Is your roof covered with moss? Can we no longer distinguish the color of your tiles? Yes, but here it is, how to go about it? How to maintain your roof? With the brush? What products to use for cleaning your roof? Antifoam? Water repellent? Pressure cleaning of the top?
Not easy to choose, mostly since the maintenance of a roof and its cleaning must be done in a severe way to avoid damaging your roof at all costs. Therefore, we will try to answer all the questions you can ask yourself if you have decided to undertake roof cleaning.
How to clean your roof?
Over time and if you are lucky enough to have some greenery around your house, you have probably noticed the appearance of moss on your roof. Apart from the moss, you may also have seen black marks' appearance due to soot or smoke if you use a wood-burning solution. The rain will not be of any help in cleaning your roof. A roof is like a car, and it requires a good cleaning from time to time.
Steps to clean a roof
Here are the steps to follow in cleaning a roof:
Cleaning your roof with Karcher, good or bad idea?
The cleaning Karcher is a delicate task, especially on a tiled roof. Indeed the archer's throw can very quickly damage the tiles. If you are using a Karcher, be sure to leave a reasonable distance and attack the tiles so that the water drains down.
The high-pressure cleaning can quickly damage your roof. This is especially true for a top with terracotta tiles and thick moss. The risk of damaging the tile or making it porous is, therefore, high. Likewise, the slate is also fragile, and a slate roof can be damaged by a high-pressure jet.
Cleaning with a brush and bleach for a roof
Here again, the technique is quite mixed. The bleach will allow you to effectively remove the moss from the roof, but this product's application is not without consequences. Bleach can attack your roofing material, especially if it is fragile. Bleach can make tiles porous. Also, the discharge of such a chemical in the gutters is dangerous. If your drains evacuate the water in your pipes, it is not a very nice gesture for the environment, and if the bleach comes into contact with the soil of your garden, you risk damaging your lawn.
If you opt for cleaning the roof with a brush, it is better to choose a neutral product suitable for roof maintenance.
Anti-foam and water-repellent: how to choose a maintenance product for a roof?
Suppose you apply an antifoam solution and a water repellent treatment. In that case, you will be guaranteed to ensure a roof without foam for a long time, and your roof will be protected against humidity and the effect of porosity.
It remains to choose the right product or the right combination for your roof.
Antifoam products
The antifoam products are not worth all, both in terms of the price of the process. While some products are applied to the roof and then require rinsing, others are applied without rinsing. The action will not be immediate, but with the effect of the rain, the moss will gradually disappear from your roof.
Note that for this solution, as for all treatment solutions for your roof, it is essential to avoid as much as possible carrying out maintenance during rainy periods. Make sure you have two or three days without rain to complete your treatment. Similarly, avoid hot weather, part of the product may quickly evaporate, and the working conditions will be difficult.
Water repellent solutions
The water-repellent product serves as an anti-humidity treatment. It will help fight against water infiltration and humidity problems that some roofs may encounter.
The water repellent solution is applied by brush or by spraying. Several coats must be applied to the surface to be treated. The treated roofing material will absorb the product. Some tiles are too fragile for this type of treatment, and the product risks causing a porosity effect. Follow your roofing craftsman's advice or the salesperson in the store in Federal Way or any other city.In this regard, pay attention to the antifoam that you buy.
When it comes to product choice, it's hard to give you a specific product name or solution. The best thing is to trust your roofer, who will make the right decision for your roof. If you do your roof cleaning, ask in-store for advice.
Clean black marks on a roof
There may be black marks on your roof due to exhaust or a chimney outlet. In others, you will need products specially adapted for this type of case.
Copper against roof moss
Another solution is little known to the general public for the maintenance of your roof: copper.
By laying copper wires stretched flush with the tiles, we avoid the return of mosses and lichen at the roof's top. Rainwater oxidizes copper; this oxidation emanates from copper is a formidable weapon to prevent moss or lichens appearance.
Some roofs cannot be protected by copper alone. Indeed some forms of tile prevent the effectiveness of this treatment. Again the best is to have the opinion of an expert depending on your roof. Likewise, for installation, it is very delicate and requires real know-how.
Remember that copper prevents the appearance of moss, but your roof will have to be cleaned beforehand. If you apply copper wire to your top, it will need to be changed every five years. Be careful; copper does not go well with zinc and can damage it.
Cleaning your roof yourself: good or bad idea?
You can do the cleaning and maintenance of your roof yourself. But you absolutely must ensure your safety. Cleaning products can give off strong odors that may make you dizzy. So be sure to use a mask in case of application. For your stability, avoid that your roof is wet to start the work if the climatic conditions are not ideal.