Inspect your roof in the spring for debris, moss, mold, damaged tiles or shingles, and damaged or clogged gutters. By repairing it and cleaning it up after the winter season, you will extend the life of your roof.
Leaves and Pine Needles
- What to look for:
- Any buildup of leaves and pine needles deep enough to hold moisture on the roof will need to be removed. Debris not only traps moisture, but causes mildew to form underneath it, interrupts the flow of water off the roof, can block gutters, and can put undue weight in one area.
- How to fix:
- Use a plastic leaf rake, push broom, or air blower. Generally, power washers are too strong for most roof types and the water can make it slippery and dangerous. Even when sweeping or raking, use light pressure to avoid causing damage.
- How to prevent:
- Trim overhanging trees to allow sunlight to reach the roof. This will also reduce moisture and mildew problems, and will reduce the amount of debris that builds up.
- What to look for:
- Moss has a shallow root system and needs a constant source of moisture to survive.
- How to fix:
- Since the roots are shallow they are usually easily removed with a long handled scrub brush or by spraying with a garden hose. Always clean and spray from the top of the roof toward the bottom to avoid damaging shingles.
- How to prevent:
- To prevent moss buildup, you might want to consider nailing zinc strips to the ridgeline. Rain that washes over the zinc creates zinc oxide, which will kill most moss it washes over. Copper strips are also effective and last longer. Install copper strips under the ridge shingles with four inches exposed to the weather.
- Zinc and copper strips can be found from most roofing suppliers.
- Finally, cut back tree limbs and remove leaves and pine needles. This will allow more sunlight to reach the roof and reduce the amount of moss you have to clean next year. Also, increasing the amount of ventilation in your attic will minimize moisture buildup and moss growth below the shingles.
- What to look for:
- Black or discolored streaks on the roof indicate you have mold, algae or fungus. Check north facing roofs and shady sections most carefully. Over time, they can eat away at roofing material, causing deterioration and leaks.
- How to fix:
- Water alone won’t eradicate mold, algae and fungus. You need to either use a chlorine bleach solution, copper sulfate solution, or premixed professional solution designed for this purpose.
- Chlorine Bleach Solution – mix 1 part bleach to 3 parts water.
- Before you begin working, hydrate all the plants near your house by watering them thoroughly. This will keep them from drinking in any of the bleach solution.
- Apply the solution with a hand sprayer and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with a hose. Check to see if any mildew remains (it will feel slimy when you touch it). If you still have mildew, let the roof dry and repeat the process.
- When you are done, always rinse the chlorine bleach from the roof thoroughly—if left on the roof, it could damage some types of shingles.
- Copper Sulfate Solution – mix 12 ounces (dry measure) of copper sulfate to 1 gallon of warm water.
- Before you begin working, hydrate all the plants near your house by watering them thoroughly. This will help prevent them from drinking any of the solution.
- Apply the solution and wait for the mildew to turn brown. When it is dry, sweep the mildew off the roof with a push broom. Rinse the roof thoroughly when done.
- Finally, as we’ve mentioned before, cutting back tree limbs increases air and sun exposure and reduces the buildup of mildew and algae.
- What to look for:
- Check that gutters are not clogged with leaves and debris and that they are draining properly. Look for cracks, open seams, or sags where the gutter has pulled away from the roof.
- How to fix:
- Wear rubber gloves; debris can hide sharp objects and it is smelly. Scoop debris into a bucket that you hang from your ladder using an s-hook.
- Bring a hammer with you to fix any loose nails you come across and tighten the gutter back to the roof line.
- After you scoop out debris, flush the gutter with a hose.
- To clean the downspouts, insert the end of a hose into the downspout and turn the hose on full. Do the same from the bottom. Don’t force the hose into the bends, because it could get stuck. If there are clogs in the bends, use a plumber’s auger (snake) to work them out, or dissemble the bend to remove the clog.
-Roofing Articles Staff
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