Our roofs protect our homes, and our homes protect us. So, it only makes sense to take care of our roofs in return, keeping them sparkly and functional! Using gentle roof cleaning techniques is a great way to safely and effectively maintain both metal and tile roofs. In fact, unless you’re a professional roof cleaner, we highly recommend always using gentle techniques to ensure you don’t accidentally cause damage.
Let’s discuss some of our top tips for keeping roofs clean with low-pressure techniques.
Can I Clean My Roof Safely and Gently?
Why Clean the Roof with Low Pressure?
First, we need to go over why it’s so important to be gentle on your roof. While getting a pressure washer to quickly hose away debris and dirt might be tempting, non-professionals risk damaging the roof. They don’t know how to safely use pressure or harsh chemicals. This means they risk their own safety and the strength of the roof.
When a roof gets damaged, the entire house becomes at risk. Leaks can cause major issues that can become incredibly costly. Whether it’s creating dents and damaged, rusty spots on a metal roof, or dislodging and cracking the tiles of a tile roof, any problems in the roof will trickle down into your home.
By being gentle on our roof even with a DIY job (or hiring professionals like Bayside Roofing, who can expertly clean without introducing problems), we extend the lifespan of our roofs, prevent major repairs, and keep our household safe and happy. All while keeping the exterior of our house looking luxurious and new!
What are the Best Roof Cleaning Products to Use?
Luckily, you’ll likely already have everything you need at home! No need to go out and buy expensive cleaning products, harsh chemicals, new brushes and sponges, etc.
- Water: To first give the roof an initial hose down (with your regular garden hose, not a pressure washer), and to rinse off soap and debris when you’re done cleaning.
- Dish soap: Your regular, gentle dish soap that you use in the kitchen will work just fine for your roof, mixed in with water in a bucket.
- Sponges: To clean dirt, debris, moss, algae, and more from your rooftop using your soap solution.
- Narrow hard-bristled brush: To help clear gutters.
- Broom with long handle: To help clear debris from the rooftop.
It’s that simple. No need to go out and buy fancy products when your roof cleaning products are likely already sitting in the garage, kitchen or laundry.
Setting Yourself Up for Safety
If you don’t already have safety gear around, we recommend making sure you can get access to some before you climb up and start cleaning, like:
- A steady ladder (and ideally a second person to spot you)
- Non slip shoes
- Gloves
- A water bottle to stay hydrated
When you’re cleaning your own roof and don’t have a lot of experience climbing and navigating on top of your house, you’ll want to be extra careful. That means cleaning only on days that are dry and not windy to avoid possible slipping or lack of vision. Also, not cleaning on days that are incredibly hot and sunny, as you might be at risk of sunburn, dehydration, heatstroke, or more, leading to potential falls.
How to Gently Clean the Roof
Though we recommend professional cleaning to get the ideal job done, here’s how to do a decent DIY that’ll keep your roof healthy:
- Set up your ladder securely, and put on your shoes and gloves.
- Grab your products and fill up a bucket with warm, soapy water.
- Climb up safely and first assess the roof for any other safety considerations.
- Clear big pieces of debris like fallen branches.
- Use your broom to brush away as much other debris as possible.
- Rinse the roof down with your hose.
- Use your sponge to begin spot cleaning, paying extra attention to any moss or algae.
- Use your narrow brush to clean out the gutters.
- Give the roof another hose down to remove soap.
- Done!
Special Considerations for Tile Roofs
When you’re up on your roof, make sure to look for any cracks in the tiles, or places where tiles are missing or broken. This can lead to bigger issues down the line so it’s vital to get them fixed immediately. Call a professional like Bayside Roofing so they can promptly help.
Also, tile roofs, particularly terracotta, are especially prone to moss, lichen and algae growth. Pay extra attention when cleaning to remove any you see, and if there are major problems, call a professional.
Special Considerations for Metal Roofs
Metal roofs can get very slippery, so as always, safety first! Even with your non-slip shoes, be careful with each step and always maintain three points of contact to prevent slipping and falling. Also, be even more cautious of cleaning on hot, sunny days, as metal roofs can absorb a lot of heat.
Be extra-cautious of abrasive cleaning products that could damage the coating and the metal. Always do a test patch first to make sure the roof can handle whatever you’re using to clean it. This helps you make sure your cleaning will be effective before you’ve done the whole thing and it’s too late.
Chat to Bayside Roofing!
At Bayside Roof Repairs and Restorations, we know how important it is to keep a well maintained roof that looks great and will function for many, many years. Our professional cleaning services make maintenance even easier for homeowners in South East Queensland. You don’t need to worry about your own safety or using the right products when you can hand this job over to the experts.
We offer roof cleaning for single-storey metal and tile roofs up to 2.4m (gutter height). Contact us today to chat about how we can help you.
