To clean a metal roof wait for a dry overcast day and make sure you have a partner to help you for safety reasons.
How do you clean a metal roof for painting.
Keep in mind that metal roofs tend to be much more slippery than an asphalt roof and that many aluminum roofs will also dent easily if walked on.
It is recommended that cleaning either of these be accomplished with a mild solution of detergent.
Keeping your bryan roof clean is a part of normal roofing maintenance.
Avoid scraping the paint unless you are sure that you won t damage the roof.
You can also use oil based alkyd paint but.
Galvanized metal roofs are coated with a layer of zinc that inhibits rust.
You ll also need to purchase a primer designed for metal roofs.
If you re not sure what kind of roof you have ask a professional roofer to inspect it before you paint it.
If the wire brush fails to do the job then and only then you can use a flat blade putty knife.
Over the course of time painted metal roofs will appear discolored in areas where dirt and grime accumulate.
This detergent solution should be made from a tri sodium phosphate for example the laundry detergent name brand spic n span.
Painted metal roofs come with a baked on factory finish and you can re coat these as well as paint bare metal roofing with acrylic latex paint.
If you really need to scrape the excess paint or the peeling paint do not use any metal instruments to do so.
Overuse or abuse such as over concentrating a cleaning solution mixing with other chemicals or using too much of a solution for too long could lead to damage of the metal or paint system which will also likely void one or more of your warranties and leave you with the cost of paying for a metal roof replacement.
When you re ready to get started spray your roof using a garden hose with a spray nozzle attachment starting at the top of the roof and blasting downward so the dirty water runs off the sides.
Long term exposure to the sun also creates a chalking effect where the metal appears lightened in color when compared to other areas of the roof.
Therefore it s usually best to clean a metal roof from on top of the house itself.
Before you can clean your metal roof you ll need to do a thorough inspection of the roof itself.
If you are preparing to paint a rusted galvanized metal roof pay special attention to surface preparation or you will have a recurrence of rust and or flaking.
You can use a wire brush instead.
Unfortunately over time this coating can fail leading to minor rust outbreaks.
One of my neighbors used an oil based paint as a primer since some of the metal was rusted and then covered the roof with one of the specially formulated roofing paints that is sold by calbar for use on old metal roofs for an added layer of protection.
Anyone that has pre painted metal roofing or siding will eventually need to clean it.