• By Liam Ridings
• In Blog, Metal Roofing, Renovation
• Tags roof repairs

Cleaning Your Colorbond Roof – Everything You Should Know

Keeping your Colorbond roof clean is crucial to ensuring it continues to protect your home for longer. Colorbond roofing offers extreme durability, resistance to corrosion, and advanced technology that provides thermal efficiency for a home. Due to the sleek, minimal design in combination with the many benefits of Colorbond technology, the roofing material has become a popular choice for many Australian homes over the last few years.

If you own a property with Colorbond roofing, you’ve probably come to learn that keeping your roof clean and clear of debris can be challenging. However, skipping out on essential maintenance for your Colorbond roof can put your roof at risk of developing avoidable vulnerabilities.

What is Colorbond Roofing?

Colorbond roofing is a steel material that is manufactured and coated by Bluescope. Before the creation of Colorbond, corrugated iron was a popular roofing choice for many years due to the durability, lightweight, and versatility of the steel. Colorbond was introduced to provide an advanced solution for corrugated iron that was additionally low maintenance and resistant to corrosion.

Tried and tested in all Australian conditions, Colorbond is available in 22 colours and provides a sleek and minimal design to homes. Colorbond is a highly thermally efficient material, insulating in winter and optimising solar reflectance in summer. Colorbond is essentially an iron roofing with an added coated seal that prevents corrosion, chipping, peeling and cracking; a proven material that is manufactured to last.

Non-combustible, termite resistant, sustainable, secure, and weather tight, Colorbond is the ideal roofing material to battle the harsh extremities of Australian weather.

Cleaning Colorbond Roof – Why is It Essential?

Cleaning Colorbond Roof materials is an integral part of maintaining your roofing structure and keeping your Colorbond performing better for longer. Colorbond roofs are notoriously durable, lightweight, resilient and sleek.

A massive drawcard for Colorbond roofing is that it provides exceptional protection and requires very little roof maintenance in comparison to other materials. However, failing to care for your Colorbond roof altogether can make the materials susceptible to preventable problems.

While other roofing materials require repainting every other year, Colorbond’s technology means that it will last around ten years without showing any signs of ageing. After about ten years, the colour of Colorbond roofing may start to dull, and you may need to have it repainted. Colorbond materials will last longer with basic roof maintenance and regular cleaning. Having a cleaning schedule for your Colorbond roof will keep the steel looking its best and extend the longevity of the materials.

When it comes to maintaining your Colorbond roof, cleaning helps to sustain the integrity of metal sheeting. Cleansing rids the surface of any debris that has the potential to compromise the seal of Colorbond. The coatings and paint used for Colorbond materials are robust and resistant to damage; however, regular cleaning is what will sustain the strength of the seal for longer.

The most common causes of preventable damage on metal roofs is the build-up of particles and moisture. Airborne dirt, small sticks and leaves, pollen, and mould spore particles are the primary precipitates naturally falling on roofs. It’s essential to remove these particles with regular cleanses to avoid compromising the roof’s drainage abilities and structure.

Methods for Cleaning Colorbond Roof

1. Chemical Washing

Many chemical cleaning products are designed for Colorbond roofing materials. These substances will help to break down the bacteria of the grime on the roof, without causing any harm to the metal sheets. Colorbond-friendly chemicals will typically be chlorine or sodium-based and are relatively mild and non-abrasive.

2. Pressure Washing

Pressure washing is a high-strength way of washing algae and grime off of a roof. It’s possible to rent or use an at-home pressure washer; however, the devices need to be the correct regulation for Colorbond materials. Generally speaking, an at-home pressure washer will not provide as thorough as clean as a professional roofing service will.

3. Solvents

Solvents are a solution to remove stubborn non-water elements that may be impacting your Colorbond roof. Stubborn marks include tar, graffiti, paint, and grease oil. Solvents are only applicable to areas where they are required, and they require careful handling. Both Petroleum and non-petroleum solvents can be quite harmful if misused.

It’s crucial for those handling solvents to be wary of the toxicity and strength of the chemicals – protective goggles and safety gear are needed. Solvent-based cleaning products have the potential to cause staining on roofing materials, so it may be best to leave it to the professionals if you have no experience with the products.

The Best Way of Cleaning Colorbond Roof

When cleaning your Colorbond roof, adhere to the directions on all cleaning products and only use products that are certified Colorbond friendly. Colorbond materials are extremely tough but should be cared for appropriately.

The best way to ensure you’re doing the best job of cleaning your Colorbond roof is to have a roofing professional inspect your roof and assess its condition. A roofing company can also provide professional roof cleaning services to ensure your roof is receiving the right care. Our best tip for accurately cleaning Colorbond roofing – leave it to the experts.

DIY Cleaning vs Professional Colorbond Roof Cleaning

Without experience and training, any roofing work can be dangerous – cleaning Colorbond roof is no exception. If you’re adamant on completing Colorbond roof cleaning yourself, be sure to take all of the necessary safety precautions. Safety measures include SafeWork approved ladders, shoes with roof tractions, protective clothing, and having someone else keep an eye on you while you’re working on the roof.

If you have little or no experience working on roofs, we do not recommend starting now. Cleaning your Colorbond roof can be extremely dangerous and can result in serious injury if an accident occurs. We advise strongly against homeowners attempting roof work without no experience or training.

Professional roof cleaning is not just a solution for safety and experience reasons; professional Colorbond roof cleaning services are much more comprehensive than what a homeowner can achieve. A thorough professional clean will include an assessment; the roofing expert will be able to pick up on any potential problem areas and provide extra attention for common trouble spots. The money you spend on professional roof cleaning services is well worth the peace of mind for both safety and a job well done.

Vertec Roofing is the leading experts in caring for Sydney roofs. We have been in the industry for over 15 years and have an in-depth knowledge of the ins and outs of Colorbond materials and the appropriate cleaning practices. The team at Vertec are committed to providing exceptional service and tailored roofing solutions for each client. Get in touch with our team today to get a quote on your roofing project.