Roof Cleaning and Treatment Service.

Why Do I Need to Have a Clean Roof

Your roof serves many purposes, in addition to protecting the occupants from the elements such as heat and rain. Unlike in the past, where it was just used to mount your TV antenna, and climbed upon very rarely, it is now accessed to install and maintain services such as solar hot water, solar panels, satellite dishes and skylights.

It is also a fashion statement, showcasing your property with new and modern materials such as Colorbond Steel, adding to the properties value and street appeal.

Due to these changes and additions, a higher standard and frequency of roof maintenance and attention is often required. Cleaning and prevention of growths such as lichen is an important part of this higher standard.

In the case of a roof, cracked and damaged tiles are a consequence of additional wear and tear, but may not be seen if covered with deposits and growths. Your solar panels are more at risk of contamination and damage from the transfer of  lichen between roof and panel. In the case of Colorbond Steel, permanent stains can develop from the roots of aggressive algaes such as lichen if not kept in check. No matter what the material, the roof can also become very slippery underfoot with even small amounts of water.

What Can We Do for Your Roof?

We can clean your roof in various ways and protect it from the regrowth of algae and mould if you desired. It all depends on your budget and if you are staying put or moving on.

 Should I Pressure Clean My Roof

Simple roof cleaning can give a very good and immediate result using pressure washing methods. It does however need to be in the hands of a competent operator to minimise any risk of damage to your pointing, tiles or the occurrence of water egress into roof spaces.

Regrowth of algae and moulds will reoccur using this method since your roof has microscopic particles of algae and mould which ideally need to be neutralised or killed off.

Should I have My Roof Treated After Pressure Washing?

We offer a post clean Biocide roof treatment that kills the lichen remnants and helps inhibit regrowth, effectively killing all remaining particles which are like seeds.

Should I Go with Roof Treatment Only?

We often recommend roof treatment only, as an alternative or prior to roof washing. With some roofing materials, for example concrete tiles, lichen will grow into the microscopically porous surfaces, making cleaning more difficult, costly and uneconomic. The risk of brittle tile breakages during cleaning in this instance is also increased, since more time is needed on the roof.

If you still want to pressure wash later, think of Roof Treatment as killing a weed before pulling it easily out from your garden, roots and all, a few weeks later, when it is dead. If any roots are still in the soil, it’s dead anyway and can’t regrow.

What happens after Biocide Treatment is Completed?

Once applied, any lichen, algae, moss etc will die within a week or two, then weather away naturally over the next 3-12 months.

Exactly how long the process takes is highly dependent on the weather but the important thing is once it’s dead, it cannot spread and it WILL come off.

Are the Chemicals in Biocides Hazardous?

As a rule, all chemicals are hazardous in some way no matter what the purpose. Our Biocide roof treatment is significantly less hazardous to plants and greenery than applying alternative, traditional, old fashioned and highly corrosive solutions containing the chemical Sodium Hydroxide. Standard dosage rates of Sodium Hydroxide for roof cleaning WILL kill or damage plants and greenery if not neutralised very quickly.

The fact Biocides are slow acting is indicative of this significantly reduced hazard. When applying solutions following manufacturer’s instructions, at the correct rates, no harm should come to surrounding plants and vegetation.

Other practical Things to Consider with Roof Treatment

Not to be applied if rain is forecast within 12 hours.

Water running towards rainwater tanks must be diverted during this work to avoid contamination. Ask us about this if you harvest water.

Guarantee

Because of the residual effect of the Biocide, we also offer a 2-year guarantee against any re-growth.

Insurances and Safety

Extra Hand Solar Clean is fully insured for Public Liability ($20 million) and fully insured for Workers Compensation. All workers receive safety training at recognised registered training organisations (RTOs), as well as being subjected to inhouse safety policies and procedures. A popular RTO course we send our workers to is Work Safely at Heights, this ensures we know when, where and how to use things like safety harnesses and ladders.