|
Roof Cleaning can be a very dangerous task for the typical homeowner. Spraying a solution on your roof, then rinsing your roof will make your shingles very slick, and in just a blink of an eye, your foot could slip sending you down to the ground with serious injuries, or God forbid losing your life.
Some homeowners however like to tackle projects on their own. Many projects are easy to do, while some are difficult. On a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the hardest task to accomplish, I would say cleaning stains from roof shingles is off the chart, and the majority of that is due to the safety issues involved.
With that being said, we are going to share with you a simple solution that will remove the streaks off your roof, and tell you how to apply this roof cleaning solution for the average homeowner.
First, you will need the following: a 2 gallon sprayer, a box of Tri Sodium Phosphate (the red box usually bought at Lowes or Home Depot), 10 gallons of sodium hypochlorite, at least fifty feet of garden hose, a garden sprayer, and a protection mask with cartridges to protect your lungs from breathing the solution. You will also need a good sturdy ladder, and also a helper.
First, you will need to hose off all your plants, and give them a heavy coat of water. This solution can damage and burn bushes, flowers, plants, etc. So make sure you give everything a good coat of water first, and while you are cleaning the roof, your helper will continue rinsing off all plants.
Second is mixing the solution we talked about above. Dissolve ½ cup of the tsp in hot water. Fill your 2 gallon sprayer with 1 ¼ gallons of water and ¾ of Sodium Hypochlorite. Pour in your tsp solution and mix well. You can add a squirt of household dish soap as well.
Third, apply this solution to your roof. Make sure you are wearing your protective mask at all times and also protective eyewear. Many times a gust of wind will blow up, blowing the solution into your eyes. You want to always be able to see on the roof. Apply this solution starting at the gutter line, about a ten foot wide section at a time. You will need to coat the entire roof where you have roof stains for the roof to come out even-looking. One 2 gallon container should cover 100-150 sq ft. On a 2000 sq ft. roof you will need several refills to complete the task. Make sure while you are coating the roof your helper continues to water down all plants. You would need your helper to also water down any surface besides the roof this solution comes in contact with.
Fourth, once you see your stains disappearing or turning brown, it is time to rinse the roof. Using the hose your helper was using and a garden sprayer, rinse your roof really well. The shingles will be extremely wet now, so be very careful in your movements.
Finally, once you have finished rinsing the roof, check to see if you have successfully removed all the stains. If not, repeat the process just for the stained area. If you have removed all the stains, then congratulations, you have successfully removed black stains from your shingled roof.
Thank you for reading our article on “How to Clean Asphalt Shingle Roofs”. We highly suggest calling a professional before tackling a project of this magnitude.
|
Articles & Reviews 
