How Often Does a Home Need Roof Cleaning?

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Professional roof cleaning is an excellent way to keep a home’s roof in good condition and improve your property’s appearance overall. Regular roof washing also improves outdoor air quality for you and your family, providing a safe and comfortable environment for relaxing and entertaining.

Most homeowners should schedule roof cleaning every two to three years; however, homes in tropical or stormy areas or those near busy highways and airports might require roof washing every year. Mature trees, an overly humid environment, and other such factors might also indicate the need for annual roof washing.

If you’re like many homeowners, you might put off professional roof cleaning as long as possible, perhaps failing to realize its benefits for your property. Some homeowners might also assume they can manage this work themselves, with rented power washing equipment and store-bought detergents.

Before you go another season without effective roof cleaning, you might consider its advantages as well as reasons why you’ll want to invest in other such pressure washing services as well! It’s also vital that homeowners understand why they should leave this work in the hands of an experienced power washing contractor near them.

How Often Does a Home Need Roof Cleaning?

To choose the best roof cleaning schedule for your home, note some benefits of this service as well as added risk factors for your home. You can then discuss your options with a power washing contractor and ensure your property is always in good condition and looking its best as well!

• Storms and strong winds leave airborne debris on a home’s roof, including twigs, acorns, leaves, sand, and other residues. This debris tends to work its way between shingles, tiles, flashing, and other roofing materials, loosening them.
• High winds also scrape debris on the roof across its surface, risking damage.
• Storm debris especially is typically wet, or gets very wet every time it rains! This debris then holds moisture against the roof; shingles and other materials absorb that moisture, softening and then splitting and cracking.
• Tree branches hanging over a home’s roof drop damaging debris onto the surface below while also providing a resting spot for birds and squirrels. Caustic animal droppings easily damage roofing shingles and other materials, and also create an unsightly mess!
• Untouched debris on a home’s roof will typically make its way into the gutters, increasing the risk of clogs and standing water. Shingles and roofing materials then absorb that water, suffering cracks and other damage, or the water might run over the side of the home, pooling around the foundation, leading to cracks and chips.
• Wet storm debris as well as high humidity levels increase the risk of mold, moss, mildew, and algae growing along roof eaves. These contaminants then spread over a roof’s surface, working their way in between tiles and flashing.
• Mold and pollen on the roof are often bothersome to anyone sitting in the yard, irritating a person’s sinuses and triggering allergic reactions!
• Soot from heavy engines as well as air pollution residues end up on residential roofs, drying these materials and leading to premature shingle damage.

Regular roof cleaning removes all these debris and residues from a home’s roof, reducing the risk of damage and ensuring better air quality. Roof power washing services also help keep that debris out of a home’s gutters, helping to ensure they’re also clean and clog-free! Your home’s exterior also looks better instantly when you invest in regular roof cleaning and other power washing services.

While most homeowners can clean away storm residues and other damaging elements from their home’s roof with washing every two to three years, consider if any of this information indicates that your home needs annual roof cleaning! As said, mature trees in your yard, a nearby airport, and other such factors might indicate the need for more consistent roof cleaning, for maximum protection and to ensure your home stays clean.

Why Avoid DIY Roof Cleaning

Roof cleaning might seem simple and straightforward; simply apply some surfactant, let it sit for several minutes, and then rinse! However, there are many reasons why a homeowner might avoid DIY roof washing and, instead, leave this work to a qualified power washing company instead.

Safety is a vital concern when managing any home improvement or repair project, and especially something that involves the roof. Even experienced roofers and pressure washing contractors risk injury if they neglect safety procedures or don’t use proper protective equipment; how much more risky is it for homeowners to get up on their home’s roof and attempt pressure washing!

Thorough, effective roof cleaning also requires some training and experience so that nothing is overlooked. It’s quite easy for a homeowner to neglect certain trenches, crevices, and other such hidden spaces along a roof’s surface, leaving behind lots of damaging debris.

Improper power washing techniques also damage a roof quite easily. Aiming the water in the wrong direction, allowing detergents to dry before rinsing them, or using too much pressure means stripping shingle granules or pulling those shingles from their connectors.

An inexperienced homeowner might also cause far more messy splatter when washing their roof than necessary! In turn, you might end up with dirty exterior walls and even damaged landscaping features. To avoid all these risks, invest in the services of a qualified power washing contractor for the roof cleaning you need to have done.

What Is the Best Roof Washing Method?

Many homeowners today are surprised to learn that there is more than one roof washing method available to them! High-pressure washing is not always recommended for properties and especially roofs, as too much pressure can mean loosening shingles and other materials. Power washing can also strip granules from shingle surfaces, damage roof vents, and chip soft chimney brick.

Soft wash systems are typically preferred for roof cleaning, as this method starts with a specialty detergent meant to seep into surface nooks and crannies and then dissolve even the thickest dirt, mold, and other residues. Once dissolves, a soft or low-pressure rinse, typically just slightly stronger than a standard garden hose, is all that’s needed to remove that dirt and debris.

Soft wash pressure washing reduces the risk of roof damage as well as messy splatter. Your home will be left clean and pristine and in good condition when you choose a soft wash system for your roof washing needs!

Pro Tips for Protecting a Roof From Damage

Regular, professional roof cleaning is by far one of the best ways to protect a home’s roof from otherwise unnecessary damage. It’s also easier to inspect a clean roof and note areas of needed repairs, so you can replace worn or damaged shingles quickly and make other necessary fixes before they become more extensive and even costlier!

Trimming back tree branches especially if they hang over the house also protects a roof from premature damage. Those tree branches drop lots of debris, as said, so regular pruning and keeping the home clear of overhanging branches reduces that risk.

Snow also holds lots of moisture and damaging debris on a home’s roof. If you live in an area with lots of heavy snowfall, invest in a roof rake or broom designed for snow removal. Use caution when pulling snow off the roof as it’s very heavy and can start sliding in large chunks at any time, but keeping the roof clear in wintertime can mean reducing potential damage.

Making timely repairs also keeps damage to a minimum. The longer you ignore missing shingles, torn flashing, holes, and other such needed fixes, the worse they get! Consider a roof inspection every year or every two years at most and schedule repairs as needed, to keep your home’s roof in its best condition.

Other Pressure Washing Services Every Home Needs

Roof cleaning is vital for ensuring your home is protected from damage and looking its best, but it’s not the only pressure washing service you might schedule every year or so! Exterior wall washing, like roof cleaning, removes damaging mud, dirt, mold, and gritty debris from siding and brick, reducing the risk of water damage and etching and scratching. Exterior house washing also improves your home’s appearance instantly!

Patio and driveway pressure washing is also vital for removing layers of dirt, sand, silt, and debris from a smoky outdoor grill. Cleaning away moss and mold from patio pavers or a pool deck is especially vital, to ensure a safe walking surface. Removing mold, pollen, dried dust, and other irritants also means a cleaner outdoor environment and less irritation for anyone with allergies or other such health concerns!

Professional gutter cleaning also protects a home from water damage and unsightly stains. While roof washing keeps lots of debris out of gutters, it’s still possible for them to become filled with dirt, mud, sand, sap, moss, and other such residues. Cleaning gutters with a garden hose creates mess and splatter but cleaning them by hand is very unpleasant! Professional gutter cleaning makes quick work of this chore and protects your home’s exterior as well.

A homeowner might also consider regular wood deck and fence cleaning, to remove unsightly mud and grime as well as developing mold and moss. Professional cleaning ensures your wood surfaces are clean while restoring their color and ensuring safe walking surfaces. Consider this and other pressure washing services when you schedule roof cleaning, so your entire home and property are in good condition and always looking their best.