So it pays to clean your shingles as soon as you spot algae growth.
How to power wash roof shingles.
Use low pressure to spray it clean the power of a pressure washer can damage the shingles on your roof so it s important that you select the proper spray tip.
Always stand on a dry area of the roof as wet shingles can be very slippery.
For extra cleaning power mix in a non ammonia heavy cleaner like tsp.
Read on for our best roof cleaning tips.
While pressure washing your asphalt shingles is out of the equation for yourself and for professional roof cleaning companies the process of cleaning your roof doesn t have to be a demanding challenge.
Most contractors don t recommend pressure washing or power washing a roof.
All it really takes is a garden hose and for streaking caused by algae growth the added measure of a corrosive cleaning agent to kill it.
The two main methods for roof cleaning are.
This is the best way to clean a roof if you have asphalt.
Start with a medium pressure spray pattern and adjust from there accordingly.
Do it yourself and save big bucks.
One part of proper roof maintenance is cleaning the shingles which you can do yourself in less than an hour.
But once the algicide wears off your roof hosts an all you can eat buffet for the neighborhood algae spores.
While an occasional cleaning might not harm your roof repeated use of harsh chemicals or the erosive effects of pressure washing can damage or shorten the life of asphalt shingles.
Using shingles that have been treated with algicide keeps the growth at bay for about 10 years thus the 10 year algae warranty.
Pick a cool overcast day so the cleaning solution doesn t dry too fast.
Use a sprayer attached to garden hose that s filled with equal parts chlorine bleach and water.
Pressure washing in which highly pressurized water is sprayed on the roof to remove any mold algae dirt or grime and chemical cleaning sometimes called soft washing in which chemicals are the main thing that are removing those harmful things from your roof.
Of laundry strength liquid chlorine bleach and water.
Then mix standard laundry bleach with water.
It s generally not necessary to pressure wash a shingle roof for the purpose of removing ordinary dirt and leaves and pressure washing can potentially damage the shingles coating of protective grit.
This is because the water comes out too forcefully and can damage the material.