Residential Roof Cleaning Tips for Homeowners

In this informative article we will go over a few tips and tricks the pros use to cleaning residential roofs.

Before we get started we must understand why we are wanting our roof to be clean and remain so for as long as possible yearly. A proper roof cleaning can provide longer roof shingle lifespan, remove organic organisms eating at your roof and lastly exposing the shingle true bright colors. Most asphalt shingles are a shade of dark brown, to light brown, grey and dark grey. In the field we may see the occasional red or even green colored asphalt shingled roof. In terms on barrel tiles we see them in shades of red, orange and grey as well. 

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When the roof is covered with dark organic stains and growth it can be difficult to see what color it is. Many homeowners forget the color shade of the original shingles.

​Examples of the dramatic changes a residential roof cleaning can make

The first tip we have is to hire a professional who has a solid reputation and is insured. When it comes to roof cleaning it is a dangerous task depending on various factors such as height, weather conditions, how dirty or the roofs pitch. Although a roof is completely flat as a homeowner we still run the risk of falling off if he miss our footing or  trip over the air vents. 

In the event of a accident an we fall off, we are badly hurt and our roof still isnt cleaned up the way we want. A professional Roof Soft Washing company will carry general liablity insurance and take the proper precautions so a tragedy does not occur.

Our next tip is if we do choose to take on the project ourselves, do not underestimate the amount of cleaning solution you will need. This varies on the size of our roof, the equiptment being used and how thick the organic growth is on the roof. It may be best to measure your roof. Do a test spot and calculate how much cleaning solution you specific roof will need to get the job done right.

Next tip is to use protective gear especially when spraying a strong harsh chemical solution.
Proper protective gear such as a mask respirator to filter out the harmful toxins from chemical heat vapors and safety goggles to cover your eyes incase the wind picks up a cloud of chemical solution and throwing it back your way. If this happens we reccomend you carry a small towel to wipe off any cleaning solution that touch your skin or face. If the chemical continues to burn or itch, please stop drop what you are doing and run over to a source of fresh water. A near by garden hose may be your best bet.

To continue our small tips for residential roof cleaning we suggest you have a friend or family member use a garden hose to water the surrounding landscape and plant vegetation to prevent the chemical from burning plants. The best way to do this is by first drenching the plants with water then carefully making sure to water while the cleaning solution is sprayed above. Once the roof is coated and cleaned, have your family member or friends go for another round of fresh water spraying on all the plants even the ones you think have not be touched with chemical just to be sure the job is done and completed the right way.

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