Shingles on roofs tend to form moldy, streaky stains. These streaks are algae colonies that feed on the limestone filler agents and moisture on the shingles. Getting them cleaned by professional cleaners can burn a hole in your pocket, depending on your roof’s size. If the roof is not very steep, you can clean it yourself, saving quite a lot of money.
To clean roof stains, you will need a garden sprayer, a full-body harness, and a non-corrosive, non-toxic roof cleaning chemical. If the staining is severe, you may need a specialized rinsing tool and tool applicator as well. Here’s how you can clean roof stains.
Soak the Shingles
Dilute the cleaner with water (1:7 dilution ratio), pour it into a pump sprayer, strap on a full-body harness, and climb to the roof. Then, soak the roof with water to cool it down. This also prevents the cleaner from drying out quickly. Spray the cleaner on the shingles, starting from the bottom of the roof and going up to the peak. Continue spraying until you notice runoff. If any area dries out, respray the cleaner.
If you want to fasten the cleaning process and have bucks to spare, you can consider investing in a sprayer (like the Defy Roof Cleaning Applicator.) Add some of this to the cleaner as it dilutes the latter while you spray. This helps you avoid pumping and refilling a garden sprayer repeatedly.
Spray Off the Dirt
After spraying the cleaner, wait for around 20 minutes and rinse by moving the rinsing tool forward and backward as though you are vacuuming. This will allow the three water jets to be placed such that they blast off the algae colonies.
If the stains are light, you can wash off the cleaner using a garden hose sprayer. Ensure you spray slowly to avoid having clean patches next to patches which are dirty because you skipped quickly. If the stains are severe, use a specialized rinsing tool as the garden hose sprayer’s nozzle pressure won’t suffice.
You can make your shingles last longer by utilizing those treated with an algicide. To delay the regrowth of algae, consider installing strips of copper or zinc throughout the ridge, or spraying a layer of stain-blocking solution after cleaning the roof. Clean the roof as soon as you notice stains.