Your roof is one of the most important aspects of your home, so keeping it clean should be a normal part of your home maintenance routine. In order to prevent bigger issues from developing down the road, follow these tips to keep your roof in tip top shape.
Safety
Cleaning your roof properly requires extra attention to safety precautions. Because most residential roofs are either pitched or sloped, walking around even on the roof of a one floor home could result in injury or even death. Cover your safety basics. Be sure you have a solid ladder that reaches the height of your roof easily and have it on solid ground. Wear non slick soled shoes (preferably rubber soled) to defend against unnecessary slipping. Speaking of slipping, do not try and get on your roof when there is any moisture.
Washing
Be sure you have a garden hose long enough to reach with plenty of slack and feed it up to your roof. Sprinkle a TSP cleaning agent (Trisodium Phosphate) in order to degrease and clean the surface area. Spray the TSP off with the hose and use a push broom to scrub the area. Rinse the remaining residue off with the hose again.
Look For Needed Repairs
Be aware of any loose shingles. Not only are these a hazard while you are walking around on your roof, but loose shingles can cause bigger issues for your roof if they are not taken care of in a timely manner. Loosened shingles are susceptible to wind, and as the wind picks one up, it can cause other shingles to begin to loosen as well. This can work as a destructive domino effect for your roof. In addition to causing more damage to other shingles, loosened shingles also leaves your roof vulnerable to water damage. As water gets into your roof, it hosts a world of bad bacteria and algae that can spread and do further damage. Excessive water can also cause wood rot, compromising the structural integrity of your roof. Any leaks should be noted and filled as soon as possible.
Gutters
Your gutters are an important part of your roof’s system, and it is likely that leaves, dirt, and debris have built up in part of them. Keep these cleared and rinsed out so that they can keep water moving away from your roof to your designated drain area. This angle will also allow you to see any potential loosened gutters that you can now tighten ensuring that your gutter system keeps working properly all year long.
Hire a Professional
While you are cleaning your roof, you may notice issues that you are not prepared for like soft spots, leaks, bruising, and more. In order to feel confident that your roof is taken care of, bring in a professional roofer. Not only will this help fix the issues you notice, but they are more likely to see other problems that you might be overlooking.
