From Shingles to Rubber

Your asphalt shingle roof can get black streaks and moss growth. Both can make your roof look old and ugly, and moss can actually damage your shingles. Leaves can even get stuck in the valleys and behind your chimney and hold moisture on the shingles that encourages mold growth. If your roof has tree debris, stains, or growths on it, it's time to have your roof cleaned.

Cleaning an asphalt shingle roof can be dangerous since slick roofs are hazardous. Plus, it's easy to damage an asphalt roof if you aren't careful. A roof cleaning professional can clean your roof and not cause damage. Here's an overview of how roof cleaning works.

Remove Debris

The roof cleaning contractor has to remove leaves and other debris from the roof. They'll probably pick up the debris and bag it rather than sweep it from the roof since sweeping could knock granules or shingles loose. Moss also has to be removed, and the roofer might pull some loose, but if there is a lot of moss, it's easier to remove it with chemicals.

Kill Algae And Moss

The roof cleaning contractor will probably use products that kill algae to get the black stains off of the roof. They might apply the algae killer and let it work for several minutes before rinsing it off, but the dark stains may not come out right away. The killer and cleaners may continue to work on the stain along with the help of the sun and cause the rest of the stain to fade away once the algae is killed.

Moss can be killed in the same way. Some moss killers need to be rinsed off after several minutes, while others can stay on longer. The important thing is to kill the moss so the moss falls off naturally when it rains. You might want to ask the roof cleaning contractor about what you can do to prevent the return of moss and algae.

Wash The Roof

The roof cleaning contractor may also opt to wash the entire roof to give it a fresh appearance. This gets rid of pollution, dirt, and other stains. A roofer can use a hose to rinse off cleaners or they can use a soft washer.

Power washing isn't usually done since the strength of the water could knock off the granules on top of the shingles. Instead, the roof cleaning contractor can use a soft washer with a cleaning solution and then rinse all the soap away with clear water. 

For more information, contact a roofing company like CB Chandler Roofing.