Roof Cleaning FAQs you need to know to keep your roof looking great, longer.

What process do you use to clean the roof?

We use a low pressure pump (60 psi) to apply an algae-killing chemical mixture onto the roof. This type of cleaning is done on both tile roofs and shingle roofs.

What is the difference between a chemical cleaning and pressure washing?

Pressure Washing uses a high pressure mixture of air and water to remove dirt and algae from the surface of an area being cleaned. While it will remove living algae from the surface it does not completely kill it, allowing the algae to regrow in a very short amount of time. Applying cleansing chemicals removes staining and algae grow by killing it deep in the pores of your roofing material. A chemically treated roof will come cleaner and stay cleaner longer than a roof which has been pressure washed.

What type of chemical will you be spraying?

Our cleaning mixture is a 50/50 mix of water and bleach and then we add Dawn dish soap. The soap gets the cleaner to foam up as it’s being sprayed which lets it sit on the roof longer. It works itself in and kills the algae.

I’m worried about my plants. What will you do to protect them?

We will cover any plants underneath the roof edge with tarps so that the chemical does not directly hit the plants. As the chemical hits the tarps we will be watering them down to keep the chemical diluted. Any guttered downspouts which do not run underground are tied with heavy duty bags to catch chemical run-off to protect the surrounding area.

Will you be walking on my roof?

Usually we do need to walk on parts of the roof to ensure that all of it comes clean. When the home is larger, we generally need to walk in the front and back to get around corners and the screen enclosures, but are able to clean the sides from the ground. If the home is smaller and there is no screen enclosure or a flat roof separating the enclosure and roof than we won’t need to walk on the roof.

What parts of the roof will you clean?

We will clean the entire roof and chimney if it needs it. We will also clean the edge of the roofline which includes the fascia and/or the faces of the rain gutters.

Do you rinse the roof when you are done?

Yes. We will let the chemical sit for about 30–45 minutes then we rinse the entire roof with fresh water. We will also go around the house and make sure all soap overspray is rinsed off of the windows.

Will the roof be clean when you are done or do I have to wait a few weeks?

We will leave you with a nice clean roof.

How long will the roof stay clean?

Generally the roof should stay clean for about 3-4 years. This can depend on how rainy and humid the summers are and how much shade the roof gets. If the roof gets a lot of shade it will likely become dirty quicker than the areas that dry out in the sun.