Our immediate reaction when we realized there’s algae and moss on our roof is to use a pressure washer. After all, this is the easiest way to remove them, right? But the problem with doing Lakeland roof cleaning yourself is you don’t have the right knowledge on what will work and what can harm the roof. Most contractors frown at the idea of using a pressure washer on the roof because it can damage the shingles and the material.
Pressure-washing or power-washing the roof includes using a jet pressure washer that will forcefully remove grime, dirt, dust, mold, mildew, algae, and moss that cling to the surface of the roof. While pressure-washing the roof is an effective way to remove these, it can also damage the shingles and the roof’s material.
This isn’t like the way you’re pressure-washing the underside of your car to remove the mud that stuck to it after a rainy season. The roof’s shingles are sensitive to pressure. That’s why it can break during a particularly harsh storm.
What you need is to soft-wash the roof instead. The use of a simple garden hose can still remove the moss on your roof, though you may need a scrub and some cleaning chemicals to remove them completely. You’ll also do manual labor to shake them off the roof’s surface. This is why it’s advisable to get a professional cleaner. The garden hose is the least likely washer to dent, crack, or chip the shingles, panels, and tiles of the roof.
The difference between a pressure washer and a garden hose is glaring. A pressure washer uses 1,300 to 2,800 pounds per square inch to remove moss and dirt from the surface while a fire hose sprayer uses 150 to 300 psi. A typical garden hose sprays water at 40 to 80 psi.
While the pressure washer is an effective remover of moss buildup, dirt, and grime, it can damage the sensitive parts of the roof. It is still important to remove these from the roof, but a pressure washer is not the answer to these problems. A Lakeland roof cleaning contractor can easily remove it by hand, water, and brush. There are also a lot of cleaning materials that can dissolve or loosen algae, moss, and lichen.
When it comes to Lakeland roof cleaning, make sure your contractor will be honest with the pros and cons of the cleaning method. If the contractor wants to use pressure-washer, they have to use the right amount of pressure so they won’t damage the roof.
