If you're tired of looking at ugly streaks on your roof, it may be time to hire a roof cleaning company to restore the appearance of your roof and improve the curb appeal of your home. Asphalt shingle roofing can support the growth of lichen, algae, mold, and moss. Leaves and twigs can sometimes get caught on the roof too and decay.

Cleaning your roof could make a difference in the appearance of your home and the longevity of the shingles. Here's why it's best to hire a professional roof cleaning company to clean your roof and how they might do the job.

Why It's Good To Hire Professional Roof Cleaners

If your home has asphalt shingles on it, then the roof probably has a slope. In some cases, the slope might be quite steep and the roof might be multiple stories high. Cleaning a roof is dangerous since shingles are slippery when wet.

Besides thinking about your safety, you have to think about causing damage to your roof. The equipment and cleaners you use can cause shingle damage if you are not sure how to go about cleaning asphalt shingles. When you hire a roof cleaning company, you don't have to worry about any of these problems.

How Roof Cleaning Is Done

The roofer may start by picking up heavy branches and then blowing or sweeping leaves from the surface. Getting rid of leaf clumps is important so the sun can reach the shingles and dry them out again. Once all the debris is gone, the roofer has to consider what is growing on the shingles to determine how to get the shingles clean.

If the problem is algae or mold, the roof cleaning company might apply cleaners that kill the growth so it can be removed. In the case of lichen and moss, the cleaning company might apply products that kill the growth so the moss or lichen will die off gradually and disappear over time. Some products may even work to keep the growth from coming back for a while.

Roof cleaning may also involve washing the roof with cleaning supplies. This might be done by hand with a hose or with a soft washer. Asphalt shingles are coated with a layer of ceramic granules, and care has to be taken not to knock off the granules, or UV rays will reach the shingles and speed up aging.

For that reason, the roof cleaning company may avoid using a pressure washer to blast away grime and algae. A soft washer may be ideal since it uses very low pressure to rinse off cleaning products to leave your roof looking as clean as possible.

If you would like to learn more about roof cleaning services, contact a professional in your area.