Use Your Leaf Blower Instead, tie a rope around its handle and carry the rope as you ascend the ladder. Cover the surface of your roof with your leaf blower. When blowing, blow the leaves down and across the shingles, never against them or you may cause damage by lifting and tearing.
Getting on the roof or a ladder is unnecessary, the tool you are looking for is a telescoping broom extension pole in the 20-50 foot range. You can tie a leaf blower to it and slide it up the valley, or use it with an angled broom head.
The best way is to use a hose or an air blower. Start at the peak of the roof and blow/spray downwards so the water/air will roll off the roof pitch like rainwater and take the pine needles with them. Dont get under the shingles and force them up.
When discussing how to keep leaves out of roof valleys, it is recommended that you cut back the overhanging trees over the roof to mitigate and control the amount of leaves that will fall onto and build up upon your roof. As such, it is much easier to simply clear your roof valley once the debris has built up.
Using a leaf blower to clean your roof can be an easy and inexpensive way to remove loose debris from your roof. It can also be used to clean up gutters.
If you never want to worry about cleaning leaves from your gutters again, get LeafGuard®. LeafGuard is the seamless gutter system guaranteed never to clog, or we'll clean your gutters for free.
Black streaks on roofs are often caused by the growth of algae, especially in warm and humid areas. To remove them, a solution of equal parts water and white vinegar can be applied to the affected areas using a soft brush or sprayer. Allow the solution to sit for 15-20 minutes before rinsing it off with water.
Water Damage
The damp leaves sitting on your roof can lead to mold or mildew and eventually jeopardize your shingles' performance. Should this create any cracks in your shingles, water could seep into the roofing system and make its way inside your home, causing interior damage.
Handyman advises against walking on the roof unless completely necessary. From the roof, leaning downhill to reach the gutter increases your risk of falling. Accessing the roof and gutters while using an extension ladder is the safest. We also recommend waiting until midday when the roof is dry.
Gutter Tongs
If your leaves are wet, or if you have caked debris lining the base, a gutter vacuum may not be strong enough to do the trick. Try using gutter cleaning tongs (there are several types on the market). This tool will allow you to grab heavier debris like wet leaves by pulling a string to operate the tongs.
We often try to explain this issue to other tradespeople who use leaf blowers for gutter cleaning but many don't listen. Leaf blowers are great tools for sweeping up at ground level but should NOT be used for roof gutter cleaning.
DON'T use a pressure washer, which can loosen shingles and seriously damage your roof. DO use a sprayer attached to a garden hose that's filled with equal parts chlorine bleach and water of laundry strength liquid chlorine bleach and water. This is the best way to clean a roof with asphalt shingles.
The rake of a roof or a roof rake — not to be confused with the tool also called a roof rake — is a part of any gabled roof. Specifically, it's the exposed part of a gabled roof that extends from an eave to the ridge of the roof's sloped sides.
Blow Out Debris
Blowing out debris with a leaf blower or other specialized attachment, such as a gutter vacuum or a wet/dry extension to your vacuum, is often the easiest way to clean gutters from the ground.
Walk Around Your Home With Binoculars – One way to inspect your roof from ground level is to walk around with binoculars outside your home. You can examine the trim and flashings for cracks or damage. You can also spot places where shingles are loose.
Leaf Blower Method
You can purchase an attachment for your leaf blower, which allows you to clean out your gutters without climbing up a ladder. Pros: Using a leaf blower is best for heavily clogged gutters filled with debris such as packed leaves, dirt, and twigs.
Power washing is a popular method that involves using high-powered water to blast away dirt and debris. Chemical treatments are another option, where a solution is applied to the roof to break down dirt and grime. Finally, manual scrubbing may be necessary for particularly stubborn stains.
The best time to treat roof moss is when it's actively growing. Moss grows very little in summer, but it kicks into high gear during fall rains, moderate winters and early spring months. Treating right before peak fall rains is perfect timing for roof moss treatments.
Preventing Moss: Sweep & Blow When Dry
This can be done by having it swept and blown once or twice a year (when dry) to remove leaves, twigs and any dirt particles. After blowing, apply baking soda at the ridge line in late summer. Baking soda will raise the pH, which moss doesn't like.
When you have a clogged gutter, rainwater has nowhere left to go but overflow or soak through your shingles and leak into your home. Your shingles then become softened and significantly damaged, allowing for more leakage from rainfall. The weight of the rainwater can also cause the gutter to rip and damage your roof.
It is a virtually indestructible guard that will keep all your gutters, drains and channel drainage clear of leaves, twigs and rodents. We supply Hedgehog Gutter Brushes in black, white and brown styles to suit most common gutters and drains.