roof maintenance

5 Reasons to Keep Your Roof Clean Year-Round

No comments

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.

5 Reasons to Keep Your Roof Clean Year-Round
read more

Causes and Removal of Black Stains on Roofs

No comments

The outside of your house is your first opportunity to make a good impression on passersby, guests and neighbors. If you’re planning to sell your house, a clean and well-maintained exterior is all the more important.

Keeping your roof clean is a simple, but effective way to improve the curb appeal at your residence. Black stains on your roof can unsightly, and make an otherwise perfect house seem neglected. But what causes black stains on your roof, and how can you fix them?

What’s the Difference Between Mold, Mildew and Algae?

While many homeowners believe that black roof stains come from mold, mildew or even soot, it’s actually caused by an algae. There are a few important differences between algae, mold and mildew.

The good news is that algae is less harmful than mold and mildew, making it more of an aesthetic problem than a health concern. The bad news is that sometimes homeowners struggle to tell the difference between mold, mildew and algae.

What is Mold and Mildew?

Mold and mildew are both fungal growths that can appear in your home. While mold is a broad term which includes a wide variety of different types of fungal growths, mildew is a particular kind of mold which grows mainly on organic materials.

Mold can be very dangerous for your health, especially black mold (also known as stachybotrys chartarum) which often grows in different areas inside the home. Other common household molds include penicillium, aspergillus, alternaria. Many different mold types can appear black, so it’s often difficult to tell the difference between stachybotrys chartarum and other mold types.

Scientifically speaking, mildew grows only on plants – especially certain varieties of plants predisposed to mildew problems. However, when it comes to your house, any flat-growing mold growth can be referred to as mildew. Mildew can also growing indoors can have negative consequences for your health – coughing, headaches and allergies are common symptoms. It’s generally not as dangerous as black mold, but it can be hard to tell the difference.

Common household molds penetrate surface of an area where they grow, with spores reaching even beneath the surface. Mildew, on the other hand, only grows on top of surfaces.

Both mold and mildew are a cause for concern, but if you have a growth in your house and you’re uncertain whether it’s black mold, or just black mildew, a simple bleach test can help. Put a few drops of bleach on the area where you see the growth and leave it for a while. If it becomes lighter, it’s likely to be mildew. Growths that stay dark after applying bleach are more likely to be mold.

If you suspect you have mildew, it can easily be cleaned with some cleaning equipment. Just be sure to wear gloves and a face mask while cleaning. Use bleach, a scrubbing brush, sponges or cloths to clean – whatever works best for you. Just be sure to discard of all your cleaning materials when you’re done, as reusing them on other surfaces can spread spores, causing growths to appear in new areas.

If your fungal growths appear to be mold. It’s always best to call a professional cleaning company. Cleaning mold yourself could cause a major health hazard and any improper practices while cleaning could help the mold spread throughout your house more.

If you’ve performed the bleach test and you’re still uncertain if the growth you have is mold or mildew, have it tested to make sure what you’re dealing with.

How is Algae Different?

By understanding a bit more about mold and how it grows, distinguishing between mold and algae will be easier.

Algae usually grows only on the outside of your home. It’s unsightly, but it causes no threat to your health. Whereas mold and mildew can lead to health problems, algae is nothing but a nuisance.

Although algae can grow anywhere, it prefers to grow in warm, humid weather conditions. This makes Miami, FL one of the worst affected areas in America when it comes to mold growth on rooftops.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to get rid of mold growth on your roof permanently. Spores are always present in the air. In time, algae will reappear on your roof, even if you had it cleaned. How soon after cleaning the algae comes back can depend. In weather conditions that are favorable for algae growth, it tends to reappear sooner.

Mold can spread inside your home if it’s currently growing on the outside surfaces, such as your roof, sidings or deck. Check the inside of your home for any growths. Especially areas that are dark or moist – your bathroom, basement or any other area of your home that’s often exposed to moisture are good places to keep an eye on.

If there’s any mold or mildew growing inside your home, a good clean both inside and out might be necessary.

Gloeocapsa Magma: The Stain-Forming Algae

Keeping an eye out for mold and mildew can save you a lot of effort and money. By identifying and controlling mold growth on your home’s exterior, you could prevent mold from spreading inside as well.

However, black stains on your roof most often aren’t a cause for concern. Usually, these unsightly marks are caused by a kind of algae called gloeocapse magma (often called blue green algae).

It’s usually hard to see gloeocapse magma in the early stages of growth. After a while, however, the growth will begin to show as black streaks on the roof. This is because gloeocapse magma forms a outer layer that’s darkly-pigmented. This coating offers protection against UV rays, helping the algae survive on your roof.

Algae growth can be found on any roof, but it’s most common on asphalt shingles. This is because asphalt shingles contain fillers such as limestone and crushed fiberglass. These fillers, especially the limestone, made asphalt shingles much cheaper, but they provide the perfect place for algae to thrive.

If algae is left uncleaned, it can combine with all kinds of different fungi and form lichen on your roof. Because lichen can have roots, it can be harder to clean than only blue green algae, so it’s always best to take care of algae problems as soon as possible.

How to Clean Black Roof Stains?

Cleaning black roof stains can be done in multiple ways to clean a roof. Using bleach is effective, as it kills off algae and other growths present.

Many professional roof cleaners make use of pressure washers to clean roofs. Pressure washing is combined with a special cleaning agent to kill off fungal growth and spores. While this method can be effective, it’s important to ensure that the company you hire has trained professionals. Too much pressure can damage your roof, which will do more harm than good.

If you don’t want a professional roof cleaner to use a pressure washer to clean your roof, ask about cleaning with a pump-type garden sprayer. This method can take much longer and will probably cost quite a bit more, but there’s less risk of damage to your roof.

If you’re up for a challenge and you have free time on your hands, you could also try to clean your roof yourself. However, this isn’t really recommended, as you can easily slip and fall while cleaning.

If you can put some safety measures in place to prevent a fall, you can clean your roof using bleach and water. Mix bleach and water. One part bleach for 5 parts water is a good ratio for dilution. Using a garden sprayer, you can spray your whole rood down with the bleach solution. After leaving it for 15-20 minutes, you can return and spray down the roof with a garden hose fitted with a spray nozzle.

When cleaning your roof, it’s important to wear protective gear. Gloves, slip resistant shoes and protective clothing are all necessary for protection. Once you’ve treated your roof with the bleach solution, it can become very slippery – avoid walking around on your roof as much as possible. Also consider the safety of your garden, as cleaning chemicals like bleach can run down your rooftop into your garden, poisoning your plants.

Why Hire Professional Roof Cleaners for Algae Removal?

Cleaning your roof yourself is very dangerous and the results won’t be as good as if you hire a professional. If you clean your roof thoroughly on a regular basis, you can prolong its lifetime and avoid the need to replace shingles.

Even though it seems simple, there are many things to take into consideration when cleaning a roof. Practices to reduce the risk of falls, minimize health hazards and protect the integrity of shingles all combine to provide a clean, perfect result. Another important area of consideration is preventing the cleaning solution from running into your garden, where it can cause damage to grass and plants.

For the well-being of your roof, it’s always best to hire professional roof cleaners for your Miami, FL roof. Hiring professionals not only ensures the best results, it also protects you from the potential hazard of falling. Call Kleanway Pressure cleaning today to schedule a cleaning for your roof. By regularly cleaning your roof and home exterior, you’ll not only have the cleanest house in the street, you’ll also control algae and prevent lichens from forming.

Causes and Removal of Black Stains on Roofs
read more

Best Types of Roof Coatings for South Florida Homes

No comments

Building owners can use various exertions of roof coating to eliminate roof leaks and protect the roof against the elements and physical ware. Studies have shown roof coatings can add up to 20 or more years of active service to the roof. The coatings act by lowering the roof temperatures, which can curtail the energy cost. The extended lifespan will also reduce the amount of roofing materials that goes into the landfills. Lastly, choosing the right coating and having it properly installed will improve the overall aesthetics of the building.

The choice of coating will depend on factors like weather and the locking substrates. A well-rested roofing membrane will adhere to the surface and expand as needed, depending on the weather and physical pressures. It is important to note that the thickness of the paint film will vary based on the underlying roof system or composite membrane. The three main components of the roof coating are the top coat, base coat and primer. The top most layer acts as a vital protection against elements, i.e. hail storm, rain, physical pressure and Ultraviolet and Infrared from the sun.

The weather is arguably the most critical factor to consider when it comes to the choice of roof coating. According to Trip Savvy, the weather in South Florida places is generally warm and fairly humid. If you live in Miami and the Florida Keys areas, expect average high and low temperatures of between 83F to 69F. The average rainfall here stands at 59 inches. During the rainy seasons, South Florida experiences high instances of thunderstorms and lightning. The hurricane season runs from June to November while the tornadoes usually peak around April and May.

Because of the weather, a good coating should come with warranty on issues like water ponding. If you have a large roof with water ponding problems and leaks, a professional roofing expert should be called in to help. For a small roof, a do-it-yourself approach will suffice. Some of the tools needed in coating application include: high pressure airless spray equipment, roof repair equipment, pressure washers and painting tools like rollers and brushes. The roofing coatings are broadly divided into three classes; water based coatings, solvent coatings and 100% solids.

The solvent based coatings use organic solvent carriers while water based roofing coatings use water as a carrier. When buying a roof coating you need pay serious consideration to the coating’s performance and limitations. The Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association (RCMA) brings together the manufacturers and suppliers of reflective roof coatings. The entity is focused on promoting the benefits of roof coating, spelling the building codes and setting quality standards. Below are four most widely used reflective roof coatings in South Florida:

1. Acrylic roof coating

This type of roofing is preferred by many homeowners because it is cheaper and easy to install. The water based roof coating is made from durable acrylic polymers, which makes it strong and highly protective against the effects of the Ultraviolet rays and associated damage. This protection can minimize the wear and tear of the roof. Another advantage of applying the acrylic roof coating is the cooling and reflective effect. The impression helps keep the building cool under the fierce Florida summer. If you are looking for durable roof protection, but are working on a tight budget, the acrylic roof coating is an ideal choice.
Pros
• Made using environment friendly, organic materials
• Cost effective solution for a wide variety of roofs
• Easy to apply using sprayer and roller
• High reflective and UV resistant

Cons
• Poor chemical resistance
• Cannot be applied under imminent rain
• Lose thickness under extreme weathering. Must be applied at 50F or higher temperatures
• Unstable when exposed to extended water ponding conditions
• Most manufacturers do not offer water ponding warranty on acrylic roof coating

2. Asphalt emulsion roof coating

This popular roof coating is made from long-lasting emulsified asphalt. The ingrained organic and inorganic properties in the asphalt emulsion roof coating make it one of the most durable and desired roofing coatings. The waterproofing attributes in asphalt emulsion coating comes from the bentonite clay emulsifying agent and the water dispersed properties in asphalt.
Pros
• Sturdy and durable with waterproofing properties
• Wide range of colors and mixes well with metal pigmentation to enhance reflectivity
• Easy to apply
• Inexpensive compared to other reflective roof coatings

Cons
• Asphalt roof sealant is difficult to apply during cold days
• The coatings can produce small cracks when temperatures fall dramatically

3. Silicone roof coating

If you own a residential home, you may consider using the silicone roof coating. The moisture resistant coating is aptly designed to provide durable and resilient cover against the hurricanes, rains, wind and debris. If you are conscious about saving the environment, silicone based roof coating is made from eco-friendly natural materials. The amount of silicone coating to be applied on the roof will depend on the underlying substrate.

The application process is fairly simple as it can be done via spraying and rolling. Homeowners can choose from a wide array of colors depending on individual taste or expert advice. The other benefits of choosing silicone roofing coatings include the ability to repel ponding water for lengthy periods and adherence to most substrates found in South Florida. In case of the later, you do not need a primer to apply the coating.
Pros
• Proven longevity and performance
• Totally adherence with excellent wind resistance capabilities
• Exceptional expansion and contraction capabilities
• Energy Star roofing system offering proper insulation and environmental benefits
• LEED credit qualification
• Ability to overcome incidental water ponding
• Liquid cured coating that can conquer extreme temperatures
• Excellent chemical resistance properties

Cons
• Holds dirt but washes under rain, which diminishes the reflectivity quotient
• The resistance to tearing can lead to undesirable mechanical weakness

4. Polyurethane roofing coatings

Polyurethane is highly resistant and can withstand traffic very well. The other advantage of using the Polyurethane roof is better adapted to water ponding conditions. This type of roof coating is sold as either aliphatic or aromatic roof coating. In terms of cost, the aliphatic coating is costlier compared to the aromatic coating. The high cost is largely attributed to better UV stability. The Aromatic coatings are mostly used as base coating.
Pros
• Urethane roofs are durable and resistant to water ponding
• Aromatic coating variant is inexpensive compared to other coatings
• Aliphatic coatings are UV stable, cleaner and better at retaining color

Cons
• Aromatic coatings are not UV stable and work best as base coating
• The Polyurethane coating are costlier than acrylic coatings
• The Urethane coatings usually emit strong odors

Call Your Local Roof Cleaning Experts!

Roofing experts believe a good coating can go a long way to minimize building maintenance and repair cost. Roof cleaning service is a critical component of maintenance. The pressure cleaning experts at Kleanway Pressure Cleaning have 15 years of experience in the cleaning industry. The company holds a BBB+ rating and is proud to provide high quality service.

The full service covers residential, HOA communities and commercial property cleaning in South Florida and surrounding areas. The other areas include warehouses, roofs and driveways. The company staffs are aptly trained to use advanced cleaning equipment’s and techniques. If you need roof cleaning services in Miami or the Florida keys, simply call Kleanway Pressure Cleaning offices.

Best Types of Roof Coatings for South Florida Homes
read more