One of the best qualities of metal roofs that make them an ideal choice for many home and building owners is their low maintenance requirement.
Low maintenance does not mean no maintenance and occasional cleaning is still recommended to prevent corrosion and keep metal roofing looking its best.
Whether you plan on calling roofers to do it or want to do it yourself, here are a few tips to help keep yours at its best for a long service life!
1. Start With The Gutters
Before doing anything else, clean out the gutters on your metal roof as this is an important part of it.
No matter how annoying this part of the job may be, dirty gutters should be cleaned at least twice a year to prevent them from causing any kind of damage to the roofing.
If a full cleaning of the metal roofing is planned, this is the best time to get those gutters and downspouts cleaned and repaired.
Use this time to also clean off any other debris found on the roof to prepare it for washing.
2. Use An Appropriate Cleaning Solution
A light coating of dust and dirt can usually be cleaned off a metal roof with just water, but if you want to be sure to get all the grime off, professional roofers recommend using a mild cleaning solution.
Make your own using a mild soap detergent like dish soap, car soap, laundry detergent, or some other gentle cleaner.
Add ¼ cup of the detergent to every 1 gallon of water so it’s enough to get the grime off without affecting the protective coatings and can be easily rinsed off.
Never use strippers, thinners, scouring powders, or other damaging or abrasive products that will damage the surface.
3. Use The Right Cleaning Tools
As durable as metal roofs may be, they still need to be handled with care when it comes to cleaning.
Avoid abrasive tools like scrub brushes, wire brushes, steel wool, or anything that can scratch or remove the paint or protective coating.
Pressure washers are also too strong for cleaning metal roofing, although they can be used on low pressure to rinse with.
Instead, use a sponge, non-abrasive pad, a cloth or string mop, washcloths, or something similar.
4. Use The Right Technique
For gentler solutions and tools to work in getting the dirt and grime off of a metal roof without causing any damage, roofers stress the importance of doing it the right way.
Apply the mild soapy solution to a section of the roof with the sponge, mop, or cloth first, let it sit for ten minutes or so to loosen it, then wash it off the same way and rinse afterward.
Proceed a section at a time until the whole roof is clean.
5. Choose The Right Day and Time
Since it is important to let the cleaning solution stay wet on the metal roof for a few minutes, it is best to do this type of cleaning when evaporation can be controlled.
Choose a day when it is not too hot, as hot metal can dry up the solution and leave a film of detergent behind, or do it after the sun has reached its highest and the sunlight is indirect.
An overcast day would work well.
Keep Metal Roofs Clean The Easy Way
Though they are nearly maintenance-free, metal roofs do demand cleaning every so often to keep them that way.
Get dirt, grime, and corrosive gunk off metal roofing using these easy tips to keep it looking good and ensure a long life.
If climbing up on the roof is not something you want to tackle yourself, hire professional roofers to do it for you.
While they are up there, they can look around and check for damage and see if a new protective coating or coat of paint is recommended, too!
