Don’t Pressure Wash Your Roof!
The most common roof tiles in South Florida are barrel tiles made from concrete. The other tile are asphalt shingles. Power washing roof tiles will strip a layer of their surfaces and shorten their life expectancy. Asphalt shingle roof tiles have a sandy, granular finish on the exposed side of the tile. This part of the tile is designed to gradually wear off until the tile needs to be replaced.
In addition to stopping the protective surface of the tile, power washing house exteriors and roof tiles with high-pressure devices can strip paint and damage your roofs underlay. A a typical roof is designed to withstand the elements, but it isn’t designed to protect your roof from water hitting it at such high pressure. Power washing house roof tiles with a high-pressure pressure washer places undo pressure on the material beneath the tiles which can cause ripping and tearing. How many homeowners actually go into their loft space or attic after a power washing house cleaning and check the condition of the felt, timbers and insulation? Many time these materials get exposed to water and absorb them. While this may go unnoticed to the homeowner, water will rot your timbers and create mold in the interior of your home. If the water does penetrate the insulation prevented it will soak through to your ceiling where it could seep into electric and light fittings and create multiple safety hazards.
The key to a clean roof is effective mold removal and mold prevention. Mold is what makes your roof look dirty. It also a living organism. Tiles are also porous. Each time your power wash house roof tiles you make them more porous. This gives mold more places to grow, multiply and expand on your roof (which may explain why you seem to be power washing more these days! When it rains mold falls from the roof to your driveways, sidewalks, decks and patios where you track it into your home.
But many times the largest culprit of damage after power washing house roof tiles is the technician himself. A tile roof should not be walked unless absolutely necessary. Concrete roof tile should be carefully walked by trained personnel only. A trained technician will only step on the overlapped sections of the tile. These sections are supported by the lapped tile beneath them and the weight is then transferred through it to the deck below. Traversing a roof correctly means walking in a horizontal direction with feet cupped, walking softly and distributing weight evenly. High-pressure equipment (heavy hoses and hover covers) and the pressure they emit make this virtually impossible for even the most skilled workers.
Power Washing House Exteriors & Roofs the Right Way
Fiddler Roof Cleaning® uses a safer, more effective approach to the typical power wash. We use low-pressure devices to protect your house and roof. Our effective and progressive cleaning solution kills mildew and mold instead of just blasting it around your property. Low-pressure devices are similar to a garden sprayer (30 PSI) and unlike high-pressure devices (3000 PSI) they won’t shorten the life of your exteriors or roof. This method allows your home to live out it’s intended lifespan – while continuing to protect and kill mold and mildew for 2 years. Learn more about Eco-Roof®.
