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With Autumn approaching rapidly, in no time, leaves will start to fall, and some, together with all sorts of dirt and debris might start to collect on your commercial property’s flat roof.

Dirt builds up and compacts and can clog water drainage, resulting in water pooling and leaving the whole roof filled with algae and mould. Though maintaining your roof may seem a laborious process, it can save you from undesired repair bills down the road.

Regularly doing some roof cleaning and maintenance care is an essential task that should not be skipped.

In this post, we provide some essential tips so that you can clean and maintain your flat commercial roof:

  • Perform internal and external routine maintenance checks – give a thorough look around to try and spot any cracks, irregularities or dirt build-up. Finding any possible damage in a timely manner will allow for an easier and cheaper repair before things turn into a bigger issue. Problems such as water damage and moisture build-up resulting from leaves and twigs clogging your roof can escalate to major repairs that can be avoided by keeping an eye on your flat roof.
  • Clear away dirt and debris – carrying regular cleaning on your roof including gutters and drain ports and keeping it free from dirt, twigs and leaves will allow water to wick away from your flat roof.
  • Pay attention to any trees located close to the building – if you have trees surrounding your property, try to keep them trimmed so that you won’t get excessive leaves carried to your flat roof.

Why is it essential to maintain your commercial flat roof?

  • The roof is an integral part of temperature regulation in your commercial space. A well-kept roof will help to cool down the interior space, leaving a comfortable temperature inside.
  • A clean roof will ensure a longer-lasting structure by protecting the roofing membrane in your flat roof. Keeping your roof clean will also be beneficial financially by lowering the building’s utility costs.
  • Fresh air. Keeping your roof clean is a crucial step to maintaining a good air quality since it works together with your HVAC system.
  • Having a roof depleted of debris and dirt will make it easier to check for any problems that can be developing in your roof. Keep it clean, and it can save you from future hassles.

If you’ve never done it before, the first time you clean the dirt that has been building up over time will present a challenge. But once you get the accumulated grime out of the way, the regular cleaning will become much easier.

What you should keep in mind when cleaning the roof:

  • Don’t use high pressure on your washer. Though most pressure washers go up to 3.500 psi, try to hold between 1.500 to 2.000 psi at most.
  • Don’t walk over the cleansing solution, rinse it before moving around.
  • Don’t slip. For example, wet PVC roofing membranes are very slippery, so you should be extra careful.
  • Don’t let pressurised water into flashings and curbs, protect these so that water doesn’t seep into your roof system.
  • Don’t damage your facade; cleansing solutions can damage some exterior components of your property. Test a small sample first.
  • Don’t contaminate plants or groundwater with chemicals from your runoff.

How to clean your Flat Roof without damaging the roof or the environment:

  1.  Pre-wash by rinsing the top layer using low pressure on the pressure washer (2000 psi max.)
  2.   Apply an appropriate cleanser, examples:
  • Non-abrasive, non-sudsing powdered cleanser
  • Eco-friendly solution composed for PVC roof cleaning
  • A mix of non-abrasive, mild domestic detergent and water
  1. Clean with suitable tools, such as:
  • Rotary surface cleaner add-on to a pressure washer
  • Natural fibre cloths or soft brushes
  • Floor buffers on low intensity, using a non-abrasive pad
  • AVOID using the pressure washer wand; the pressure will be too high and will damage the surface.
  1.  Rinse off the cleansing solution of the roof with a low-pressure power washer.
  2. Examine the flat roofing membrane for any damage that could have resulted from the cleaning.

Leave this task to the professionals

Preventive maintenance of your roof will keep you from spending on repairs in the future, but this is a job that should be done by experienced professionals. Most of the time, doing the maintenance yourself can result in unpredicted damages.

At C&S Roofing, we understand all there is to know about flat roofing systems. Our team of qualified professionals can guarantee maximum results in the maintenance, repair or replacement of your flat roof.