http://www.AsktheBuilder.com host Tim Carter walks you through how to use a pressure washer to clean moss, lichen and algae off your roof without damaging the shingles.

Video Transcription

Roof cleaning sounds crazy, I know but cleaning roof shingles is a test that many home owners are faced with. Heck, look at the moss, lichens and algae on my own roof. Hi I am Tim Carter from AskTheBuilder.com. And today I want to demonstrate how to safely use a pressure washer to clean asphalt shingles. A pressure washer can damage roof shingles. You must use the correct spray wand tip when you do roof shingle cleaning. In my opinion, I feel the best tip to use is the 25-degree tip. It will produce a fantastic stream of water to dislodge moss, lichens and algae, but it is not so powerful to ruin the shingles. Try to stand on a dry portion of the roof when you work. Watch, shingles can be really slippery; always aim the pressure washer down the roof. Never aim it up the roof as it can blast water under the shingles and create leaks into your home. Keep the tip of the pressure washer wand at least 12 inches away from the shingle surface when you begin cleaning. Just clean off one shingle when you start and inspect closely to see if the pressure washer is stripping away any of the colored granules of the shingles. Adjust the distance between the spray wand tip and the roof shingle to get maximum cleaning and no shingle damage. Constantly stop and inspect the shingles to make sure all is well. Oh yeah, sweet! Check it out. Look at this roof, it is clean, the moss, lichens and algae are all gone and you know what this shingles are 20 years old and they are not damaged. You can clean roof shingles safely with a pressure washer. Take your time. I am Tim Carter for AskTheBuilder.com. If you want to discover more home improvement tips, go to AskTheBuilder.com.