Knowing how to clean a metal roof may help you maintain the roof’s structural integrity, longevity, value, and appearance for years to come. While you can hire professionals to clean your metal roof, there may be times when you find you’d rather do the job yourself.
Follow along with our easy guide detailing the metal roof cleaning process to ensure that your building continues to retain its value and to protect the people and assets inside of it.
Your Guide to Understanding How To Clean a Metal Roof
Learning how to clean a metal roof consists of a few simple steps:
1. Assess the Roof
Before you begin to clean your roof, assess the roof from multiple angles, both while on the ground and from a ladder. Look for any debris that you’ll need to clear away as well as any damage, such as from mold or rust.
If you don’t already know what type of metal roof you’re cleaning, use this assessment to determine that too by performing the following tests:
- Magnetic test: If a magnet sticks to your roof, that means it’s made from galvalume or galvanized steel. The magnet won’t stick if your roof is crafted from aluminum or copper.
- Appearance: Copper roofs will be a different color than steel and aluminum.
Most metal roofs are made from either galvalum, galvanized steel, or aluminum, all of which can be cleaned safely and effectively through the following steps.
If your roof is made from copper, please refer to our FAQ section.
2. Gather Your Tools
Collect your cleaning tools ahead of time you won’t need to constantly run up and down your ladder. Here are the tools we recommend:
- Soft bristled brush, such as a car wash brush
- Soft washcloths
- A mild detergent, such as for dishes, laundry, or car washes
- A mild solvent, such as rubbing alcohol or mineral spirit
It’s important to wash your roof using mild cleaners and soft brushes to avoid damaging your roof or voiding any warranties it might be under.
3. Take Safety Precautions
A big part of knowing how to clean a metal roof is not just proper technique, but internalizing how to stay safe while you’re up high and focused on cleaning. Metal roofs get slippery when wet, so wear rubber-soled shoes. If you plan to use a mild solvent to get rid of mold, mildew, or stains, always wear protective gloves and goggles. Have at least one other person on the roof or below ground nearby as a further safety check.
4. Prepare for Cleaning
Once you have your plan, cleaning equipment, and safety tools, you can prepare for your cleaning. Put a tarp on the landscape below the roof’s edge to catch potential falling debris that might shake loose while you clean. Remove any large pieces of debris manually or with a leaf blower on a gentle setting.
5. Test Clean a Spot
Before using your cleaning supplies on the entire roof, perform a test cleaning on a small area. Let the cleaning solution sit for five to ten minutes to make sure it doesn’t damage or discolor the roof.
6. Clean the Roof
If your spot test went great, you are ready to clean! Start at the highest point on the roof and work your way downward in small sections. Use your solvent on the areas with mildew, mold, algae or the toughest spots of grime, and use your regular cleaner for the rest of the roof.
If there’s a lot of dirt or mold on your roof, you may want to rinse each section as you go. If you’re just conducting a light cleaning, you can wait until you’re finished scrubbing the entire roof to rinse.
Metal Roof Cleaning: FAQs
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about how to clean a metal roof:
Why Should You Clean a Metal Roof?
Regularly cleaning your metal roof can offer an array of benefits:
- Banish debris: Consistently removing debris from your roof can prevent problems like mold and mildew. The sooner you catch these potential issues, the greater your roof’s ability to shelter the people inside.
- Keep your roof looking nice: A good roof cleaning can improve the aesthetics of your home or commercial property.
- Make your roof last a long time: Regular roof maintenance can extend the lifetime of your metal roof, which improves its safety and reduces future costs.
How Do You Clean a Copper Roof?
If it’s just the gutters of your roof that are copper, you can simply cover these before cleaning the rest of your metal roof.
If the whole roof itself is copper, the most important thing to remember is not to use any type of solvent, even a mild one, as this will affect the patina of the copper. Instead, use elbow grease to remove any stains or mildew. The rest of the steps for cleaning a copper roof are the same as those listed above.
What Should I Not Do While Cleaning a Metal Roof?
Knowing how to clean a metal roof is just as vital as knowing how not to clean one. Avoid using harsh chemicals like acids, paint thinners or removers, or acetones. You also shouldn’t use brushes with hard bristles, such as brass or wire, or sandpaper.
How Do You Remove Stubborn Stains from a Metal Roof?
If your detergent isn’t able to remove algae or mildew from your metal roof, try mixing a quart of bleach with a 5% solution, ⅓ cup of powdered laundry detergent, and ¾ water.
For rust stains that just won’t budge, blend five parts water part with one part of just one of the following (after confirming that the roof is not so thoroughly rusted as to be unsafe):
- Diluted hydrochloric acid
- Citric acid
- Muriatic acid
- Oxalic acid
- Vinegar
For copper, stick to elbow grease for all stains, or consider hiring a professional.
With Walker Metals, Metal Roofs are an Investment in Your Future
Although learning how to clean a metal roof might seem daunting at first, the process is straightforward if you’re properly informed, equipped, and prepared ahead of time.
When Walker Metals installs metal roofing for our clients, we make sure to provide you with sufficient information on how to perform regular roof maintenance so you can keep your new roof in top-tier shape. And if you’re in the market for a new metal roof, we’re more than happy to help you design and install a roof that best fits your property needs.
Give us a call at (225) 791-7791 or fill out our free online estimate form to start speaking with our roofing experts today.
