Power Washing Pros Ann Arbor, MI If you’re like most homeowners, you probably don’t think about roof cleaning until your home’s roof is covered in dirt, soot, and other such debris. This can be a mistake, as regular roof washing is more important to the overall condition of your home than you might realize. Roof washing becomes even more important the older your home and its roof.
Roof Washing reveals areas of the house that need repair, protects the home from water damage, and preserves your property’s overall curb appeal.
If you’re not sure if the roof cleaning cost is worth the investment for your home, you might note some reasons why this work should be done on a regular basis. It’s also good to consider why you should have your home’s entire exterior cleaned regularly as well, and why this work is not a DIY job!
What a Cleaning Reveals
A thorough cleaning will restore the color of roofing tiles and shingles so that they look brand new. However, cleaning away soot stains, water stains, algae, moss, and other residues from a roof can also reveal worn or water-damaged areas. Soft spots on a roof typically indicate that the rafters and ceiling joists have become soft and need structural repair; if this work is put off, sections of the roof could actually collapse!
A roof washing also gives a roof cleaning company or a homeowner a chance to scrutinize the roof, to note if there are broken shingles or tiles, or areas of crumbling tiles. If these shingles are not replaced, this can lead to water leaks inside the home and resultant mold growth.
Note, too, that a home’s roof is part of its overall insulation. Damaged, broken, thin, or crumbling tiles are not insulating a home as they should, so your house’s roof is then letting out heating and air conditioning throughout the year. After having your home’s roof adequately washed, you can then see which shingles need replacing, or note if it might be time for an entirely new roof to be installed.
How Roof Cleaning Protects the House
Roof washing will make a home’s roof look its best, but professional power washing will also keep that roof free from damage and protect the home’s interior as well. How so?
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- Algae and mold hold moisture against a home’s roof, causing shingles and tiles to get soft and then crumble. This added moisture often allows roofing paper under the tiles to tear. In turn, moisture gets inside the house and can then result in mold growth.
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- It’s not unusual for small debris on a roof to get lodged under and around shingles so that they become loose or don’t sit as snugly against the roof as they should. Loose shingles can also interfere with the roof’s ability to insulate your home, and may also risk water leaks inside the house. Loose shingles are also more likely to blow away in a storm.
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- Debris on the roof can also get lodged along flashing edges. Flashing refers to the thin sheets of metal that are placed around corners of a roof or against a chimney body, providing protection where rows of shingles end. If flashing gets dislodged from the roof, this also leads to water leaks inside the house.
- Leaves, twigs, and other debris left on a home’s roof can eventually clog the home’s gutters. When gutters are clogged, rainwater will spill over their sides and run down the exterior walls of the home, pooling around the foundation. Leaking water can lead to stains on exterior walls as well as cracks in the house’s foundation. This moisture can also wind up seeping into the home.
Why Curb Appeal Is So Important!
A professional roof washing can make your house look better, which is reason enough to have this job scheduled on a regular basis. If a home’s roof looks shabby, worn out, dirty, discolored, or otherwise unattractive, the entire property can look rundown and dated! Your beautiful landscaping, flower beds, shutters, flower boxes, and other features and fixtures that you took great care to place outside your home can seem dull and drab when the roof itself is not properly washed.
Curb appeal can even affect the overall value of your home. A homeowner may not think that their home’s value is crucial if they’re not putting that house on the real estate market, but a property’s value is considered if a homeowner applies for home equity loans or other lines of secured credit. Your small roof cleaning cost is offset when your property values are then protected.
Roof Cleaning Doesn’t Damage a Home
Some homeowners have the mistaken idea that roof washing damages a home, perhaps thinking the pressure from this washing will strip granules from roofing tiles. A homeowner might also assume that the force used in power washing will loosen roofing tiles and increase the risk of those shingles blowing away, or that the water used for power washing will encourage mold and algae growth.
When a pressure washing professional cleans a home’s roofing tiles, some granules might get washed away in the process. However, this is because those granules were already loosened from the shingles, not because of the power washing itself! It’s good to wash away loose granules so that you can inspect the condition of those shingles and note if they’re so thin that they need to be replaced.
A professional roof cleaning company with experience in using a pressure washer will also know how to properly wash a home’s roof so that the shingles don’t come loose or otherwise get damaged. He or she will also know how to direct the water away from the roof so that moisture doesn’t get trapped under shingles or around flashing, reducing the risk of mold and algae forming after the washing is completed.
Benefits of Soft Wash Roof Washing
Soft wash systems use specialty solvents and surfactants that dissolve dirt, soot, and other debris so that everything can be rinsed away with very lower water pressure. Note a few benefits of choosing a soft wash system for your home’s roof:
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- The debris sitting on a home’s roof can be very thick and difficult to wash away with water alone, especially if your home is near an airport. Airplane engines create lots of soot, dust, and other residues that all settle onto a home’s roof, but soft wash detergents cut through all those layers of grime quickly and easily.
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- Soft wash pressure washing will be less likely to loosen shingles and tiles, which is essential for older roofs that aren’t necessarily sturdy and in good repair.
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- The lower water pressure used for soft washing will create less splashing and splattering on the home’s exterior, so you won’t need to have the exterior walls of the house cleaned after having the roof cleaned!
- It’s also less likely that water will make its way down the home’s chimney or through other entryways of the house when you choose a soft wash, low-pressure roof cleaning versus standard power washing.
Why Clean Your Home’s Entire Exterior
When scheduling a roof cleaning services of your home, it’s good to think about having the entire exterior of your home cleaned as well! You can often have the same company power wash your house’s exterior walls, windows, deck, porches, driveway, and other such areas at the same time as your roof washing. Note why it’s good to consider having all this work done regularly, if not even during the same visit:
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- Washing a home’s exterior walls can restore their color and vibrancy. You might even assume it’s time to repaint a home or touch up the brick exterior, only to realize that a good power washing was all that’s needed to make the house look fresh and new!
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- Having clean windows can ensure a beautiful view to the outside while also allowing lots of light into the home’s interior. Sunlight makes a space seem welcoming and inviting and is also healthy for your houseplants.
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- Bothersome dust and allergens can cling to window screens and screens for patio doors, and then make their way inside the home once you open those windows or doors. A thorough cleaning of those screens will reduce the amount of dirt, pollen, dander, and other irritants that make their way into your home.
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- Washing away dirt, mud, moss, mold, algae, and other debris from a home’s deck, wood porch, or other such surfaces will keep that wood from getting soft and then warping or cupping and bowing. Dirt and dust can also dry out wood so it becomes brittle and then cracks or chips, while power washing will remove those layers of damaging residue.
- Power washing a driveway and walkways will remove leftover salt you use during wintertime, as well as motor oil and lubricants used in a lawnmower or other power tools. Properly washing away these materials will protect the concrete and asphalt around your property and ensure these surfaces look fresh and new.
For maximum protection of your house and property, consider having all this cleaning done when you schedule your roof cleaning work!