Cleaning Asphalt Roofshingles With Bleach And Water
Bleach and water work well when cleaning asphalt roof shingles. Clean the roof following the procedure below
When using this method ensure that you clean the roof in the morning hours or when itâs cloudy and there is no rain. If you clean on a sunny day bleach will evaporate. Keep repeating the process till the roof is clean. If the problem of algae and moss persists then it is important to consult a professional roof cleaner.
Cleaning Procedure For Roofshingles With Bleach Powdered Laundry Soap And Water
Cleaning The Roof With Bleach And Trisodium Phosphate
The benefit of using Trisodium Phosphate is that it comes with sodium hypochlorite as the active ingredient. Cleaning your shingles with this solution requires a pressure washer with black soft spray chemical injector tip, 5.5 gallon system and hot water
The disadvantage of this is that trisodium phosphate strips paint from the roof. If the solution is left on windows, it dries leaving tough stains that are difficult to remove. It also contains phosphates that are harmful to the environment.
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Should You Clean Or Replace Your Roof
If you’re looking at your roof and thinking it looks a little worse for wear, it might just need a good cleaning. Sometimes, the buildup of algae and moss on a roof can make the shingles look like they are in worse condition than they really are. A professional roofing contractor can inspect your roof and talk to you about its condition. If they think that cleaning it is the best option, they can either do the work themselves or direct you to a reputable roof cleaning company.
If it does turn out that your roof needs replacement, your contractor might recommend shingles that contain copper or another material that helps to repel algae growth. A roofing pro can also give you tips on keeping your roof clean and how frequently to schedule cleanings.
Dos And Donts: The Best And Worst Ways To Clean A Roof
If youre reading this, chances are youre looking for roof-cleaning tips because your shingles are no longer looking new and attractive. If your roof appears dark and discolored in some areas, you may think that mold has developed on the surfaces of the shingles. However, the black streaks youre seeing are really colonies of blue-green algae. If youre noticing thick, green patches on your roof instead, then youve got a moss problem, The north, west, and shady areas of your roof are most susceptible to these moisture-loving nuisances.
Moss and algae spores are carried by the wind or animals from rooftop to rooftop, which is why entire neighborhoods are often affected. Moss can seriously impact asphalt shingle performance by causing them to curl up and blow off, eventually resulting in leaks. While algae doesnt actually harm your roof, it can impact its aesthetic appeal. Further, climbing on your roof frequently to clean off growth CAN damage your roof and shorten its lifespan by loosening the granules on your shingles. So, its best to know how to clean your roof properly so that you ensure you dont have to do it too often.
Knowing this, what are the best ways to clean a roof of algae and moss growth? Read on for our best roof-cleaning tips!
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Get A Sprayer And Mix Solution
A garden sprayer with a pump-action handle works well to apply the vinegar solution. A tall ladder will allow you to spray the entirety of the roof from the ladder without walking on the roof. If you need to get on the roof, you should use the appropriate fall arrest safety procedures and walk carefully.
To mix the bleach solution, simply dump your vinegar into the garden sprayer with about an ounce of dish soap.
What Is The Best Roof Shingle Cleaner
Vinegar is the best shingle roof cleaner for a few reasons. First, it is cheap and easy to find. Second, you can mix it with dish soap to increase effectiveness. Use a higher concentration of vinegar for more severe damage or less for a quick wash. Vinegar is not harmful to paint or nearby landscaping, but bleach and store-bought roof cleaners are harmful.
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Tips And Tricks To Maintain Your Clean Roof
Besides roof cleaning, there are other ways for you to maintain and prolong the lifespan of your roofs.
1. Trim any protruding branches
Sometimes you cant help it when trees grow towards your property. Youll be surprised one day to come home and find a branch of your neighbors tree on your roof! Oh no! The branch might fall on your roof and damage it.
Luckily, you can prevent this by trimming the branches. Its easy, and it wont take long!
2. Clean your roof of any debris
As a general rule, you want your roof to be exposed to sunlight as much as possible. Why? Moss and algae are less likely to grow and accumulate in your area! Remember, algae growth also allows debris to build up in time.
If you dont want to encounter this problem repeatedly, we recommend roof cleaning regularly. You can use a leaf blower or garden sprayer to clear the area!
3. Install zinc or copper-coated sheet metal
Alternatively, you can also install a sheet of zinc or copper-coated sheet metal on your asphalt shingle roof.
Moss and algae are less likely to develop and grow because copper is toxic to them. So its a great and natural way of getting rid of them!
4. Spray Anti-Moss Biocide
If you dont want to install copper sheet metal on your roof, we recommend spraying anti-moss biocide instead.
Youve probably scrubbed your roof clean after all the hard work youve done, but did you kill the spores? Water and bleach might not be the solution to get them out of your roof.
Dirty Roof Shingles: Common Causes And How To Clean Them
As a homeowner, its basically an instinct to want your entire home to be as clean as possible, especially the exterior. After all, a clean and well-put-together exterior is what drives your homes curb appeal and property values up. Unfortunately, dirt cant be avoided forever and dirt on the roof is something that youll want to deal with as soon as possible.
Here, the roofing and gutter installation experts of Colorado Roof Toppers reveal what usually causes dirty roof shingles and how you can clean them, beginning with:
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S For Reshingling A Roof
Hire A Roof Inspector
Your roof should be inspected at least once a year. At Preman Roofing-Solar, we offer cleaning as part of routine maintenance to your roof. Our team can also check for leaks, apply a sealant to flashing, and repair or replace roof shingles as needed. Weve proudly served the San Diego area for over 20 years, and all of our work and pricing comes with our guarantee.
With proper roof maintenance, an asphalt shingle roof can last 20 years. Cedar shingles can last up to 30 years before they need to be replaced. But without regular cleaning and inspection, you may need to replace your roof in as little as 8 years.
Even if you prefer to clean your roof yourself, regular inspection can also prevent serious structural problems from water damage and wood rot. Excess water can lead to mold and mildew problems, which can cause respiratory problems and flare-ups for people with asthma.
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How To Clean Roof Shingles
This article was co-authored by Allen Lee. Allen Lee is a Home Improvement Specialist and the Owner of Honest Lee Handyman Services, a licensed and insured handyman business servicing Sacramento, California, and surrounding areas. Working with homeowners and businesses to get their small repairs done in a timely and efficient manner, Honest Lee Handyman Services provides gutter and dryer vent cleaning along with fixture, fence, drywall, and toilet repairs.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 43,675 times.
Proper cleaning is an important step in roof maintenance. One day you may notice that your roof is turning black or fungus is spreading across of it. Some of this growth, including the stains from algae spores, are cosmetic, but others, such as moss, cause costly damage to your roof. To keep your roof safe and sightly, choose a cool, overcast day, mix a cleaning solution, spray it onto your roof, then rinse after 20 minutes.
Asphalt Shingle Roof Cleaning: What Not To Do
Cleaning a roof is a simple process, but there are easy ways to seriously damage your roof. Therefore, it is prudent to avoid the following when cleaning your roof:
- Never use a pressure washer.
- Spray roof from top to bottom. Spraying from bottom to top will force water up and under your shingles.
- Do not clean in the winter, as you risk having excessive amounts of water freeze on your shingles. Freezing water is expanding water, which means water could travel up and under your shingles.
- Dont let bleach or vinegar stay on your roof indefinitely. Vinegar or bleach left to sit can permanently disfigure your roof shingles or cause them to degrade prematurely.
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What Happens If You Don’t Clean Your Roof
In addition to unnecessary wear and tear on your roof tiles from the weather, the number one concern that you should have if you don’t regularly clean your asphalt shingle roof is moss growth. As moss thickens and continues to grow on your roof over time, it can actually raise up the singles in an unnatural way.
Not only will this allow debris to gather in an area where it doesn’t belong, but it also promotes water buildup. This in turn not only limits the lifespan of your roof and could cause individual tiles to rot, but it also makes a leak much more likely – leading to damage inside your home, as well.
Black algae and similar types of issues are also very common on asphalt shingle roofs that are not properly maintained, all of which mean that cleaning your roof on a regular basis should always be a top priority in the life of any homeowner.
Cleaning an Asphalt Shingle Roof
Most asphalt shingle roof cleaning methods require the use of some type of chemical – this is especially true if you’re dealing with algae stains and other visual issues. Whatever you do, make sure that you don’t use harsh chemicals or you could artificially shorten the life of your tiles. Use a product specifically designed to not only remove moss and algae stains, but one that is marked safe to use on asphalt shingle roofs.
Once you’ve taken the chance to wet down your entire roof with the aforementioned solution, give it a chance to sit – usually about 15 minutes or so will do just fine.
Two Common Types Of Algae On Your Roof
Fire Moss – Fire Moss is less common than the Gloeocapsa Magma below but is still very prevalent on many roof substrates, from cedar shake to asphalt shingles, it loves to latch on and reproduce. When fire moss gets out of hand, it will push up your shingles allowing water to get underneath and severely degrading your roof.
Gloeocapsa Magma – This is the old “black streak on my roof” culprit. It is most common on Asphalt shingles and can is a spore based algae, it lives on the limestone in your shingles. When it feeds it degrades the limestone and eventually if left untreated, will take over the whole roof making it look all black when that is not the color of the shingle itself, that is in fact the algae growing on the shingle.
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How Do You Get Rid Of Black Streaks On Your Roof
Roof algae can be easily removed by a simple roof cleaning.
The important thing to know is that while an occasional cleaning shouldnât harm your roof, doing it yourself may void any roof warranties or homeowner insurance policies you may have.
An internet search on how to clean black streaks on your roof will turn up several different homemade formulas as well as commercial brands for getting rid of roof algae.
Most formulas contain chlorine bleach and/or trisodium phosphate and water. While lye is more effective than bleach, it is corrosive and should only be applied using full protective gear.
âOxygenâ bleach, commonly known as the brand name Oxyclean, can be effective and is less environmentally damaging, but will not work as well as formulas with chlorine bleach or TSP.
Remember that even chemicals that are safe for humans can still kill or harm landscaping and vegetation!
Cleaning the Roof Yourself
If you decide to clean the roof yourself, never, ever use a power washer, even on its lowest setting. Not only is using a power washer pretty much guaranteed to void any roof warranties, it can damage shingles by causing the protective coatingâor even the shingles themselvesâto come off.
Cleaning your roof will require some preparation. Remove any lawn furniture and cover vegetation and landscaping. Overspray is inevitable, and even if the product you use isnât considered toxic, the runoff from your roof can cause plenty of mess on the ground as well.
What Algae Is Growing On My Metal Roof
The first question to ask is, What in the world is growing on my roof and turning my roof black, green, orange, or any color besides what it is meant to be? We highly recommend calling a roof cleaning professional and walking the property and identifying exactly what is growing on your metal roof and creating a plan of action to clean it. There are several types of algae that thrive on a metal roof surface.
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Why Cleaning Roof Shingles May Be Necessary
There are several possible causes for the grimy, aged look of dirty roof shingles, but the most common culprits are algae, moss growth and organic debris falling from nearby trees. In addition to looking unattractive, these issues can erode a roofs energy efficiency, damage the shingles, cause decking deterioration and lead to a premature roof replacement. Cleaning roof shingles can help prevent these problems, but its vital to use the right cleaning method to avoid causing unintentional damage.
Details about the common issues adversely affecting a roofs appearance and how to clean roof shingles plagued by these problems are as follows:
Most Common Types Of Organic Growth On Your Metal Roof
Roof bacteria can reveal itself in many different forms and appearances. You may think you have mold growing on your metal roof, but it really could be moss, mildew, algae, lichen, or Gloeocapsa Magma. Metal roofs typically turn black with a greenish tint to it when they are saturated with organic growth. Organic growth can also grow on wood, asphalt shingles, concrete, slate tiles, Spanish tiles, and many other substrates especially if the sunlight is not so good in that area.
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