The minimal maintenance required to care for a metal carport is one of the biggest selling points for these structures. Once installed, there isn’t much you’ll need to do to care for your carport as the years go by. When compared to a wooden structure, this reduced level of maintenance is a big advantage.

Of course, low-maintenance is not the same as no-maintenance. There are a few things you’ll need to do from time to time, including cleaning the roof of the carport. If that task is on your mind, we’d like to provide some tips below to make the job as easy and successful as possible.

Safety is Always Number One

Before talking about anything else, we have to start on the subject of safety. A clean roof isn’t worth the risk of your physical safety. Always play it safe and be smart with any methods you try. If you aren’t comfortable getting up on a ladder, for instance, or you don’t have the right ladder for the job, don’t force it. It would be far better to hire a contractor to come in and do the cleaning for you than to get hurt attempting to do work that was outside of your abilities or comfort zone.

Consider a Pressure Washer

A good pressure washer may be the best tool for this job. With the pressure washer on the ground and a long hose attachment, you can get up on a ladder to spray the roof and get it clean. Follow the directions included with your pressure washer in terms of what cleaning agents to use in the machine, and how to set the pressure property. It’s always a good idea to do a test spot somewhere out of the way to make sure you aren’t using too much power when you start to point the water at the roof itself.

Stay Ahead of the Game

The longer you go between cleaning sessions for your carport roof, the harder it will be to truly get it clean. This is one of those cases where staying ahead of the task is far better than falling behind and trying to play catch-up later. If you can make it a point to perform this chore at least once a year – and maybe twice, depending on your circumstances – you’ll get better results. For example, you might want to clean the roof once when spring arrives and the weather warms up, and then again in late fall just before winter.

Preventive Maintenance is Important

Along with regularly cleaning the roof, it’s a good idea to consider why the roof is getting so dirty in the first place. Often, this is because there are trees nearby that are causing some problems. Trees can drop debris onto the roof of the carport, and that debris will need to be removed. Also, the shade offered by the tree can create conditions where moss will thrive.

You don’t need to cut down any trees near your carport to improve this situation, but you might want to have them cut back to a more manageable size. Trimming large trees is challenging and potentially dangerous work, so it is typically best to hire a professional team to manage the task.

Is It Time for a New Carport?

Whether you need a new carport to replace an aging structure, or you are hoping to add a carport to your property for the first time, American Steel Carports, Inc. is the best place to start. Our great selection and our easy, customizable Build & Price tool make us the easy choice. Get started today, and contact us right away if you have any questions!