The problem:
Out of sight, out of mind? Often the roof is the most neglected part of our houses when it comes to cleaning, but this can come back to bite. The roof pictured above highlights just why regular roof cleaning is just so important.
It’s not uncommon for people to assume that come the wet season, nature will do the job of roof cleaning for them. Unfortunately this is not the case.
The torrential rains may wash away loose debris and dust (often only as far as your gutters, though), but more persistent issues are created by the Top End environment.
Houses in high traffic areas are exposed to vehicle emissions .
Oils, tannins and pollen from native vegetation sticks to roofs like $#&t to a blanket, as does droppings from bats and birds.
Bushfires create an oily, sticky soot, which compounds the problem.
Only physical roof cleaning addresses these problems.
Lighter coloured roofs in particular can become unsightly and stained.
Without regular roof cleaning, this build up of organic matter allows mould and algae to thrive.
This quickly negates the cooling effect of a light coloured roof.
That’s not to say that darker colours are immune from problems associated with lack of regular roof cleaning, just that the visual impact is not as great.
All roofs are susceptible to the long term damage caused by lack of cleaning.
The Flora
Ever parked your can near native trees to discover deposits of a dark grey/black substance building up?
These are most probably due to a plethora of insects feeding on the vegetation. What you are seeing is what they are excreting, often referred to as honeydew. Technically, I suppose, this is a result of our fauna rather than flora. But, as it largely consists of tannins, sap, oils and sugars from the trees, we will class it as a flora based problem.
Just as if left unchecked on a car, this build up stains the protective coating on our roofs and changes the colour over time.
It also slowly etches away the protective coatings.
This reduces the lifespan of our roofs.
Naturally there is a component of eucalyptus oil in these deposits. The irony is that while eucalyptus oil is a great cleaner of such sticky substances, it is also a paint remover. Basically it is a solvent. When left unchecked, it eats away at your roofs protective coatings over time, allowing corrosion to set in.
The Fauna
Once again, most of us are familiar with the damage that bat and bird droppings can do to the paintwork of our cars. What many of us fail to consider, is that our roofs are prone to the same problems.
Bird and bat droppings are very corrosive.
If left unchecked they erode away at your roof.
This exposes the raw material to the elements, opening the door for corrosion.
Are you collecting rainwater off your roof for drinking? Well, you have the added potential health risks associated with these droppings not being removed effectively before collecting water.
The solution:
Regular cleaning of the roof is the best protection you can give it
The longer left unchecked;
Then the harder removing any stains is.
And the more likelihood of damage.
E-co External Cleaning Services will strive to effectively clean your roof, while using as environmentally friendly methods as feasible.
E-co External Cleaning Services does not use bleach at all.
Selection of products is based on effectiveness and environmental impact.
