Tile Roof Cleaning
The roof tiles are exposed to the elements like rain sun and snow, along with harsh winds and road dust for long period of time. This makes them discolored and ugly. Moreover, if your house is surrounded by trees, then tree sap, moss and mildew can make the matter even worse. Initially, mold and mildew growth may be confined to just the dark, cool areas of the roof but they will spread all over, in no time. The toughest part of tile roof cleaning is to get rid of the unsightly stains left behind by the fungi.
How to Clean a Tile Roof
The procedure for tile roof cleaning is quite simple which involves some preparation work, safety measures and cleaning. Each of these steps of cleaning tile roof has been discussed below:
Step 1
First of all, you have to collect all those tools and materials that are required for the cleaning job. It includes a ladder that can reach out to the roof, a garden hose to which a soft brush is attached, a low pressure power washer or a spray bottle, one cup each, of household bleach and laundry detergent, one-fourth cup of trisodium phosphate, a bucket and one gallon of hot water. Another important part of preparation work is to tie garbage bags around each of the downpipes that drains out water from the rain gutters of the roof to the ground. Thus the cleaning solution will not come in contact with the plants of your garden.
Step 2
The real concern while trying to clean tile roof is the safety measures for the height. To carry out the task, you will require a strong and sturdy ladder. The ladder should be placed on even ground surface. Make sure you use work boots with non-skid soles, to protect yourself on wet and slippery roof surface. Use rubber hand gloves and goggles for protection. If the height of the roof is too high, or it is very steep, then you must wear a safety harness.
Step 3
Take one gallon of hot water and add the laundry detergent, bleach, trisodium phosphate into it and mix all the ingredients thoroughly. The cleaning solution is ready to use. Pour a part of it into the reservoir of the power washer. Handle it with care as it is toxic in nature. Spray the solution all over the roof starting from those areas which are the dirtiest. If the stains on certain parts are too stubborn, you can repeat the application of the cleaner. Let it stand over the roof tiles for half an hour or so.
Step 4
Now, it's time to clean up the tiles using a garden hose with soft brush. Here too, the dirtiest areas should be scrubbed first and then move on to the other parts. Then rinse off the roof with water from the garden hose. While spraying water or cleaning solution, make sure you spray from the top of the roofing downwards and not the reverse way. If you spray it from the eaves and upward, then it is likely that liquid may enter the underneath areas of the roofing shingles and cause extensive damage.
Step 5
Finally, rinse off the downpipes with plain water. This should be done mainly because the residues of corrosive substances present in the cleaning solution can have a damaging effect on the metals of the pipe. Also remove the garbage bags that were tied at the bottom end of the downpipes.
At the end of the cleaning process, you will be able to lend a brand new look to your roof. Ideally, the roof should be cleaned once every season. However, you can do it just once a year, provided the tree sap does not cause much of a problem to your roof. An effective way to control the growth of these organic matter is to install copper strips on the roof surface which in turn inhibit their growth to a great extent.
