Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Roof Cleaning

A house is the biggest investment that most people will ever make. The roof is responsible for protecting the entire house. Did you know that proper maintenance is the only way to ensure that the roof lasts as long as it's warranted?

Keep it Clean
The first step to roof maintenance is to keep it clean. Removing any debris, and most importantly algae and moss, is vital to prolonging the life of asphalt roofs. Following the initial cleaning a yearly cleaning is recommended.


Roof Killers
Algae
There are three things that will feed on a shingle roof, robbing it of its vital components.  Roof algae is the first to appear. It is dark grey to black in color and has a streaking pattern down the slop of the roof. Roof algae grows best in the north face due to lack of sunlight. It feeds on the pollen that lands on the surface and on the components of the shingle itself. The algae is mainly an aesthetic problem but is a sign that enough moisture is present for more damaging things to grow such as lichen and moss. Lichen is a fungus that exists symbiotically with internal algae. It receives food from the algae through photosynthesis, and provides protection for the algae. Together they form a lichen. They put out tenticle-like roots deep into composite roofing, breaking down the asphalt granules and creating deep stains. http://a1builders.ws. If left untreated moss will begin to grow. Like lichen and algae it puts roots into roofing materials and the areas between shingles. Additionally it retains moisture and keeps the roof damp, promoting further growth, as well as hastening the degradation of roofing materials.


How to Clean

http://www.asphaltroofing.org/ recommends A 50/50 mix of household chlorine bleach and water. This can be applied with a pump up sprayer. For the diy home owner, this can be an extremely dangerous task. Be sure to tie off properly and wear PPE. ProClean Power & Soft Wash takes it a few steps further with our soft wash roof cleaning solution. Bleach and water is not enough to thoroughly and effectively kill roof algae. We use a commercial grade detergent that is specifically formulated to hold the bleach to roofs and other steep surfaces, allowing adequate dwell time. Never pressure wash shingles. Blasting at them will not kill the algae and blows off the granules. ProClean uses a 100 psi roof pump and can treat most roofs from the gutter line. The detergents are left and will safely rinse off with the first rain, taking dead moss and lichen with it. The black algae streaks will dissapear just minutes after being treated. Be sure to protect vegetation on the ground by either covering or rinsing before, during and after the treatment.


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(865) 385-7503





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