How to Clean My Clay Roof

Walking on a clay tile roof is dangerous and can break the tiles you are trying to clean.

Over time, your clay roof will accumulate dirt, grime or other debris that may cause the color of your roof to fade. While some change in the coloring of your clay tile roof is natural, cleaning the roof will bring out the color of the tiles. You can find a variety of roof cleaning solution kits at home improvement and hardware stores, but read the label first to ensure the product is made for use with clay tiles.

Things You'll Need

• Ladder
• Roof cleaning solution kit
• Garden hose
• Pressure washer

Instructions

1. Place the ladder in a location where you can spray the majority of the roof while standing on the ladder. You may need to move the ladder more than once, but the less you need to move it, the easier your job will be.

2. Mix the roof cleaning solution by following the manufacturer's instructions. Use the mixing container supplied by the manufacturer and attach it to the end of your garden hose. Often the ratio is about 1 cup of solution per 1 gallon of water.

3. Spray the roof thoroughly with the cleaning solution and allow the roof to dry completely.

4. Set the pressure washer to the low or medium setting to avoid breaking any of the roof tiles. Pressure-wash the roof until the water stream doesn't pick up any dirt or grime.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid walking on the fragile tile, as it can easily crack under your feet.

References

• Moriyama Construction: Maintaining Your Tile Roof
• Roofers South London: How to Clean a Clay Tile Roof