How To Clean Slate Roof Shingles

That ll prevent the cleaner from drying out too quickly.

How to clean slate roof shingles.

That way you always stand on dry surface and reduce the chance of slipping. A vinyl leaf rake can clean harder to reach spots. The trick to doing this successfully is applying the solution with a garden type sprayer and letting it sit and reapply and reapply and reapply. Use the sprayer to saturate a strip 3 feet high x 10 feet wide.

Regular roof cleaning is critical for your roof as slate is easy to cleave and water absorbent. Cleaning roofs is slippery work. In addition choose a day with little wind so that when you spray the solution it stays on your roof 1 x research sourcestep 2 perform maintenance on your roof. Buildup of moss and debris on slate roofs hold moisture in the slates that can split them during winter.

When cleaning a slate roof don t use chemicals like ammonia or chlorine bleach. Then spray the cleaner onto the shingles photo 1. Hook the nails and pull them out. Limit cleaning to removing organic debris and delaminated slate flakes from valleys snow guards gutters and the area behind the chimney.

Before you begin it s important to repair loose shingles and flashings to minimize roof damage. You want to keep it wet once you ve begun. The less expensive solution is to spray wash the roof with a 50 percent mix of water and bleach to get rid of the algae. Punch a hole into shingle from the back.

Start at the lower portion of the roof moving up as you clean each lower section. Step 1 choose a cool and overcast day. Spray the cleaner on a section of roof and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Asphalt shingles are easy to install last anywhere from 10 to 50 years depending on the type and are less expensive than other roofing materials such as slate tile and metal.

Step 2 replacing the shingles. Sunlight and warm weather will ensure the cleaning solution dries too fast to be of any use. They re likely to damage the shingles just be sure to wet your foundation plantings first and rinse everything in clean water when you re done. Wait about 20 minutes then rinse.

The more applications and sitting time the better. Slide the replacement shingle into place. No pressure washers please. Before applying the cleaner spray the roof with water to cool it down.

The goal when cleaning a slate roof is to soften and loosen the undesirable buildup. Use heavy rubber gloves to scoop up material in areas you can safely reach.