environment. Source: FamilyHandyman

Practice routine maintenance
The debris, including fallen branches and leaves, provides a moist environment for moss and algae. It should be picked up, swept off, or blown off regularly to avoid facilitating the growth. Tackle the gutters too so that water drains freely. Prevention makes stain cleaning much easier later on. Source: WikiHow