What is Roof Cleaning?

What is the best way to clean a roof and what do I need to know?

We decided to put this together to help explain,

Roof Cleaning is the process of removing moss, mold, mildew, and algae off your roof. Some roof cleaning companies offer roof snow removal, debris removal, limb/tree removal and some companies will remove pretty much anything Mother Nature decides to leave behind.

So what does a roof cleaning cost?

The cost to have a roof cleaning varies from area to area and the price is normally based on the size of house and the amount of work that is required. A typical roof cleaning costs a fraction of the cost of a new roof and range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand (typically $450 – $2000) and the results can be dramatic.

Why should I clean my roof?

We find that there are two primary reasons our customers have their roof cleaned, the first is to enhance their curb appeal and the second is to stop damage from roof growth.

Enhance Curb Appeal:

Roof cleaning can make an old roof look new again which can be giant improvement to a home or businesses aesthetics without having to replace the roof. With a single roof cleaning you can up the resell value by making the roof look new and with the current real estate “buyers market” any options to save money and attract buyers is a good thing.

Many homes the roof is the main thing you see and having black roof stains and moss patches can make a beautiful home look horrible. Several of our customers have us clean their roofs every 2 years just to maintain the appearance.

Stop Damage:

Roof growth such as roof moss and roof lichen break down asphalt shingles by pulling off the roofs granules causing premature failure; having roof moss, lichen and algae can cut several years off the life of a roof in only a few years. Click the photo to the right to see how Roof Moss has destroyed these 10 year old shingles.

Many insurance companies through out the country have started to cancel or refuse to issue new policies if there is any roof growth present at the time of their inspection. This has become a major concern for homeowners.

2 Ways to clean a roof – Mechanical & Chemical

Mechanical roof cleaning is the process of brushing, power washing and/or using a surface cleaner (a large silver disk) that use pressure water to physically remove roof growth, Chemical roof cleaning uses chemicals such as CL (chlorine bleach), tsp, alcohol and other chemicals to kill everything on your roof.

What is mechanical roof cleaning?

Some roof cleaners only offer what we call “mechanical roof cleaning”, this is where they will brush and/or use a pressure-washer to clean the roof.

• Power washing is a process that uses anywhere from 1000 – 3000 psi (that is 1000-3000 pounds per square inch of pressure of pressure) to physically remove growth from roofing materials. Power washing is a very effective way to remove anything on any surface but it comes with a price, the use of high pressure to clean asphalt shingles causes graduals that make up the shingles detach taking years off the life of the roof. With the use of high pressure, there is also a risk that major damage can occur as shingles can be broken and/or scared and water can be forced inside the house.
• Another way is to gently brush or scrub the shingles, this can be a way to get moss and lichen from detaching but there is a very high chance that the shingle will be damaged in the process. Brushing can break shingles and forcing large amounts of granules to detach.

What is Chemical Roof Cleaning?

Chemical roof cleaning is the process of spraying the roof with chemicals designed to kill roof growth.

• A common form of chemical roof cleaning is the use of a low concentration of chlorine bleach mixed with additives such as an enhancer, TSP, alcohol and surfactants (sticky stuff) that are sprayed onto the roof using a low-pressure pump (normally less than 100 psi). The primary concern with this form of roof cleaning is having flowers and grass die from the chemicals. A good roof cleaner using a chemical based cleaning system should ensure this will not happen by watering all plants and grass around the house before during and after they apply their chemicals to protect vegetation from being hurt. If done right bleach roof cleaning is a very safe, cost effective and guarantees all the things growing on a roof are actually killed.

Other Chemical ways to clean a roof – Zinc and Potassium:

• The use of Zinc strips, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Chloride, Copper Sulfate, and Potassium are other chemicals are widely used to clean roofs and keep them clean for many years. There are several different ways to apply the cleaning chemicals to the roof and each has their pro’s and con’s. There is a great write-up on the Oregon State University website that reviews each of these roof cleaning chemicals and how they can be applied.  Click here to read a write up from OregonState.edu

Best Homeowner Roof Cleaning Products

• These days there are a several consumer brand roof-cleaning chemicals on the market. We have provided a couple of links you can review. Take a look and let us know how they work, we would love to hear your results!

Click Here – for Homeowner roof-cleaning chemicals you can try:

Click here to learn about What Is Growing On Your Roof – Learn More

Click here to go to Section #2

All exterior cleaning requires property-supplied water, A Cleaner Choice, LLC is not responsible for property provided water systems, pumps, filters or wells.

Stop searching for how to clean my roof and call today, we serve all the surrounding areas.

See the Previous Area We Service! & the Next Area We Service!