When you want to remove dirt, mold, mildew, fungi, etc from your roof, you have the choice of using either a pressure washer or a non pressure process (also known as a soft wash). Before choosing which method to use, you should do your research on what each process involves. You will find that the non pressure process is far more safe and effective to use than a pressure washer.

It takes great care and skill to use a pressure washer without the risk of damaging your property. All a pressure washer does is force water onto and into the material being cleaned. This can easily damage your roof. Most of the time, the pressure washer will force water between the shingles, into any tiny cracks or damaged spots in the shingles, and can even blast off the top layer of wood and asphalt shingles. This can lead to significant damage to the roof tiles and shingles, as well as the protective layer directly underneath. Once this happens, you can expect leaks to occur, and you will have no other choice than to replace your roof. In addition, a pressure washer isn’t actually cleaning your roof. Essentially, water is sprayed on the roof at a high pressure to basically break up the gunky build up and blast it off the roof shingle or tile. While this appears to be effective at first, the mold and fungi are going to reappear sooner than you would like. This is because the power washer only removes the top layer of build up; it does nothing to help prevent mold and fungi from immediately moving back in.

With the non pressure process, the risk of damage is completely removed. First, a cleaning solution is applied to your roof. This cleaning solution depends on the roofing material and the type of organic build up that is to be removed, but it is usually contains some form of a fungicide or mildewcide that penetrates deep into the shingles and tiles to effectively kill all the spores. After the solution is allowed to sit and penetrate, it is simply rinsed off your roof, taking any dead mold, moss, algae, and fungus with it. This cleaning method uses nothing more than a garden hose pressure (about 30 psi), which is not enough pressure to cause property damage. There is no risk of the water seeping into unwanted areas and causing leaks or stripping or damaging the tiles and shingles in any way. This allows you to effectively clean your roof without the unnecessary risk of roof damage, or having organic material quickly move back in.