With spring drawing close to an end, now is the perfect time to do some spring cleaning if you haven’t gotten around to it yet. From the contents of your cupboards to the mess in your garage, now’s the perfect time to sort it out! One essential part of your spring cleaning this year that you might’ve forgotten about, however, is your roof.
Keeping your roof clean can go a long way in making your house look nice for summer. Keep in mind, however, that there are a lot of other benefits to keeping your roof clean all year round that you might not be aware of.
1. Improve Your Home’s Curb Appeal
One of the first, and most obvious reasons to keep your roof clean throughout the year is to improve its curb appeal. Whether you’re planning to sell your house, or you simply want to make a good impression on neighbors, keeping your roof clean will go a long way in making your house look great.
If you’re planning on selling your house, getting your roof cleaning can be an inexpensive way to increase the perceived value of your residence. Remember, even if your roof is still in great shape, a dirty roof will scare off potential buyers. Most people looking for a house to buy aren’t roofing experts, so a dirty roof will cause potential buyers to assume that the roof may need to be replaced. Replacing a roof costs a significant amount of money, and buyers will likely subtract this amount from your asking price.
Depending on the value of your house and other factors, getting a buyer for your house might take up to a year. Keeping your roof in tiptop shape throughout the time you’re looking to sell is an excellent way of ensuring your house sells for its full worth.
2. Roof Cleaning is an Important Part of Maintenance
You may think that the only benefit to cleaning your roof is that it looks better, but this is far from the truth. In reality, roof cleaning is an important step in prolonging the lifespan of your roof and keeping it in an overall good condition.
When left too long without being cleaned, your roof can start to show signs of serious moss and algae growth. Left uncleaned for too long, this unsightly problem can develop even further, causing lichens to form on your roof.
This will not only make your house look completely dilapidated, but will also cause a significant amount of damage to your roof tiles or shingles. Lichens contribute to general wear and tear on your roof. When left over winter, these growths can freeze, causing them to expand and induce frost damage to your roof’s surface.
3. Protect Your House Structures
As mentioned, keeping your roof clean is an important roof maintenance step. By keeping algae, moss and lichens at bay, you’ll help to keep your roof in good condition for longer. Your roof is your first layer of protection against the outside elements, meaning damage to your roof can spread once your roof is no longer in good condition.
Some problem roof damage that are caused by lichen and moss growths include:
- Moisture damage: Seeing as lichens and moss attract moisture to the surface of your roof, they can eventually cause moisture damage if left for too long.
- Separation of shingles: When lichen penetrates your roof exterior, it can start to grow between your shingles, causing them to separate. This can lead to roof leaks, ceiling damage and other structural complications
- Shingle damage: Besides causing shingles to separate, moss on lichen growths will lead shingles to bend and look misshapen.
Once your roof is compromised, other structures in your home will be completely vulnerable to the elements. Rain, hail, wind, UV rays from the sun and other weather elements will start to damage your home rapidly. This can lead to roof leaks and moisture seeping into your walls. When left unattended, these new problems will eventually lead to mold growths inside your home, which can have multiple adverse effects on your health.
4. Save Money on Roof Maintenance and Repairs
When you keep your roof clean, you’re preventing a lot of roof problems that could drastically shorten the lifespan of your roof. The cost of getting your roof clean might not be cheap, but compared to replacing your roof, it’s very reasonable. By keeping your roof clean, you can expand its lifespan quite a bit, which will save you a lot of money on roof maintenance, repairs and replacements.
To give you an idea, the average cost of roof cleaning in Miami is approximately $250-750, depending on the size of your roof. Roof replacement, on the other hand, tends to cost between $5000 to $15,000. Whereas the cost of roof cleaning is largely dependent on the current state of your roof, as well as its size in square feet, the cost of roof replacement will depend on the size of your roof, the contractors you use and the quality of your roofing shingles.
What’s clear, however, is that the price difference between cleaning and replacing a roof is very big. Spending $5000 to $15,000 on replacing a roof isn’t something anybody wants to do more often than necessary.
5. Save Money on Insurance Installments
Many insurance companies place a lot of value on how well you maintain your property. Often times, insurance companies can send out inspectors to take note of the overall condition of your property. If an inspector drives by your house, only to see moss, lichen and dark lines on your roof, chances are your insurance company will assume you aren’t investing enough into maintaining your property. This can cause your premiums to go up, which will keep costing you unnecessary money in the long-run
Keeping your property in good condition can go a long way in enhancing your quality of life, meaning it’s an investment you’ll benefit from. Rather than spending extra money on insurance costs, it’s better to maintain your house and get the most out of your money spent.
Choosing a Roof Cleaner in Miami, FL
Now that you know the benefits of keeping your roof clean, it’s important to choose a good roof cleaning contractor to clean your roof. While your could try to clean your roof yourself, it’s a risky job with a high risk of falls and injury. Hiring a professional to clean your roof can also help you get a better end result.
When hiring a roof cleaning company in Miami, FL, it’s important to ensure you’re hiring trained professionals. Be sure to ask any contractor you’re considering whether or not they have insurance, as well as whether their employees undergo training to ensure they adhere to safety regulations and offer quality services.
Also find out about the different roof cleaning services offered by different companies. Some companies will provide a pressure washing service to clean your roof. Other companies will make use of a sprayer (much like a garden sprayer) and other equipment to clean your roof. A few companies might also be willing to offer both pressure washing or alternative roof cleaning methods depending on what you prefer.
Do your research about different methods of cleaning a roof to make sure that the company you choose uses a roof cleaning method that you’re comfortable with. In some cases, it can also be beneficial to contact your insurance provider and ask what roof cleaning methods they believe is best, as some insurance companies might penalize you for using roof cleaning methods they believe to be potentially harmful.
Even though spring is almost over, it’s not too late to book a professional roof cleaner to take care of the dirt and grime on your roof. Call Kleanway Pressure Cleaning today to learn more about our roof cleaning, pressure washing and window cleaning services.