Power Washing Wood Shingle Roof

Never pressure wash your roof if you have asphalt shingles.

Power washing wood shingle roof.

The power of pressure washers can be too much of a good thing. Pressure washing is very effective but may be best for metal or concrete roofs. A wood shingle roof should be washed carefully using a softwash process utilizing the correct detergents to insure the wood shingles are cleaned safely while maintaining the integrity of the wood and the natural oils that are in the wood. Of course some chemicals can harm your roof as well and the runoff could cause problems with your landscape or parts of your home.

While an occasional cleaning might not harm your roof repeated use of harsh chemicals or the erosive effects of pressure washing can damage or shorten the life of asphalt shingles. Not to mention using a pressure washer from a high place is dangerous. Consumer reports experts share pressure washer cleaning advice for your deck roof siding car and more. This is because the water comes out too forcefully and can damage the material.

Power washing a composition roof will remove the protective granular from the outer layer of the shingles leaving the shingles less protected from the sun and other harsh weather conditions. Most contractors don t recommend pressure washing or power washing a roof. Don t use a pressure washer on the roof. There is a chance that the pressurized water could damage your shingles.

It will also leave gouge marks in the lower layers leaving them more vulnerable to the elements. There are several products on the market specifically designed to remove algae stains from roofs such as wet forget outdoor. After the wood has dried normally 2 4 days you can let the wood age naturally or apply an oil based semitransparent stain. It s generally not necessary to pressure wash a shingle roof for the purpose of removing ordinary dirt and leaves and pressure washing can potentially damage the shingles coating of protective grit.

The high powered water jets can damage shingles and remove the shingle granules that protect the roof. You should never power wash any kind of roof. Read 4 reasons you should never pressure wash your house. Pressure washing will pull stain right off of wood surfaces.

Staining the shingles on a regular basis will help them maintain their color and last longer. Apply a storebought or diy cleaning.