Note: This is cleaning/treatment/restoration only. We do not offer roof repair services.

Cedar Shakes Proprietary Process & Cleaning Solution

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Should I be Concerned with the Cedar Shakes Roof Cleaning Solution?

There are numerous companies that use corrosive, polluting, and generally harmful solutions to remove organic matter from cedar shake roofs.

Many homeowners are concerned with what type of cleaning solution Cedar Shakes Roof Cleaning Company uses, more so, if it will harm their landscaping, pets, children, etc.

No it won’t!

Other companies that will clean cedar roofs use a solution that has caustic elements to it and
requires walking on the roof and having to use a power washer to remove. This had been the
process used in the past and most have just continued using this type of process today. Not
only is walking on a wood roof and using a pressure washer to clean potentially harmful to the
roof but potentially very dangerous to humans.

Walk on a Cedar Shake Roof

My company is the first roof cleaning service to develop a wood roof cleaning process that requires no walking on wood roofs or using any form of pressure i.e. pressure washer to clean them.

CEDAR SHAKES ROOF CLEANING SOLUTION

As for our cleaning solution, which I developed myself and without detailing the formula (we can’t give away the secret sauce), the following is the baseline of it:
1.) It is nontoxic and non-caustic.
2.) It is citrus based. Think of Lemon.
3.) It has an algaecide, mildewcide, and fungicide to help preserve the shakes.
4.) It has a bio surfactant or soap to help the solution cling to the shakes.
5.) It has a steam process oil to help rehydrate the shakes to preserve them.

When retaining our service you get a proven process that will not harm your roof or your
landscaping, property or family in any way. (Contact us for an estimate).

Everything that is needed to clean and maintain your roof is within our cleaning process.
There is no need to add a treatment to your roof as it is already within our cleaning solution!

Staining is okay for improving the look of your roof but has no preservative value. It also has a
short shelf life and can be very expensive if done correctly. We don’t recommend it.

Sealing a wood roof in any form is very bad for that roof. Wood roofs need to breathe, they are
organic in nature and have to expand and contract with the changing weather condition.

Unlike others that will clean a cedar shakes wood roof, we are cedar shakes roof cleaners.
To properly maintain a cedar shakes roof you should have it cleaned every 7 to 10 years
subjectively. They have a very long lifespan if maintained!

Cedar Shake Roof Cleaning in Des Moines Iowa
Cedar Shake Roof before & after cleaning
Bruce-Profile-Picture

Meet Bruce

50 Years of Experience &
Over 2,000 Shake Roofs Cleaned

Bruce Sullivan has over 50 years of experience in maintaining, cleaning, and restoring cedar shake roofs. Making him one of the top authorities on cedar shake roofs in the US.

Watch the Cedar Shakes Cleaning Process in Action in this video

Testimonials

What can I say? Bruce and Keith provided an exceptional service, and they are really nice guys too. Found out at the last minute they were in Minneapolis, and they fit me in for a cedar shake roof cleaning the next evening after their regular job was done. Even cleaned up my gutters, small fence, and small deck at no charge. The place looks outstanding! Highly recommended.

Mike Richards
Minneapolis

I highly recommend this business. Due to the work performed we are going to get another 10-14 years out of our cedar shake roof. We were told by some roofing companies that the roof should be replaced in 2 years. I lucked out and found Sullivan Roof Cleaning while researching companies that perform this service, and was pleased to learn that the company does work outside of Iowa. If you need your cedar shakes cleaned, go with Sullivan Roof Cleaning.

Eric Oelrich, 
St Cloud, MN

Bruce did a great job cleaning the whole exterior of my house. The roof has new life! It looks practically brand new. All the mold and moss on the roof, on the gutters, under the eaves, completely gone. He exceeded all our expectations. When he tells you what he can do for your house, you can believe and trust him. Great guy, great service.

Stuart Malone
Kansas City, MO

FAQs

Cedar shakes are organic. Though a resilient material. Being organic they need to be maintained. Over time, like any organic material that are subjected to weather elements, they reach a stage of deterioration. Like UV exposure, moisture and seasonal changes. Which results in moss, mold, mildew, lichen and brown rot fungi. These infestations need to be removed to further preserve the integrity of the cedar shake.
The proper way to clean a cedar shake roof is from a ladder. By spraying a special formulated solution onto the shakes and then rinsed with a garden hose pressure. Best done by a professional cedar shake roof cleaner. Not DIY recommended.
No. Pressure washer will require walking on the shakes, which will harm them, and even at its lowest setting will also damage the shakes.
On average, cedar shakes should be cleaned every 10 ten years. Subjective to the grade of the shakes and the amount of surrounding tree cover.
Avoiding walking on a cedar shake roof, other than for repairs.
Never seal a cedar shake roof. Cedar shakes need to breathe. They expand and contract in rain conditions. Seal will shorten the lifespan, to the point of premature replacement.
Staining has no real preserve value and can also harm the integrity of shakes, as stated, they need to be able to breathe. Also, if the shakes are not properly cleaned staining can seal the deteriorating infestation within the shakes.
Depending on the grade of the shakes and installation, and if maintained properly, 40 to 60 years.

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