7 Most FAQ's About Roof Cleaning
As a home owner, you are aware that your home is
probably your largest investment and that taking care of it is an
important necessity in maintaining its value. Unlike the inside of
your home, the exterior is exposed for all to see, and it can
reflect heavily on your image.
Maintaining great curb appeal
is pretty high up on the maintenance budget. Lawn care services,
landscape maintenance, painting projects, and exterior cleaning are
all definite home improvements that give you the best bang for your
buck. There is nothing that screams curb appeal more than a good
house cleaning, fresh mulch, trimmed shrubbery and a thick green
lawn.
One of the biggest eye sores and curb appeal killers is
roof algae. Roof algae appear as black stains or streaks on your
roof's shingles. It can really take away from the beauty of an
otherwise gorgeous home. So what can be done about these unsightly
black streaks? We will answer this question and some of the other
most frequently asked questions about roof cleaning.
Q: Can
this roof algae be removed?
A: The good news is yes. Roof
cleaning is a service offered by From the Ground Up. The roof algae can be killed and removed safely to restore
your roof's appearance.
Q: Will cleaning my roof damage the
shingles?
A: When the wrong methods are used, the answer is
yes. Inexperienced contractors or home owners can easily damage
shingles by removing excessive amounts of shingle granules, which
are there to protect the shingles. The main culprit of roof cleaning
damage is using too much water pressure to blast the shingles clean.
Never allow a pressure washer to be used on your roof or any other
aggressive method!
Q: So,
how can the shingles be cleaned without causing damage?
A: By
using the non-pressure methods recommended by the shingle
manufacturers themselves. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers
Association, GAF, and Owens Corning have all suggested cleaning
methods and solutions to clean roofs suffering from roof algae. They
recommend using a non-pressure chemical application.
Q: What is the solution that will be used
on my shingles?
A: The proper cleaning solution that is
recommended by ARMA, GAF, and Owens Corning is a chlorine- based roof
cleaner. This type of cleaner is effective in killing the algae when
applied with non-pressure.
Q: Do some of the other lye or sodium hydroxide-based roof cleaners
work well?
A: Unfortunately, they do not. The shingle
manufacturers do not recommend these products because they are not
very effective. They only work when used in conjunction with
excessive pressure from a pressure washer, which leads to lessened
longevity of the roof. When not used with pressure, some of these
products even state on the label that the roof may take 2-3 months
to begin appearing clean after an application, and in some cases
more than one application is necessary.
Q: Will the
chlorine-based products harm my landscaping?
A: It can when
handled improperly; after all, roof algae are plants. You've
probably used chlorine before when doing laundry, right? Would you
give the same gallon jug of chlorine to a 4 year-old and tell them to
do the whites with it? Of course you wouldn't; because in the wrong
hands it can be harmful either to them or your clothes. Well, it's
the same thing with roof cleaning. This is why it is important to
let a roof cleaning professional clean the roof for you. They will
know how to handle the cleaner to protect themselves and your
property from damage.
Q: When I do get a new roof, are
algae-resistant shingles effective?
A: Well, they call them
algae-resistant (not algae-proof) for one simple reason; they help
in eradicating the roof algae problem but they aren't a full proof
answer (not yet anyway). As a roof cleaning contractor, I have seen
algae-resistant shingles suffering from roof algae, so a non-pressure roof cleaning was still necessary.
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