Blog
Published September 30
Regular roof maintenance should be a part of every exterior house maintenance plan. Regular cleaning will improve your roofs longevity and keep it in shape. But you may ask, how often should I clean my roof and why? Here’s our top tips on how often you should be pressure washing your roof.
Your roof will begin to show signs of needing a clean from a buildup of dark spots which indicate mould and moss. It’s important to know that rain and wind alone isn’t enough to clean your roof. Depending on the type of weather in your area, age of the roof and surrounding landscape (trees, ocean), you may need to clean more thoroughly. Extra leaves and debris from surrounding trees could clog up drains faster, restricting water flow and posing as a fire hazard when dry. The salty air that comes from ocean water could also degrade and corrode certain materials faster, so be aware of your surroundings.
We recommend that your roof be pressure washed every 1 – 3 years depending on your circumstances.
Before you jump onto your roof, make sure you’ve done your research on what water pressure you need and wear the right clothing to stay safe. It is much safer to clean your roof during a dry, sunny day instead of during the rain. Minimising the wet surface you need to walk on helps reduce your risk of slipping. Make sure to wear non-slip shoes that cover your entire foot, and make sure they are steel-toed to protect yourself from dropping anything on them. When you are on the roof, know where you can and cannot stand. Some roofs aren’t as stable in the direct center as they are on their supports. Also know where you will have your pressure washer on the roof. The last thing you want to do is trip over it and have a huge accident.
Keep in mind that different types of roof tiles will react differently to water pressure. For example, tiles that are made from ceramic or clay need less pressure to clean, to avoid the risk of cracking them. If you have a spare roof tile around, you can test your equipment on it, to see the reaction of pressure washing your roof tiles.
Keeping your roof regularly cleaned and maintained won’t only keep it looking nice. Regular maintenance helps prevent wood rot by removing roof algae and moss. Roofs covered in algae struggle to reflect sunlight as efficiently, causing your home to stay hotter, raising cooling costs.
By taking care of your roof, you help extend its lifespan and reduce the need to do a complete re-roofing and increase the home’s overall appeal, and is a great feature for when you need to resell your home. If you have solar panels installed, cleaning those are especially important. Buildup of dirt, bird droppings and other hinerances can block the amount of sunlight the panels can absorb, taking away the maximum amount of power you could be generating.
To avoid the risk of injuring yourself or damaging your own property, consider hiring services from a professional roof cleaning company. With years of experience, you can rest assured that your roof will be taken care of.
For a professional residential and commercial cleaning service in Sydney, contact us for a free quote. We guarantee to do a thorough clean and the head technician on your job will always have vocational training in the service being rendered.
