Why Roof Cleaning is Important

Roof cleaning is important because it can extend the life of your roof. It can also prevent having to have your roof replaced. Several different things can happen to your roof that makes cleaning it necessary. If you do not want to clean it yourself, you can hire a professional roof cleaning service company. They have the knowledge how to do it correctly and safely along with the proper tools to make the job easier to complete.

One thing that can cause you to need cleaning services is black algae on your roof. It is sometimes misnamed as a fungus or mildew. The black algae are normally found on the area that is shaded by a tree or on the roof's shadier slope. The staining from black algae is different from the black streaking that you see when your asphalt shingles bleed-through. With black algae, the staining is uniform.

To help inhibit the growth of black algae you can now get shingles that are made with copper or zinc granules. Allow more sunlight to reach by trimming tree branches that are hanging over your roof to help avoid these algae. You can also purchase copper or zinc strips that you can attach to the roof ridge. When it rains, the strips will release metal salts that wash down your roof, killing the black alage. The cleaning can be done by a power washer but this method could damage your shingles. There are also chemical solutions that can be used to get rid of black algae. Talk to a professional roofing service to see what is the best way to get rid of it.

Debris staining, which is a common problem, is another reason you might have roof cleaning done. This is especially true on low-pitched roofs that have branches that are hanging over. Debris staining happens when piles of debris collects on the roof. This debris could be needles from coniferous trees, leaves, and more. These debris piles retain water and can cause serious damage to your roof if it is not taken care of. Fungus and algae can start to grow there along with actual plants.

If actual plants start to grow on your roof-top, you could have a destructive root system growing into the structure of your roof. The main way to get rid of debris piles is to wash or sweep the debris from the roof, being careful not to damage any roof shingles. It is far less expensive to do this than waiting until you have expensive repairs.