Roof Cleaning Company

Our roof cleaning company services Montgomery County Maryland, Frederick and Prince Georges County Maryland.  Finding a roof cleaning company that is trained to properly clean roofs can be tough, most roof cleaning companies use high pressure cleaning methods to blast off mold, lichen and other debris along with part of your roofing!

What Roof Cleaning Company Should You Hire?

Only hire a roof cleaning company that understands roofing installations and can inspect and repair minor roof leaks.

Only hire a roof cleaning company that has been properly trained for roof cleaning.

Only hire a roof cleaning company that uses less than 400 PSI, that’s about the same pressure your garden hose spray nozzle gives.

Make sure that the roof cleaning company uses professional grade soaps and detergents to kill Bacteria, Mold and Mildew that’s on your roof, not high pressure!

Make sure that the roof cleaning company you hire completely rinses off your roof when they have finished the job!   Never let a roof cleaning company tell you that they sprayed the roof, now just let mother Nature rinse off the dead stuff and it will look brand new after a few rains.  I know that may sound crazy but there are a few roof cleaning companies in the area that do this, so make sure you ask them for their entire process!  Believe it or not, a lot of companies promote this method, because it saves them a lot of time, it also prevents you from being able to see the surfaces that they cleaned.

Henry’s Housework Is The Most Experienced Roof Cleaning Company In Montgomery County Maryland!

Since 1989 we have offered roof cleaning, house washing and deck cleaning services to 25,000 residents in Montgomery County Maryland.  All of our roof cleaning is performed by trained technicians that inspect your roof for common problems and check to make sure your roof can be safely cleaned using our low pressure roof cleaning system.

Training and education is important for roof cleaning, the process of cleaning asphalt shingle roofs itself is fairly simple if you know how roofs are installed, and can identify possible roof leaks and what type of stains you need to remove.

25 Years Roof Cleaning Experience

Most power washing companies that begin roof cleaning find that there is a considerable amount of technique and skill when cleaning roofs. Any contractor that performs roof cleaning should be aware of roofs are installed, failure to understand roof installation methods can cause thousands of dollars in damages from a pressure washing contractor.

It’s important that the roof cleaning company use extremely low pressure to avoid damaging the shingles and that the roof is inspected prior to the commencement of the job.  Remember, most pressure washers used in roof cleaning use a minimum of 4 GPM and as much as 10 GPM!. So it is easy to understand why knowledge of roofing installation and a roof inspection is necessary when you consider the amount of water that could enter the structure during roof cleaning.

Hiring a roof cleaning company

Before hiring a roof cleaning company make sure they understand the basics of roof installation. It is also equally important that your roof cleaner know the other structures on the roof and their function to avoid causing leaks around them.

Note: This is extremely important because some roof cleaning companies in Rockville Maryland have caused some damages to homes in the area over the years.

Most roofing materials are installed over a layer of felt paper and in some cases a rubber like ice guard material. The first layer of shingles is called the starter course and is installed at the lowest point on the roof, upside down. This allows a solid base for water to run over without leaking down into the rafters and plywood between the shingles key ways. Once this layer is installed another shingle is place directly on top of it, and the rest of the roofing is placed in a similar fashion up the roof line. The reason shingles are installed in this manner is to allow the water to run over one shingle onto the next until it enters the gutter system.

If your roof cleaner can identify the common fixtures on a roof the next step is to identify what they will be cleaning from the surface. The most common reason for cleaning asphalt shingle roofs is to remove a fungus growth called Gloeocapsa Magma. This particular type of algae is air-born and will collect on any type of roof. In most cases the owner of the property won’t notice the algae growth until it begins to take over large sections of the roof. This algae usually forms dark brown or black stains on the roofing and it thrives in mostly warm humid areas.

Is roof cleaning safe?

A roof cleaning company with the appropriate roof cleaners, equipment and experience can safely and effectively clean roofs to remove black streaks, mold and mildew from roofs.  The problem is, most companies in Maryland don’t have the proper training or knowledge to do the job correctly, they use high pressure cleaning methods or “Mix Up” chemicals without any training or knowledge of what they are doing and kill plants, cause explosions and destroy roofs!  Taking the time to learn the proper methods and purchase the right roof cleaning equipment is the problem.  Most roof cleaning contractors in the area rely on home made roof cleaners that they make in their garage or at your home.  Mixing up roof cleaners like this can be dangerous and also unreliable, mixing them improperly can cause a chemical reaction, explosion or other serious problems.   Henry’s Housework has been cleaning roofing in Maryland for 23 years, we only uses safe roof cleaners designed and manufactured by our vendors, and all of our technicians have been properly trained to perform the job.  Our president Henry Bockman helped to design and write the training classes and material for roof cleaning classes taught by the Power Washers of North America many years ago, and is still an active instructor in the industry.

Manufacturer suggestions for roof cleaning

Regardless of which roof cleaning company you use check with the manufacturer of the roof to make sure the roof cleaners used meet their guidelines. Some manufacturers will void the warranty on the shingles if their guidelines are not met. The one thing all roofing manufacturers agree on is that the use of high pressure should NEVER be used when cleaning roofs.  Some specifications set the safe pressure range at 400 PSI or less, but the best rule of thumb to use is “Use the least amount of pressure and the mildest cleaner possible to achieve the desired result”   All of the roof cleaners we use have been proven safe and effective for cleaning roofs and we generally use less than 100 PSI when cleaning roofs.  That’s about the same amount of pressure you would get if you covered your hose with your thumb!

Proper training for roof cleaning services

If you are considering hiring a roof cleaning company,  I would highly recommend that you ask if they have taken a roof cleaning class by Alliance Trade Services, Sun Brite Supply or from the Power Washers of North America. These informative courses will give them an in depth look at proper techniques, chemical processes, and roof construction needed to perform roof cleaning services.