This is the time of year when we think about spring cleaning. While it’s great to clean the interior of your home, and get your yard in order, there is another place to clean – your roof.
You have two options when it comes to cleaning your roof:
1. Hire a professional roofer to clean your roof, inspect it for damage, and get your gutters cleared of debris. This is often an effective and safe way to get your roof cleaned. It has the added benefit of getting your roof inspected and ensuring its life is prolonged by getting repairs done on it immediately as needed.
2. Do it yourself. Cleaning your roof yourself is cheaper, but is it also dangerous and on some roofs it shouldn’t even be attempted.
Here are some steps you can take to clean your roof:
– Put on heavy, rubber soled shoes.
– Pick a dry day to go onto your roof.
– Get a soft bristle brush and a long garden hose.
– Set your ladder up on solid, dry ground. If you can get another person to stand below and hold the ladder, do so. At the very least, make sure someone else is home and they know you are on the roof.
– Inspect your roof from your ladder to determine the pitch, roofing needs, and cleanliness.
The things you want to look are:
Is the pitch of the roof walkable? “Walkable” means that you can walk on it safely. “Walkable” is considered any roof pitch from 2/12 – 5/12. A 2/12 roof pitch means that it rises 2 inches every 12 inches of roof length. So a 5/12 pitch would mean the roof rises 5 inches every 12 inches of roof length. After this, the pitch is considered unsafe to walk on without additional roofing equipment.
Are their heavy/large limbs on the roof that it would be unsafe to move by yourself?
Is the roof slippery? If it’s a metal or wood shake roof, it is likely to be slippery even at a walkable pitch.
Are there holes, missing shingles or loose areas that look unsafe to walk on?
If you cannot handle the work that needs doing on the roof by yourself, or you feel it might be unsafe to walk on, get a professional to look at it before proceeding.
– Sweep your roof with the soft bristle brush.
– Rinse your roof. Allow the water to soak in and dry for at least 5-10 mins.
– Sweep your roof again with the soft bristle brush.
If you aren’t satisfied with the results, or if there is excessive moss, algae, mold, debris, etc, it’s time to get a professional in to look at the situation. Don’t use a harsher brush to clean with, as you may damage your shingles.
Here’s to a healthy, clean roof!