Cedar Shingle Cleaning, Products And Cleaning Tips
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by: JohnRedihan
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Word Count: 650
When it comes to cleaning cedar shingles there is a right way and dozens of wrong ways to go about it. Cedar shingles are used for siding or as roofing material, both should be cleaned regularly for both looks and to extend the shingle or "shakes" life. As with any home improvement project, you must have a plan and that plan should include the product that you will be using to clean with, the equipment that you will need and the procedure that you will follow to get the job done.
Why clean your shingles? The first thing that comes to my mind is how much they cost to replace, that alone should be enough reason to clean your shingles. Cedar shingles are a perfect breeding ground for mold, mildew, algae, moss and lichen all of which eat away at your shingles causing cracks and curling. These funguses hold water sometimes leading to leaks but the most damage comes from the rotting of the wood. The most infected areas are usually the north facing sides or sections in constant shade. Cleaning your cedar shingles is proper maintenance of an expensive investment. A new wood roof on an average size home would cost approximately $25,000 and the siding of the same home about $15,000 to replace and yet people do not clean them regularly.
The equipment to clean your cedar shingles, you probably already have in the garage. People automatically think that they need a pressure washer but you do not, high pressure actually pushes and spreads the mold and fungus spores deeply in to the wood and it will come back worse than before. High pressure also cuts away a layer of the shingles wood and loosens the shingles. Garden hose pressure will safely wash the fungus from your shingles and not cause any structural damage. Other than a hose, you will need a medium bristle scrub brush, a "garden style" pump sprayer and a ladder, I recommend attaching outrigger stabilizing bars for safety to avoid the ladder from slipping.
To clean correctly and effectively, start at your highest point and work your way down. Start by wetting down, not soaking an area only large enough to clean before it dry's. Mix your cedar shingle cleaning product up in a separate bucket then pour it into the pump sprayer. Spray your pre-moistened area with the product then gently work it into the wood with your scrub brush. When you have scrubbed the whole area, stand back and rinse with the hose until clear water is running off the shingles then move to the section below it or start the process again at the top of another section.
Finding the right cedar shingle cleaning product; Believe it or not this is the toughest part of the job. I strongly believe that if there is an environmentally safe cleaning product available then we should choose that one. Hazardous cleaning products such as bleach, TSP or chlorine based products will clean your shingles but there are more disadvantages to these products the advantages. First of all, they kill surrounding flowers, grass and shrubs. Secondly they severely dry out the wood shingles. Another reason is that they do not clean evenly, you will end up with some real light; almost white areas and some not so light. It will not look natural when you are finished. The smell from these products linger for weeks, if they drip on any painted surfaces, it will leave a stain. There are many reasons not to use toxic products. What you want to use is a product that is the opposite, environmentally safe, won't harm the plants, cleans evenly, and is non-staining with no strong fumes.
Routine cleaning, every 3 or 4 years will keep your cedar shingle looking new, extending the life of a costly investment. Choose an environmentally safe cedar shingle cleaning product and stay away from high pressure cleaning.
About the Author
John Redihan is the owner of Wash Safe Industries of Brewster, MA. Wash Safe Industries manufactures Cedar Shingle Cleaning Products, buying the right cleaning product can make the difference in how clean your cedar shingles come out. Wash Safe also has a "green" cleaning service
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