The maintenance of the roof is often neglected by homeowners when it is an essential task to preserve the roof and guarantee its durability. Checking, cleaning, defoaming, water-repellent treatment: update on good practices.
Maintaining your roof in Pittsburgh: Annual checks
It is in the spring that you will have to do any repairs and any maintenance work on your roof: it is neither too hot nor too cold, it is the end of winter, which allows you to check that the frost has not damaged the tiles, for example, which would then risk bursting or cracking with the first severe heat (often accompanied by summer rains!).
The inspection is therefore the first step: once in the spring, once in the fall, all you have to do is go up to the roof to check the condition of the cover and, if necessary: maintain/clean or call in a roofer.
The condition of the nails or hooks must be checked as well as the tiles or slates which could have slipped. If your roof is made of zinc or steel deck, check the absence of cracks, the appearance of joints and fixings.
How to clean your roof in Pittsburgh?
Be careful, climbing on a roof without suitable equipment (roof ladders), and without knowledge of roofing techniques represents two major risks: risk of falling, and risk of breaking slates and tiles with the ladders.
The roof cleaning technique will directly depend on the roofing material. Indeed, high-pressure cleaners are certainly effective and practical, but they damage Roman tiles, for example. Conversely, they are perfect for fiber cement roofs which do not support bleach.
Either way, the technique remains basically the same:
It is necessary to start from the ridge of the roof to go down again towards the gutter or the channel.
Pass the high-pressure cleaner or the hard brush and the water;
Rinse from top to bottom;
Collect and evacuate waste that has fallen into the gutters or channels.
Cover treatment: to guarantee durability
Once the roof has been cleaned, it is most often necessary to carry out a treatment of the cover. The first treatment is generally a fungicide/algicide treatment: moss removal. It consists of applying a product that will destroy lichens and other fungi that develop on the roof.
Current moss removers contain a water repellent that will protect the roofing material from the elements and thus slow the development of new lichens, mosses and fungi.
This treatment must be applied with appropriate protection (masks, goggles, gloves, etc.), on a windless day (to prevent the product from spreading in the vicinity) and in fairly dry weather if possible. While checks are ideally carried out twice a year, cleaning and treatment must be carried out periodically depending on exposure and the environment. This is the best way to guarantee the life of your roof.
And don't forget: call on a professional instead to avoid taking risks and to benefit from a quality service without the risk of damaging your cover.
Jantzi Roof Restoration specializes in restoring and rejuvenating commercial and industrial roofing systems. Their experienced team uses the latest techniques and high-quality materials to extend the life of your roof and protect your investment.
Why cleaning a roof in Pittsburgh is important?
Over the years, but also rain, snow or sun, the roof is attacked by various ailments. Regularly, we see the appearance of dirt, plants, moss or even fungi that must be rid of to ensure the performance of your roof and its longevity. Before starting the big cleaning, first see the extent of the damage.
Of course, you can carry out the maintenance, on the other hand, it is a painful, long and sometimes dangerous work since you will have to gain height. On the other hand, we do not always know which tool to use and how. The ideal is to use the services of a professional to avoid making mistakes or falling.
Roof cleaning in a nutshell
When you call on a professional, the latter will analyze the condition of your roof to offer you an appropriate cleaning. For example, in addition to the simple washing of your tiles with a low pressure cleaner, he is also required to treat it according to any weaknesses in the coating.
For example, the professional can reinforce the resistance to humidity by applying a water repellent or protect your tiles from the reappearance of moss by spraying a fungicide product. Added to this is the maintenance of gutters and the readjustment or possible replacement of tiles.
When to clean your roof?
We want to tell you: as soon as necessary! But it depends on many factors, like region and climate, roofing materials etc. Ideally, annual cleaning is recommended. If this action has a hit, it is a real added value to optimize the insulation of your home and protect it against humidity or water infiltration.
Have your Roof Cleaned by a professional
To have peace of mind and that your cleaning is carried out according to the rules of the art, it is best to go through a professional. If it belongs to the Jantzi Roof Restoration, your work will be carried out quickly and without worries. Find the reliable and quality company near you, member of Jantzi Roof Restoration.