Signs It's Time To Clean Your Cedar Roof

Cedar roofs are durable and resilient, and if they’re properly maintained, you can expect them to last for decades at a time. It’s a good idea to hire a professional to maintain your roof on an annual basis as that will help extend the life of the roof. However, if you don’t want to invest in annual contracts, you should do a visual inspection of your roof once in a while to unsure it’s clean and in a good condition. Here are some signs that indicate that you need to clean your roof:

1. Visible debris

Cedar is bright and vibrant in color so if your roof starts to look dull and soiled, it’s time to clean it. It’s never a good idea to allow dust and debris to build up on the shingles because they can eventually become corrosive and cause physical damage to the cedar shingles. You can climb a ladder and do a close up inspection of the roof to determine if it’s really dirty and understand how much cleaning it needs. Professionals will use pressure cleaning, which is very effective and can restore the appearance of your roof in a short time.

2. Black streaks

Your cedar roof will start to look a little faded and grey with age and this is a natural process. However, if the shakes have visible black streaks and marks, you need to get it cleaned professionally. The black streaks can be an indication of a serious problem in the structure of the shingles. It’s a good idea to hire a professional to clean the black streaks up immediately after you notice them. The longer you delay, the more damage those streaks will cause.

3. Moss and Lichen

Moss and lichen are commonly found on wood and trees in the wild so the wood on your roof is also vulnerable to them. If the cedar is exposed to moisture and isn’t sealed well, you’ll see moss and lichen growth on the surface. If they’re allowed to linger for too long, they can compromise the structural integrity of the shingles as their roots will dig into the surface and create vulnerabilities. If you see signs of moss and lichen on your roof, call a professional to clean them up as soon as you can. They’ll carefully remove the problem without causing any harm to your shingles.

4. Broken and misshapen shingles

Broken and misshapen shingles need to be replaced in order to protect the roof structure and the property underneath. Most people repair this problem promptly but don’t realize that it is also a sign of poor cleaning and accumulated dust or moss. When you call a professional to replace the shingles, ask them to clean the roof thoroughly as well. That will help prevent future damage.

If you want to know more about cleaning cedar roofs, don’t hesitate to contact us at Emerald Cedar Contracting. You can fill in this contact us form and request a call back from us.

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