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TOPIC: I Have An Existing Metal Roof and Have A Question

Remove pollen and other stains from metal roof

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I have green colored metal roof that is about 3 years old. the roof is in great conidition but it has what appears to be pollen (lite-yellow) and old chalk line stains on the roof. Soaking theses areas with a detergent/ bleach mix then hitting it with a pressure washer (from a distance) doesn't seem to be removing the stains. My roof is high-pitch and several ares that are very high to the ground so we can not hit these areas directly with the preasure washer. Do you have any reccomendation on some cleaning solutions that will remove these stains? (spray and light rinse removal)
David Wrighter

4/22/2012
Opening this up for input. Thanks David.
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.

4/22/2012
I would first check with the manufacturer on the metal/panel and see what is permissible first and then see what they recommend. I would also make sure that the roof is good and free of the whatever has previously been applied so that there are no chemical reactions between old and new cleaning solutions.
Eric Novotny
An informed customer is the Best Customer!

4/23/2012
just installed galvanized steel roofing and it had red mud stains whats the best way to remove stains
Guest User

8/16/2012
They might just weather away naturally. If you want to clean them, I would start with detergent, add TSP if necessary. If this does not work you might gently try some Soft Scrub cleanser.
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.

8/16/2012
I have the same problem with pollen. I had to climb on the roof last year and brush off with water- very dangerous. I cannot find anyone willing to clean the roof this year. This problem is not published anywhere when researching the benefits of a metal roof over asphalt shingles. I never had this issue on our old asphalt shingle roof. I am ready to take the metal roof off and put asphalt shingles back on as I do not want to risk falling off the roof and getting hurt. I guess I could just live with it, but the dried pollen looks really bad. Any help would be apprecitated.
Guest User

4/15/2015
Products like RoofWash and Wet-N-Forget I have heard can work well for removing pollen that builds up. The pollen issue does not happen in most areas of the country, which is good. It is mainly an aesthetic issue but I can see every reason to want to remove it. The products I mentioned can just be sprayed on and then left.
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.

4/15/2015
We have heavy pollen here each spring. The best way I have found to remove it is with soap and a soft bristle brush, on an extension handle. You can find the brush and handle at Home Depot or Lowes, and I apply the soap with a hose end sprayer. I work off of an 8' step ladder.
Jeff Cook

5/10/2015

Thank you Todd. We also have a pollen problem on a high pitch older green metal roof. Is it safe to pressure wash a colored roof? I don’t want to damage the integrity of my roof.
Penny Kennedy

7/17/2021

Penny, in addition to power washing, you could also try products such as RoofWash or Wet N Forget, or have it "soft washed" which is a lower pressure powder wash with cleaning agents. Whatever you do, try it on a limited area first to make sure the finish isn't damaged. There have been many types of paint finishes used on metal roofs over the years and I have no predictable way to know how yours will respond to various cleaning methods.
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.

7/17/2021

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