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How To Clean Roof Lights

If you have existing roof lights or perhaps you’re about to have them installed, it’s important to know just how to have them cleaned, even if you wouldn’t be doing it yourself. Generally, glass roof lights fitted in flat roof applications are more likely to be a major victim of staining and discolouration by several elements like rainwater, bird droppings, vehicle exhaust pollutants as well as tree sap. Therefore, just like any other parts of your home, periodic inspection of the units as well as regular cleaning is highly advised to help maintain their top performance for a lengthy period of time.

Firstly, when installing the roof lights, it’ll be helpful if its fitted at the right pitch so as to help keep the exterior clean as it enables the elements such as rainwater to run off the surface naturally. Cleaning roof lights involves working at height which can be very dangerous. Therefore, if you lack the skill and confidence to pull this off, it’s advisable to hire the services of a professional who can guarantee the best results for help. In this article, we aim to give you a good insight into how the roof light cleaning process works. Let’s have a look!

Rooflight Interior Cleaning

✓ Spread plastic under the roof light to catch dirt and spills

✓ Dust to wipe clear all loose dirt and cobwebs.

✓ Use a squeegee with a warm soapy water or any other glass cleaning product to clean the glass ( steer clear of any harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners)

✓ Dry the roof light with a soft and lint-free cloth.

Rooflight Exterior Cleaning

✓ Access the roof safely with a specialist ladder

✓ Put mild detergent into a bucket and carry up to the roof before filling with warm water from a hosepipe

✓ Use the soapy water and a non-abrasive cloth or squeegee to clean the roof light, its surroundings as well as fixings.

How to repair a flat roof depends on the type of flat roof you have. We’ll talk about how to repair felt, asphalt, fibreglass and EDPM flat roofs yourself. But ultimately if you want the best finish, it’s best to ask a professional to repair your flat roof for you. Repairing a flat roof Whether you’ve got an old pour-and-roll type felt roof or a newer torch-on felt flat roof, you can get cracks, lifting around joints, leaks or dips. As a temporary measure, you can buy a special paint that you paint over cracks. For a more permanent repair, you can add a patch of torched-on felt or add a layer on top. Asphalt flat roof repair As your asphalt flat roof gets older, you may notice blisters, cracks or shrinkage and sagging around flashings. Again, you can use a paint on fix from a tin as a temporary repair, or add heat-applied flashing tape around flashing. For a more permanent fix you can use a liquid system, but many are only available to the trade market. You can also add a patch of torched-on roofing felt over a crack. How to repair a fibreglass (GRP) flat roof Fibreglass flat roofs are usually excellent, but problems can involve leaking flashing and cracks near upstands, trims or board joints. You can add acrylic sealant to cracks or holes for a good DIY repair, but a flashing problem is more difficult to fix. You’ll need to clean and sand the affected area of flashing, then laminate a 600g chopped strand mat into place, cure it and add a topcoat colour to match the roof. That sounds like a job better left to a specialist. EDPM rubber flat roof repair Rubber roofs often suffer from shrinkage when mechanical fixings haven’t been used near upstands, flashing leaks or holes or cuts. If you’ve got a small tear that you want to repair, you can add some lap sealant to the area – but use it sparingly. For a more permanent repair to flashing, buy some self-adhesive flashing that will mould into shape easily. Clean the area you want to repair, add EDPM primer, then stick the patch of flashing on from the centre outwards with a hard roller. You can add lap sealant around the edges if you want more protection from water.

A pitched roof is a type of roof that is defined to have a sloping surface that has an angle that is greater than 20 degrees. Pitched roofs offer a more classical appearance. They remain the most communal and effective answer in wet and cold weathers to guarantee all-out protection.

Eaves

In the roof, the lower part of the inclined roof which is prominent outside the external face of the wall. The chief purpose of eaves is to pour the rainwater from the roof straight on the exterior wall. It also provides protection from sunlight. Eaves are sometimes decorated to an architectural beauty.

Gable

The Three-sided higher part of the wall at the end of a ridge roof.

Flashing

A band of impermeable material, typically metal, used to eliminate water from the intersection between a roof covering and another part of the structure. Flashings are provided to stop moisture from inflowing the wall and roof through joints in copings, parapet wall, and other infiltrations through the roof plane.

Hip

The Hip is defined as the exterior angle, which is generally greater than 180 degrees, which is formed at the inclined ridge of the roof slopes.

Ridge

The ridge is defined as the horizontal intersection made by the rising roof surfaces that are inclined in opposite directions.

Purlins

Purlins are the horizontal members which are laid on the principal rafters which help to support the common rafter of a roof. This is usually done when the span is large. Purlins are made from wood or steel. The top surfaces of the purlins intend to be unvarying and plane.

Fascia

This is the wooden board that is fixed to the feet of the common rafter at eaves. The Fascia helps the lowest ends of the roof covering material to rest on it.

Rafter

One of the major structural components of a pitched roof is a rafter. The rafter generally begins for the support of the roof to the ridge or hip. The purlin is supported by equally spaced rafters used side by side.

If your existing roof is still in good condition but the membrane is getting old, it’s often not worth exposing the structure to the weather whilst the contractor strips off the old membranes. The contractor will leave them in place to act as a base layer for a new roofing system. As long as there are no other problems with your roof, then overlaying is a good way to replace your flat roof.If you have any more questions about flat roofing that aren’t listed here, fill out our form to ask a contractor.

Yes – you can repair a flat roof in the winter. Contractors will still be able to help you repair leaks, and it’s a myth that they will charge more. Most won’t have any additional costs just for coming out in the winter.

You'll have to wait for any snow and ice to melt before you can repair your flat roof. Depending on what type of flat roof you have, some repairs might have to wait until temperatures reach a certain level above freezing – some coating products won’t adhere (stick) in low temperatures, but a roofing professional will be able to advise you on what is best to use in the winter. If you have an EDPM rubber roof, most of the adhesives won’t mix in cold weather, so you might have to wait until temperatures rise to get a proper repair to your flat roof.

The best way to avoid needing to repair your flat roof in the winter is to inspect it at regular intervals. During the summer, even in the UK’s mild weather, the sun’s UV rays can damage and weaken flat roof surfaces, potentially causing cracks and holes. As autumn approaches, take a look at your flat roof and see if you notice anything untoward. If you do, speak to a reputable roofer who can repair your flat roof for you before winter arrives.

How To Clean Algae Off Roof Shingles

Stains and dirt on asphalt shingles can only make your entire house look shabby which can go a long way to hide away the true value of your building. In some cases, dirts and stains on asphalt roofing shingles are nothing more than a cosmetic issue. However, there are also times in which it goes far beyond this - when the stains are indicators of a problem that if ignored, can result in a serious roof damage and ultimately, roof failure. In most cases, it’s usually hard to distinguish these stains and hence, the more reason why your asphalt roofing shingles should be regularly cleaned and maintained. In this article, we’re going to look at how you can get rid of algae of your roof shingles.

Algae growth on roof usually have either blue, green or black stains. They normally begin with little spots which will develop into streaks overtime. These stains are mostly mistaken for moss or mildew and aren’t harmful to any other thing than the roof shingles. However, the look it gives the entire house is something nobody enjoys.

It should be noted that this is a task that deals with working at height and requires skills and confidence to pull off. If you lack any of these qualities, simply reach out to a professional for help.

✓ Safety first. Put on protective clothing.

✓ Apply a bleach solution with a garden sprayer and let it sit for up to 20 minutes

✓ Rinse the roof thereafter with the stream from the hose (do not use a pressure washer as it can damage the roof shingles)

✓ If there are still algae left after rinsing with water, you can make use of a brush with medium-stiff bristles to gently scrub the stains off. If some stains are still left, simply let the roof dry before repeating the process again.

Fibreglass, or GRP, flat roofs are very durable and should last you years, but over time they can become brittle and you might see some cracks or holes forming. Luckily, you can repair a fibreglass flat roof and it doesn’t have to be too difficult. Cracks in a fibreglass flat roof If you notice long cracks in your fibreglass roof, you can often use a fibreglass crack sealant. Simply clean the area, squeeze the sealant into the crack, then smooth it off. If you want it to look neater, you could coat the entire roof with a restorative coating which will make it look new again. Hole in a fibreglass roof If you notice a hole in your fibreglass flat roof, you’ll want to get this repaired as soon as possible to avoid any rainwater getting into your home. There are lots of fibreglass roof hole repair kits on the market, both online and in DIY stores, so you shouldn’t have trouble picking one up. They usually contain a mouldable UV cured patch that you can stick onto the hole. It will harden and become instantly weatherproof, so is the perfect emergency repair solution. Fixing pin holes in a fibreglass flat roof Unfortunately, if you find pin holes in a fibreglass flat roof it’s often because the installer didn’t use enough resin during the fibreglassing process. Luckily, if you can’t get back in touch with the installer or you only notice after a few years, you can fix this yourself. Sand down the roof back to the clear resin layer. Clean the entire roof with acetone and reapply some GRP roofing resin. Ensure that all the pinholes are filled – you might need two coats.

How to repair a hole in a flat roof depends on what material your flat roof is made from. If you have an asphalt, felt or EDPM rubber roof, the repairs are quite simple, whereas it’s a bit more tricky if you have a fibreglass flat roof. How to repair a hole in an asphalt flat roof If you’ve got a small hole in your asphalt flat roof, you might get away with using a paint-on fix from a tin. It’s best to use this as a temporary measure to tide you over until you can get in touch with a professional. If the hole is on the flashing, you can add heat-applied flashing tape to it, or use a patch of torched-on roofing felt. There are liquid systems you can use, but usually they’re only available to the trade. Repairing a hole in a felt flat roof It's a similar process to asphalt roofing if you want to repair a hole in a felt flat roof. Use a paint-on fix for a temporary solution, but the best way to repair a hole is to use a torched-on piece of roofing felt to cover the hole and make it watertight again. How to fix a hole in an EDPM rubber flat roof If the hole in a rubber flat roof is small, you may be able to get away with applying some lap sealant to the hole. Only use a small amount, as if you go for a more permanent repair later down the line all of this will need to be scraped off. You can also use a malleable piece of self-adhesive flashing – clean the area, add EDPM primer and stick the patch on from the centre outwards. Add sealant to the edges if you want to give it more water protection. How to fix pin holes in a fibreglass flat roof If you find pin holes in your fibreglass roof, it usually means there wasn’t enough resin used at installation. To repair the holes, you’ll need to sand down the entire roof back to the clear resin. Then clean the area with acetone and apply GRP roofing resin – the acetone ensures that the resin sticks. You might need two coats of resin to get rid of all the holes.