Your roof is one of the most important parts of your house. It protects you from rain, sun, wind and whatever else Mother Nature wants to throw at your house. Making sure that your roof is kept clean can make the difference between a working roof, and a roof that might fail you when you need it the most. But how do you clean your roof? And how do you clean it without damaging any of your shingles?
By Hand
Most debris that will fall on your roof is light and doesn’t require heavy equipment to remove it. One of the easiest ways to remove debris from off of a roof is with your hands. That’s right, you’re going to have to get dirty! Put some clothes on that you won’t mind getting some dirt and debris on, put some good gloves on your hands and get to work. This may require you to get onto your roof to get debris that you can’t reach from the ground. Remember to always be aware of proper roof safety procedures because you can fall off of a roof and seriously injure yourself. An easy way to get rid of the debris by hand is to just pull it off and throw it on the ground. Trying to maneuver a bucket or a bag on your roof can sometimes be tricky, so just throw it down and clean the ground up later.
With a blower
Another easy way to remove leafs, sticks, and other debris from the roof is with a blower. Blowers will gently blow away the debris without causing any damage to your shingles. If you have access to an air blower, then feel free to use it to blow off the debris. For many, this is a preferred method because it doesn’t require much bending over or getting dirty. BUT, there will be a bigger mess to clean up on the ground. When you blow debris it doesn’t always blow into a nice pile. Just keep that in mind when if you choose a blower over hand removal.
A soft broom or brush
This method can be tricky and you need to have a delicate touch. Remember that when using a broom or brush on your roof that you don’t want to apply too much pressure. Too much pressure can remove roof granules, which will reduce the life of the roof. If too much pressure is applied, you can also dislodge shingles, so make sure that you are brushing in a downward motion. NEVER brush UP your roof.
If you have more difficult issues with your roof, such as moss or black stains, that you are unable to remove with a soft broom or brush, you might have to take another route to clean your roof. There are many different chemicals that can help remove moss or black stains, but it’s recommended to seek a professional is those instances. Chemicals can ruin your shingles if not used properly. Your roof can also get slippery and dangerous if you use the wrong chemicals. So if you run into a situation that is beyond your know how or you are uncomfortable with, give Yorkshire Roofing a call and they can help you out.
