A dingy-looking roof doesn’t just mar your home’s curb appeal; it also exposes the structure to damage further. Roof Cleaning Summerville SC can help your roof last longer and keep it looking good.
A safe, effective way to clean your roof is by using a pump sprayer with water and 10% pool chlorine. It’s important to pre-soak the surrounding landscaping and confirm that gutters exit away from plants.
Gutters do a valuable service by collecting rain from the roof and channeling it through downspouts to the ground and away from the home’s foundation. When they’re full of gunk, though, water can leak over the gutter and down the fascia or soffit, leading to damage to shingles, mold, wood siding, and landscaping features. A clogged gutter can also cause water to overflow, which can erode the soil around the foundation and penetrate into the basement or crawlspace. Regular cleaning of the gutters keeps them clean, allowing water to flow freely through the downspouts and away from the house.
By gathering rainwater from the roof and directing it through downspouts and away from the foundation of the house, gutters provide a useful function. However, if they are clogged with debris, water may spill over the gutter and down the fascia or soffit, damaging the wood siding, shingles, mold, and other landscaping elements. Water spilling over a clogged gutter can also erode the soil surrounding the foundation and seep into the crawlspace or basement. By keeping the gutters clean on a regular basis, water can freely flow through the downspouts and away from the house.
The easiest way to clean the gutters is by using a garden trowel or leaf blower to scoop out loose debris. You can purchase a special gutter scoop at the hardware store, or a child’s plastic sandbox shovel works well for the job. Wear work gloves and a long-sleeved shirt to protect your arms and hands from sharp debris. If you’re worried about teetering on a ladder, consider hiring a professional gutter-cleaning company to do the job.
A heavy buildup of dirt and grime can be difficult to remove with a brush or sprayer. If your gutters haven’t been cleaned in a while, it may be necessary to use a pressure washer equipped with a fine-spray nozzle. This method is particularly effective for clogged gutters, but it can be messy and requires a hose to rinse off the siding afterwards.
Regular cleaning of the gutters can help you spot potential problems and repair them before they worsen. If the downspout is clogged, for example, water can’t flow off the roof and down the downspout, and the gunk will eventually rust the downspout or fall to the ground below, possibly damaging the gutter.
Cleaning your gutters regularly can also prevent them from becoming filled with ice and snow. When snow melts off the roof and refreezes in the gutter, it can create heavy ice blockages that will pull a gutter away from the fascia and damage the roof. A clean gutter can also help you avoid the problem of icicles hanging from your roof, which are dangerous for both people and pets and can tear off roof shingles.
A skylight is a great way to let in some natural light, but it can become an eyesore if it’s covered with dirt and debris. A professional roof cleaner can remove this mess for you, leaving your home looking brand new. We can also safely treat any moss, lichen, or algae growing in cracks or crevices to make sure that it’s killed. This treatment uses a concentrated bleach solution that will not damage the protective coatings of cedar shake, stucco, coquina, lanais, outdoor rooted plants or screens. If done correctly, the treatment will kill all the organisms that are growing on your roof.
Soffits are designed to provide ventilation for your roof, but they can become clogged with debris, resulting in moisture and mildew build-up. When left untreated, this can cause wood rot and structural damage to the home, so it’s important that they are cleaned regularly.
To clean your soffit, you can use a pressure washer a sponge, and a garden hose. If you choose the latter, make sure that you take proper precautions to ensure your safety, and use a ladder that is sturdy enough to support your weight. It’s also a good idea to ask a friend to help you.
Soak a sponge in the cleaning solution and scrub away any dirt build-up. Focus on any indented or textured areas, which tend to hold more dirt and mildew. Work on one section at a time and rinse it off with the hose when you’re finished. You can also use a biocide to kill any mildew that remains after the cleaning.
Once the soffits are clean, it’s important to keep them that way. The best way to do this is to create a regular maintenance schedule that includes soffit and fascia cleaning. You can also help prevent the buildup of dirt, mildew, and mold by trimming trees and shrubs that are close to the soffits, and removing any leaves or debris that may fall on them.
Proper soffit and fascia maintenance is important to the integrity of your roof, but it’s also an excellent way to boost your home’s curb appeal. Dirty soffits and fascia can be unsightly, but they’re not only a turn-off for potential buyers; they can also lead to structural problems with the home. Keeping these pieces of trim well-maintained will prevent moisture and mildew from entering the attic, causing rot and damage, and compromising the effectiveness of the soffit vents. With a little bit of effort, you can keep your soffits and fascia looking clean and beautiful, while ensuring that they are properly ventilated. If you’re not comfortable cleaning the soffit yourself, a professional power washing company can also handle this task, along with the gutters and skylights, for you.
When it rains, all of the water that falls on your roof travels through your gutter system and out the downspouts. Downspouts are vital in protecting your home from water damage because they divert the rainwater away from your house’s foundation, siding and the structure of the house itself. However, downspouts can also become clogged with debris, which can lead to overflowing and water leaks, so it’s important to keep them clean.
Ideally, you should do this cleaning before you start doing any other roof maintenance. This way, the debris that you remove from the downspout will be pushed through and away before any more dirt can collect in it. This will help ensure that your downspout is able to work as it should, and prevent your gutter system from getting clogged.
Since downspouts have a lot of bends and turns, it is likely that they will get clogged more often than other parts of your gutter system. This is because it’s more difficult for the water to flow through the downspout when there’s a clog. Downspout clogs are most commonly found at the seams and elbows of the downspout, which can happen over time if you’re not careful about cleaning them.
The best way to unclog a downspout is to use a plumber drain snake to break up the clog and flush it out. Then, you can use a garden hose to force water through the clog and clean out any remaining debris. If the clog is particularly stubborn, you may need to use a power washer in order to apply more pressure. This can be dangerous, so it’s important to wear eye protection and use caution when working with a power washer.
To maintain your downspouts, you can clean out any debris that’s stuck inside of them, and you can also add a downspout screen to catch larger pieces of debris from entering the gutter system. Lastly, you can also commit to regular inspections and cleanings of your gutters and downspouts to ensure that they’re free from clogs and working properly.