DIY vs. Professional Commercial Roof Cleaning: Which is the Right Choice?

DIY vs. Professional Commercial Roof Cleaning: Which is the Right Choice?

Between winter storms, destructive weather, or even just the changing seasons, every commercial roof in Chicagoland needs to be cleaned. The question always asked, though, is whether or not you should reach out to a professional roofing company or climb onto the roof yourself.

Unlike the roof of your house, the risks magnify when it comes to uncleaned commercial roofs as it affects your finances, business, and occupants’ health. But before you pull out the ladder and take one step on your commercial roof, consider whether it’s better to do it yourself or pay a professional roofing company to clean your roof.

Why Do You Need to Clean Your Commercial Roof?

The most straightforward explanation for why you need to clean your commercial roof is to prevent immediate and long-term damage from destroying the materials in your roof. 

Remember, your commercial roof is exposed to the elements every day of the year- from summer heat to winter snowfall. Each new weather event weakens those materials a little bit more until, eventually, you’ll need a complete roof replacement.

Cleaning your commercial roof slows down the deterioration of these materials significantly, ensuring that your investment lasts longer and requires less maintenance. When you don’t clean your roof, ice dams, piles of heavy, wet leaves, and gutter issues all lead to severe problems in the immediate future and down the road.

For commercial roofs in the Chicagoland area, we recommend that you clean your roof every six months to a year, depending on the weather, the age of your roof, and regularly scheduled maintenance.

During wind and snow storms, debris from nearby buildings and trees land on your roof and, if not taken care of, turns into leaks, holes, and even roof collapses.

Why You Should Clean Your Commercial Roof Yourself

The two biggest reasons to clean your commercial roof are cost-savings and the ability to do it as soon as needed. While not as expensive as replacing your roof, cleaning does cost money, and if you have everything you need, a DIY commercial roof cleaning doesn’t sound too bad when attempting to save money.

If there is a massive storm, or you want to go and see if something on your commercial roof needs to be fixed, heading onto the roof yourself on your own time is a benefit. There is no need to worry about scheduling or waiting for a nearby commercial roofing company when you can climb a ladder and go up there yourself.

Of course, there are serious risks when it comes to DIY commercial roof cleaning. The first is the most obvious: it is dangerous. Not only will you be up high, but it’s unlikely you have the proper safety equipment to ensure you won’t fall off or hurt yourself.

Also, most commercial roof owners aren’t trained with the expertise to clean their buildings. Without that knowledge, the likelihood of further damage is high, thus requiring you to call a professional roofing company anyway.

While cost-saving might be an attractive option, the downsides are too significant to ignore when you can work with a commercial roofing company.

Why You Should Hire a Professional to Clean Your Commercial Roof

The reason why you should hire a professional roofing company to clean your commercial roof is simple: knowledgeable, safe, and part of an overall maintenance package to protect your investment.

Every time a commercial roofing company visits your site to clean your roof, understand that they have decades of experience and knowledge, helping make your building safer and last longer. They’ve seen everything by now, so they can fix any problems they see on sight. Since a professional roofing company does this for a living, they can also clean your roof much faster than someone who does it themselves.

The second reason why you should hire a roofing company to clean your roof is because they have to take safety precautions seriously. Bound to government regulations and the desire to protect their employees, roofing companies own all of the necessary safety equipment to avoid accidents. A DIYer probably doesn’t.

And lastly, many commercial roofing companies include cleaning in their yearly maintenance packages. So when you schedule an appointment, they also inspect the roof for any worrisome materials or potential problems in the future. Rather than pay per cleaning, you’re paying for a larger package that enhances your commercial roof’s warranty and elongates its lifespan.

Need a Commercial Roof Cleaning? Contact Ridgeworth Roofing Today.

Ridgeworth Roofing has delivered high-quality commercial roofing services for 50 years. These include installations, maintenance, and inspections. Call us today to learn more about Ridgeworth Roofing’s comprehensive commercial roof cleaning services.