Do It Yourself, If You Can

Yes, there are tons of benefits in hiring professional cleaners to clean your home roof. But if you have all the products and tools at home, it is always cost-effective to do it yourself. You will end up saving hundreds of dollars. Also, once you get used to it, you can clean again in the future and become accustomed. Again, you will be saving a lot of money.

For the job, you will need the tools mentioned above. But to be more specific, you will need a full-body safety harness, a garden hose, a garden sprayer, and a cleaning solution or chemical that is non-corrosive and non-toxic. Also, if your staining is stubborn and severe, you can always get a rinsing tool or a special tool applicator.

Picking The Correct Chemicals

Using a low-setting power washer with household bleach isn’t the best idea. A power washer will damage your shingles even at low pressure. Also, chlorine bleach tends to damage the flashings of your metal roof as it is a corrosive agent. It will also affect your downspouts and gutters. On the other hand, this cleaning agent will lighten up your roof’s colour by over-spraying.

Also, the runoff will end up harming and killing your shrubs and plants. Yes, bleach will lighten the stains by killing the algae present on the top layer. However, it does not get rid of the underlying algae. Here, the remaining algae will start growing again and forming their colonies like before.

Lye products or Sodium hydroxide will make a great choice for the job. It isn’t harmful to your vegetation, and it is more effective than bleach. But you have to handle them properly because they are somewhat corrosive. Here, you need to have full-body gear. So, you need to ensure that you pick non-corrosive products safe for you and the environment.

Picking The Perfect Day

Whatever you do, always ensure that you clean on a cool and overcast day. There shouldn’t be any wind coming your way for effective results. You need to avoid cleaning on a sunny day as the sunlight will dry out your cleaning solution before it even works.

Preventing Its Regrowth

The algae regrowth may happen quicker or slower based on the weather conditions. You can stop its regrowth by installing copper or zinc strips right along the whole ridge. Another method would be by spraying a stain-blocking solution on your roof. You can apply it after you finish cleaning your roof. It will offer protection for up to three years. However, it is always important to clean your roof from time to time to prevent everything. If you feel the task is too daunting or takes up too much of your time, enlist the services of a roof cleaning company!