Do I Need to Clean My Roof?
The biggest asset in any homeowner's life is their home, and they want to keep it always looking its best. If your paint chips or your siding fades over time, you're prone to feeling pressured to call a painter or contractor to come fix it up. After all, your neighbors can see it from a distance.
However, most homeowners don't consider their roofs part of their roof maintenance plans. Yet keeping your roof neat and clean is an important part of maintaining a roof that can last decades of use. As well as keeping the HOA folks at bay, a clean roof will increase the longevity of the roof as well.
Natural Enemies of Your Roof
As you are trying to stop dirty roofs from developing any further, you need to keep an eye out for a few common foes that are on every dirty roof.
Mold
The algae in the roof of a single-ply shingle can cause ugly dark stains on the roof of the roof, with this being due to the reason that algae thrive off the asphalt materials used in roofing shingles. In addition, algae are very attracted to limestone, which is another commonly used material in construction.
The problem of algae goes beyond its purely cosmetic aspect. An algae or other mold that is uncleaned can significantly reduce the lifespan of your roof due to the deterioration caused by this kind of bacteria slowly eating away at your roofing materials. This type of deterioration makes your shingles more susceptible to heat damage. In addition to algae, lichen is also a mold that is invasive and grows harmoniously with it as well. It grows on roofing shingles where, like algae, it digs deep into the surface to reach the oily adhesive that holds them together.
Moss
While most people are familiar with moss, which is a fully-fledged plant, there are some things to keep in mind when it comes to moss. Moss has very small roots, and it requires quite a bit of water to survive. It is often the case that animals bring the spores to your roof, where they grow in shaded or damper areas. If the moss is not removed, you will find your shingles curling up, indicating that you need to get your roof repaired quickly.
As well as this, moss can retain water like a cactus, meaning that if a patch of moss grows on your roof, it will eventually form a small pool of water that soaks your roof continuously, causing the shingles to rot. The moss will need to be removed from your shingles as soon as possible, especially if they are made from wood. However, this can be quite challenging, which is why we recommend getting in touch with your local roofing specialist for assistance.
DIY Cleaning vs. Professional Cleaning
As a rule, we do not recommend doing anything on your roof yourself. Even the most experienced roofer can be injured on your roof. A person who doesn't go up on their roof won't know where to step because they aren't used to navigating slopes. It is possible to end up causing more damage to your roof than just injury.
The second thing you don't want to do is to clean your roof if it doesn't really need to be cleaned. Although you may be tempted to wash your roof after a dust storm, you might end up damaging it more than helping it if you do so. The tiny granules found on asphalt shingles prevent overheating. If you over-clean your shingles, these granules can be washed away too much, resulting in the shingles becoming too exposed to the sun, dramatically reducing the shingles' lifespan, and even affecting the house's temperature as a result.
Give Alpha Roofing a call at 318-373-5942. Our expert team is ready to serve you with the best professional attitude and expertise. We service areas in Bossier City and Shreveport, LA.