A Guide to Cleaning Your Roof

If you have considered cleaning your roof and you are overwhelmed at where to start or what equipment you’ll need, check out the rest of this blog.

Why should you clean your roof?

Not only does cleaning your roof have visual benefits, but it can even prolong the life of your roof.

By removing debris from your roof and gutters, this will prevent the buildup of moss and algae that will eat away at your roofing tiles. In worse cases, the mould will leave you with costly damage that only a roof repair specialist can fix. If you do find yourself in this sticky situation, Roof Ranger has affordable roof repair services.

Particularly in Australia’s fire-prone climate, it is recommended that you clean your gutters before and throughout the fire season to reduce the risk of your home attracting embers from nearby fires.

How to Clean Your Roof

Though recommended to hire a professional roof cleaning specialist, if you have the available safety and cleaning equipment it is possible to get the job done yourself. Here are a few tips and tricks to guide you in the cleaning process.

Equipment you will need:

– Sturdy ladder

– Safety harness

– Protective clothing (gloves and protective glasses) and non-slip footwear

– Pressure washer or extendable wash brush

– Extension cable (if required)

– Cleaning solution and anti-moss solution

Step 1: Assess your roof

Once you are anchored and strapped safely to prevent slips and falls, examine your roof for any damage or areas to be cautious of. This includes broken tiles, wet patches, heavy algae buildup – which may be slippery to walk on and cracked window edges. The reason for examining your roof before cleaning is to determine which areas are able to withstand the pressure washer as tiles can be dislodged if used improperly. Also, if water seeps into cracks or holes this could result in leaks inside of your home. If you want to avoid creepy-crawlies and mould in areas that you may be unaware of, it is best to not skip this step.

Step 2: Have equipment ready and disconnect water tanks

To avoid climbing up and down from your roof to retrieve equipment, make sure all the equipment you need is plugged in and available at hand. If you have water tanks connected, be sure to disconnect them to avoid chemicals leaking into your tanks.

Step 3: Spray anti-moss solution and use a pressure washer

Use an anti-moss solution which you can find from your nearest hardware store and work backward, spraying in front of you so that you are stepping on the dry tiles. Once the anti-moss solution has settled, use the high-pressure spray to wash the tiles. Similar to the anti-moss solution, be sure to work backward and spray in front of you.

Avoid spraying loose tiles with your pressure washer as they may become dislodged under the high force. Instead, use an extendable wash brush to clean these more fragile tiles. Be sure to replace these tiles if they are in very poor condition. Roof Ranger offers tile replacement services if you have tiles that are cracked or broken.

Get a Professional In

If all of the steps, equipment, and process seem too difficult or time-consuming, it is best to hire a professional roof cleaning specialist to get the job complete. Depending on the complexity of the job, it may set you back $40 – $80 p/hr to have someone clean your roof professionally.

If you need more info on roofing repairs or have inquiries about hiring a roofing specialist, get in touch with Roof Ranger today. One of their friendly staff will be more than happy to assist you.