Does your roof have those ugly black stains or even moss growth? Don’t feel so bad because roughly 70% of homes in north west Indiana are effected by these organic growths.
Today we’re going to share some insight into our process for cleaning roofs and share some tips and tricks for you do it yourselfers! ( yes I just made that word up ) lol
Here at AquaMen Pro-Wash we like to offer our clients a few options to choose from. So depending on what option is chosen, it will dictate our process a bit. But let’s just say for example we’re doing a full clean and wash package. The very first thing we do is clear off all debris from the roof. This includes leaves, sticks and that baseball jimmy hit up there a few years ago.
Once everything is cleared off, let’s assume they have moss growth that needs to be taken care of. Our next step then is to begin to agitate the moss with a soft brush. Notice I didn’t say remove the moss or scrape off the moss. All we are trying to do is agitate it so that when we apply the chemical to kill it, wind and rain will eventually rinse it all off. We also don’t want to damage any shingles by scraping too hard.
From there, the next step before applying any chemical is to pre soak any vegetation in the surrounding areas. In order to effectively kill the organic matter on the roof, you need to use a chemical. This is why an organic safe product like Wet & Forget takes 6 months to year to provide any significant results is because it simply takes that long to truly kill off the organic imposter. The most popular home remedy is bleach. Bleach can possibly kill the plantation below if not applied carefully. But just remember, dilution is always the solution. As long as you pre water all your plants and grass before the application, some over spray of the chemical shouldn’t do any harm.
To ensure zero collateral damage we at AquaMen Pro-Wash take it a bit further. We have an in house chemical blend that makes it less likely to kill any plantation. Another propriety solution we use is a biodegradable organic safe solution that neutralizes any chemical that comes in contact with the plantation below.
The next precautionary measure we take that is really not necessary and most other pressure washing companies don’t do but we do just as an extra safety net is we bag the down spouts to keep the run off from the gutters away from the surrounding plantation. For down spout systems that run into the ground we simply run water through them. As mentioned before, dilution is always the solution!
With our due diligence, we can proudly say we have not killed a single plant thus far and don’t intend to!
Once the roof is covered, you’re going to want to let it sit and dwell for a good 10 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the color of the organic matter. If the black staining begins to turn a light brownish color, then that is a sign of the algae dying. If the black staining remains black or even turns a dark brown color, you’re going to want to re apply to that section.
After a couple coatings and all the black algae is a light brownish color, it is time to perform a rinse. There is no need for pressure here. A soft gentle rinse is more than enough to help rinse off the majority of the contaminants. There maybe some remaining visible spots and that’s okay. As long as those spots are a light brownish color as mentioned before, it will eventually run off over the next couple rain showers.
As for the moss growth, after the soft wash application, it should turn a yellowish, white color. If so, it is dead and will rinse off over the next few rain showers. It is really difficult to rinse off even dead moss simply because its roots have grown and latched on to the granules of the shingles. Once dead though they will begin to detach from the shingle and will rinse away typically in the couple rain showers.
After the final rinse of the roof, we like to perform a final rinse of all the vegetation once again to ensure any overspray is rinsed off of the plants.
Roof washing is crucial for maintaining your roofs longevity and curb appeal. In fact, many insurance companies have new policies in place that state that if a roof has a certain amount of algae and moss growth. They will deny the claim. This is because these organic growths can cause premature deterioration.
