Roof Cleaning Chemicals and Products Guide

Roof Cleaning Safety Products For The DIY Enthusiast.

You all should know by now that I discourage DIY roof cleaning because of the hazards involved, but I know that some people will attempt to do it anyway.  So I wanted to throw together just a short list of safety products for roof cleaning that many of the pros use (yes it can get expensive to buy all this stuff but roofs with slippery chemicals on them are a recipe for disaster if precautions aren't taken (don't say I didn't warn you)).

1. Get some Cougar Paws - amazing traction.  The grip on these shoes is so good you'll feel like spiderman (or a cougar, I suppose).  In fact it is so slip-resistant that it can almost give you a false sense of security.  Wearing good shoes does not mean you can turn your brain off.
2. Wear jeans or long pants.  No matter what chemicals, products, or procedures you're using some of the stuff is bound to get on you, and better it land on denim than skin.  Of course whatever does get on your skin should be rinsed off immediately.
3. Wear latex gloves.  Cheap dish gloves from the grocery store will work fine.  Again this will help in keeping chem off your skin.
4. Wear goggles.  If most of this stuff is bad for your skin just imagine what it can do to your eyes.  If something does splash in your eyes flush them immediately! 
5. Wear a respirator.  You DO NOT want to get the fumes from this stuff in your lungs.  Trust me.  Make this a priority.  Getting dizzy from exposure 45 feet off the ground is playing with fire, not to mention the potential long-term effects of repeated close-range exposure.
6. Use a fiberglass ladder if possible to minimize the possibility of electrocution from bumping a power line.
7. You'd be wise to invest in a roof harness system if you're uncomfortable or unfamiliar with heights, ladders, or roofs in general.  Heck, everyone would be wise to use one.

Sounds like a lot, right?  Why not do yourself a favor and just hire a professional roof cleaning service that already has the equipment and know-how to do it right.  Considering all the chemicals and gear you'd have to buy to do it yourself it would probably be cheaper to hire roof cleaners anyway, so why wouldn't you?  Even if you think that it might save you a few pennies to do it yourself, is it worth it when the potential risks include paralysis or death?  I want to say this one more time to make it perfectly clear:  chemicals or water on a roof will render it EXTREMELY SLIPPERY (think ice), so you better be prepared if you're a hard core DIY guy.

Roof Cleaning Products - My Two Cents

People are always asking my opinion of different fad roof cleaning products that they saw in the store or on the internet or wherever, and I always try to patiently explain that there is a safer, more effective way.  Trust me that if there was a way to profitably package and sell a bleach-based roof cleaning solution to the public I believe these companies would do it because they should know it's the safest and most effective method, but there isn't so they don't. 

Instead they've developed these powdered or condensed products that they can manufacture cheaply, ship light for next to nothing, and let you deal with doing all the work (like mixing, renting a power washer, etc.).  They go to great lengths to bash bleach/chlorine based solutions because it's not something that they can profitably sell!  They'll tell you how "green" their product is and how "bad" bleach is but if you do your research (the fact that you're here at this site is a good start) you'll discover that bleach-based roof cleaning is the superior method from both a safety and effectiveness standpoint if you know what you're doing.  I've cleaned hundreds of roofs with bleach (and ZERO pressure, by the way) and an experienced rinse man, and we've never once seen roof, gutter, or house damage as a result.  

On the other hand, I can tell you there's a chance that if you try to use one of those fad products on your roof in conjunction with a pressure washing wand that you'll lose significant numbers of granules from your shingles.  I've seen it first hand where other roof cleaners have taken high pressure to a roof and there are literally hundreds if not thousands of shingle granules on the ground circling the entire perimeter of the house.  This is not good!  They might even tell you that they'll use an extension piece to disperse the pressure through multiple nozzles and though this is a step in the right direction it's still too much psi for my comfort level.  Other purveyors of these kinds of products will tell you to spray it on a few times over the course of a few weeks without the aid of a pressure washer and you'll see some results three months to a year down the road.  Well, I guess if you're willing to wait that long then be my guest.

As for me, I'll stick with non-pressure and bleach, thank you very much.  I suggest you do the same, or at least hire a professional non-pressure roof cleaning service to do it for you safely and effectively.