Roof Cleaning -- Making Your Outdated Roof Look Like Brand-new!
Many Florida residents that have come from the N . are surprised by thinking about roof cleaning - and even more surprised by the fact that many communities here in Florida require it. Reasons for cleaning include appearances, property values, energy efficiency, and increased endurance of the roof.
No matter what main reason, if it is going to be done, it is your interest to know what choices are open to you. A quality roof ought to last upwards of 30 years if cared for along with maintained properly. Unfortunately, many roofs throughout Florida (and increasingly throughout the US) tend to be subjected to unnecessary stress while cleaning the greatly reduces the life expectancy of the roof. With repetitive roof cleaning will come certain pitfalls that many homeowner, property manager, as well as professional cleaner should become aware of in order to avoid damage to property, unnecessary repair costs, and the untimely replacement of the roof.
Boca Raton Roof Cleaning
WHY HAS THE ROOF Flipped BLACK?
The black streaking typically found on residences in areas where wetness settles on roofing shingles is not caused by mildew and mold or fungus; it's roof algae. 3M professionals have identified the most typical form as Gloeocapsa Magma. Plankton spores are carried t the wind, which is the reason so many houses in the neighborhood can end up with this concern. During the last 20 years, this kind of algae strain has grown to be hardier and so may be able to migrate to be able to less humid situations than it has previously. And in areas where this traditionally has been found, the actual staining is turning up earlier, is more significant and settles on the greater number of roofing.
HOW CAN IT BE Cleaned out?
Typical roof cleansing methods involve either pressure cleaning or perhaps chemical solutions containing Chlorine Bleach as well as Sodium Hydroxide. If used properly, these methods will certainly clean the roof together with minimal adverse effect - but the results can be very temporary and definately will generally have to be duplicated every 6-18 months to be able to maintain the appearance of the roof.
WHAT IS THE Finest CLEANING METHOD?
Both ways has its advantages and disadvantages.
Any chlorine and drinking water solution can be used accompanied by a thorough rinse. Of course, since chlorine may be toxic to people along with plants, proper care should be taken to protect personnel and the surrounding property from overspray and runoff. The benefits to using swimming pool water include a much faster cleanup process and minimal rinsing as compared to various other methods. This translates into much less wear & tear on the roof - specifically asphalt shingle homes.
Sodium Hydroxide based products are generally advertised while safer for the landscaping design, but sodium hydroxide will be caustic, very dangerous, and care should be used to protect staff and surrounding home. Sodium hydroxide is also a extremely effective degreaser. So high levels of salt hydroxide in a cleaning product or service can cause damage to the asphalt shingle roofing that can be irreversible. These products generally require far more rinsing than the chlorine method. The washing process is not only time intensive, but it can also be potentially damaging to the roof structure if not done correctly. A quality sodium hydroxide based item should not require any more than 100 pounds per square inch to effectively rinse an asphalt roofing shingle roof and even after that some granule loss to expect.
Pressure cleaning is definitely an option that should just be used on a cement, barrel tile, or perhaps metal roofs. Pressure cleaning has the good thing about not requiring chemical compounds, which eliminates some of the cost - in addition to landscaping and compound exposure concerns. The particular down side to strain cleaning is that it is quite time consuming and it exerts tremendous force over a surface that is not genuinely designed to handle the idea. In addition, repeated pressure cleaning can don away the surface associated with some tiles that are only covered by a skinny layer of dyes. When this happens, the greyish concrete color starts to show through and the top must be stained or painted.
They ARE NOT LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS.
While these methods are reasonably safe and effective when performed correcly, repeated use will lead to premature aging of the roof. The natural break down that occurs over link from the basic forces of heat, cold, breeze, and rain on it's own are enough to deteriorate most roofs until annual inspections along with minor repairs are required to prevent significant repair costs. But when the roof is actually repeatedly subjected to underhand or harsh substances, the aging of the roof structure is significantly accelerated. With repeated cleaning, flooring are more likely to shift, get, or break and asphalt shingles will become brittle along with crack. When this happens, you will find there's greater likelihood of bringing the roof membrane by just walking on the roof. When gaps are created inside the roof and up coming pressure cleaning or even chemical cleaning takes place, these gaps provide you with the water or corrosive solutions a path towards the roof membrane and increase the chance of costly roofing leaks.
WHAT IS THE Choice?
A proper program associated with preventative maintenance can eliminate the need for future cleaning and the prospect of damage that comes along with it. Preventing the particular recurrence of the algae growth will require the light source spray of swimming pool water and water or perhaps algae prevention item.
Most quality algaecides will last for approximately 6-12 months ahead of reapplication of the product is needed. Obviously, the longer the timeframe, the better your chances have minimizing and unneeded damage to the roof. Reduction programs should be done in conjunction with neighbors whenever possible and several can be applied without a requirement for walking on the roof.