Maybe Metal? Rockin' Benefits Of Heavy Metal Roofing And Natural Cleaning Solutions

Articles

As a homeowner, you are most likely familiar with the overwhelming tasks of cleaning, repairing, and updating your house. Unfortunately, maintaining or replacing your roof can be a tedious and expensive task. While the majority of homeowners choose a traditional shingle roof, adding a bit of style with metal roofing is smart for a rockin' home exterior. If heavy metal is a maybe, use this guide to see the benefits of the rockin' roofing material and learn the best options for safe cleaning.

Benefits

An imperative part of your home's shelter is the roof, but most materials are perfectly suited to providing protection against the outdoor elements. However, metal roofing, such as tin, aluminum, or copper, offer other benefits. To see the amazing benefits of this rockin' material, turn down your amp and put down your guitar!

• Durability – Metal is a durable option that resists buildup due to its slick, no friction surface. Water, snow, leaves, and dirt quickly slide off a metal roof, which prevents periodic cleanups, corrosion, and leaks. Thomas Jefferson was intent on a durable roof when building Monticello, so tin was the primary material used in construction. Today, the original tin roof is still intact.
• Safety – Although exciting to heavy metal rockers, a lightning strike can wreak havoc on your home. Thankfully, metal roofs do not spark or ignite after a lightning strike.
• Eco-Friendly – A large portion of metal roofing stems from recycled materials.
• Energy Efficient – After deflecting the sun in the summer, less air conditioning will be necessary for cooling your home's interior. Using an energy efficient roofing material, such as metal, can reduce energy usage by 40 percent. 
• Appeal – Copper, tin, aluminum, or galvanized steel are more attractive compared to asphalt shingles, which improves your curb appeal.
• Value – Although many non-metal heads may not be familiar with the value of the material, metal roofing does add value to your home.

Natural Cleaning

While easy to clean compared to other materials, periodically removing debris and washing is key to your metal roof's longevity. Some homeowners will use toxic chemicals to remove dirt and debris, but natural ingredients are safer for the environment and your health. Before starting, be sure to wear shoes with a rubber sole. The sloping metal of your roof will be slippery when wet or dry, so shoes with a rubber sole that grips are necessary for safety.

Use the following to clean your metal roof in an eco-friendly manner:

Pressure Washer

Metal roofs do not accumulate a great deal of buildup over time, so using a pressure washer to rinse off the roof each year is sufficient. Use a standard washer with 2,000 PSI, or Pounds per Square Inch of water pressure. A higher amount of water pressure may warp or damage parts of your metal roof.

Hold the washer's sprayer nozzle a foot away from the roof and spray in wide, side sweeping motions. The longer spraying motions help clean the roof in a shorter time so you can begin rockin' out again.

Baking Soda

In an outdoor pump sprayer, combine 1 gallon of water with 3 cups of baking soda. Shake the sprayer bottle to mix. Pump the handle of your sprayer to create pressure in your nozzle and douse the roof. Allow the baking soda to sit for 10 minutes before rinsing with your garden hose.

The sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, will dissolve the dirt off your roof when mixed with water. This fizzing and bubbling of baking soda and water may seem like a rock concert, but the dissolving of dirt and debris from your roof is the real party.

Your home's shelter is imperative for your family's well-being, but also the function of your house. If you prefer rockin' out at home with a beneficial roofing material, metal may be for you. Click here to learn more about metal roofing.

16 December 2014