For home owners who have trees that overhang the roof many times the roof will start to look dingy. Falling leaves and debris can start to gather on the roof. When combined with dust being blown about and sticking to the area your home’s roof can start to look darker in areas. You may even have moss growing if the problem persists long enough. Many people think they can simply wash the roof and all will be okay but that’s really not the case. Here are some reasons why you may not want to do that and instead hire a roofing contractor in Michigan to give you a roof inspection first.
Should You Clean Your Home’s Roof Shingles?
First, I’d like to say that going on top of your home can be extremely dangerous. You can be seriously hurt or even killed because of falling from your roof. Hiring a qualified roofing professional to do any sort of work or inspection on your home’s roof is a must. After all, chances are there isn’t much you can do if you have stained or debris laden shingles on your home.
Pressure Washing Your Shingles
Many people think that pressure washing the shingles will make them look new again. Unfortunately, it can also cut years of life from your shingles. Asphalt shingles have granules that help protect them and also give them unique colors. When you pressure wash your home’s roof those granules are blown away due to the powerful water pressure. This makes the shingles look darker and it also makes them much more susceptible to wear. Most roofing professionals actually gauge the age of the shingles based upon how much granules are still on the shingle. Also standing on the ground and attempting to pressure wash the shingles will likely break shingles and you’ll develop a roof leak.
Pressure Washing Metal Roofing
Water will make the metal roof extremely slippery and you can fall and be seriously injured or even killed.
Unlike asphalt shingle roofing, metal roofing doesn’t have the same granules. In some cases you can actually pressure wash metal roofing. The only problem is when there is too much pressure the paint on the metal can start to peel and once it starts it will continually peel and expose the underlying metal. Sometimes just taking a garden hose with a nozzle can help to remove many forms of debris on your metal roof. Do not go onto the roof while doing so. Water will make the metal roof extremely slippery and you can fall and be seriously injured or even killed.
So What Should You Do with Roofing Debris
The best thing to do is call a roofing contractor in Michigan to clean your home’s roof. Getting roof maintenance done on your roof will allow the roofing contractor to remove the debris from the roof and it’s likely after a few rain falls the roof will start to be more uniform in color. In extreme cases you may need to get a full roof replacement if the damage has been there long periods of time.
