Pressure Cleaning Your Roof:
What Kind of “Dirt” is on Your Roof?
In most cases when Miami homeowners see brown or black streaks starting to appear on their roofs, they do not realize that this “dirt” is actually a living, growing organism, typically mildew, mold, fungus, or algae.
While the right power washing methods will easily remove these unwanted roof-dwellers, using the wrong chemicals will actually make your roof tiles more porous and allow mold to grow and spread.
For this reason, it is imperative to hire a roof pressure cleaning service that understands the right methods and chemical combinations to remove the various kinds of bacteria that may grow on your roof tiles.
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UPC's Roof Tile Cleaning Methods
Tile roofs:
When it comes to roof tile pressure cleaning, not all roofs are the same. Here are the most common tile types and how we approach each type to provide you with the best roof cleaning service.
Terra cotta barrel tile - Terra cotta barrel tile can be very fragile to walk. Ultra Pressure Cleaning's staff is trained to protect your tiles and we understand the steps that need to be taken to avoid damaging your roof. For example, as silly as it sounds it is better if the cleaners are lightweight to prevent damage that may result from the excessive weight on the tiles.
Also, because the top (crest) of the tile is much higher than the valley (trough), Ultra Pressure Cleaning does not use rotary surface cleaners.
Instead, the technician will manually use the spray wand (pressure gun) to thoroughly clean all surfaces of the tile thus making this tile type more labor intensive.
Concrete flat tile - Usually concrete is a very strong material. It can be cleaned with the rotary surface cleaner but the leading edge (the thickness or height) of the tile needs to be cleaned row by row manually with the spray wand to get the roof appearing completely clean. It is not as labor intensive as the terra cotta barrel tile but our crew at Ultra Pressure Cleaning takes this extra step to do the job right.
One added word: white flat tile from the factory can be color through or painted. This means that pressure cleaning an older and moldy roof on the painted variety of tile may expose the light gray concrete of the tile material. The tile is still clean but may have light gray showing through in spots. (Remedy? Often people have these tiles repainted with special roof paint.)
S-type tile - S-type tile or modified S-type tile is usually concrete, strong and easier to clean than the previous two types. The cleaning technician will complete the job by making sure ridge tiles and tiles along the edge of the roof are cleaned thoroughly.
Shingle roofs:
Shingle roofs can be cleaned! Our technicians will use "wanding" or "water brooming", special soft wash cleaning techniques designed specifically for these types of materials.
Our experienced professionals will, however, always spray with the lay of the shingle not against it (hence not lifting up the shingle).
Important: Do not let anyone use chlorine or bleach on a shingle roof. This chemical rusts nail heads that hold the shingle to the roof. Swelling of a rusting nail head can lead to roof leaks.
Roof Soft Wash:
Not all roofs can withstand the pressure that comes with the standard pressure cleaning.
For roofs that require a low-pressure wash, UPC will use a soft wash roof cleaning method.
This soft wash method protects your roof tiles while effectively cleaning it of mold and other organisms that cause damage to your roof tiles.
With the humidity in Florida, it is recommended that a roof is soft washed 1 - 2 times a year. With UPC's maintenance plans you can make sure your home receives the attention it needs all year.
When you choose UPC you can rest assured we will choose the best cleaning method for your roof to have your home looking it's best.
