There are so many cases in which you end up noticing black streaks on the west and north regions of the roof, together with areas that are shaded. That is especially the case when you have asphalt shingles. All the stains will make your home look unclean. Streaks that have the appearance of mold and that are actually colonies of algae will form in the shingles and then feed on moisture or limestone filler agents.
The professional roof cleaner is going to charge a lot of money. If the roof is large, you will spend hundreds. The cleaning process has to be removed every some years and if the roof slope is not too steep, you can avoid this by cleaning the shingles yourself. Here is what you need to remember about the cleaning process.
Choosing Appropriate Chemicals
The most important part of the cleaning process is to choose appropriate roof cleaning chemicals. There are basically dozens of opportunities that are currently available. Do not use power washers since even the low pressure can easily damage roof shingles. Avoid chlorine bleach since it can damage gutters, downspouts and roof flashing.
The best choice is offered by products that are sodium hydroxide based. They are much less harmful to the vegetation near where you live and will work better than the bleach. The only problem is that you do need full protective gear as the products are corrosive.
What is important is to find cleaning products that are safe and that are noncorrosive.
Preparing The Area
It is important to look at the weather forecast so that you can choose a good day for the cleaning project. If the conditions do allow you to use cleaning solutions, the project can start.
You need to start by repairing shingles and flashings that are loose since roof repair is best done early. Then, clean your downspouts and gutters. They are needed to drain the liquid you will use. Move all the lawn furniture and then cover the vegetation around the home. Overspray exists so you have to prepare about this.
Cleaning Your Roof Shingles
Use your cleaner to saturate a large shingles area. You want to start right at the bottom row. Working up towards the top is always recommended. Respect the dilution ration that is recommended by the manufacturer at all times. Do use a full body harness when you do this so that you can be secured. Before you apply cleaner, you can water the entire roof so that the temperature can be reduced.
For the fairly light stains, the cleaning solution can easily be removed with the use of a sprayer attached to the garden hose. Do always use even strokes as you may end up with areas that are not properly cleaned of the solution. Specialized rinsing tools are going to be necessary in the event that gardennozzles do not exert the pressure that is needed.
Preventing Regrowth
It is important that you prevent the regrowth of the algae. Based on the weather conditions, you can end up faced with the situation in which growth appears in just under one year. Different solutions are available for homeowners to slowdown this regrowth process. The common option is to install copper or zing strips along ridges. That would help in some situations but you do also want to consider spraying stain blocking solutions on the shingles. They are easily available at local stores.