This job covered a green corrugated metal roof and the gutters running along its eaves at a residential property in Hawaiian Paradise Park. The lot had dense tropical vegetation along the perimeter, a chain-link fence, and a green cylindrical water catchment tank in the yard. That catchment tank is an important detail: in HPP, many homeowners collect rainwater off the roof for household use, which means what accumulates on the roof and in the gutters goes directly into the water supply. Keeping both surfaces clean is not optional on a catchment system. The work included:
The green metal panels on this roof were holding up well overall, but the gutters told a different story.
The gutter channel before the cleaning was packed with thick black decomposed organic debris, with standing water pooling on top of the buildup. The sludge filled the channel nearly to the top in the sections visible in the before photo. This is what happens when leaf litter, dust, vog particulates, and biological growth accumulate in a gutter over time without being cleared. In HPP, the surrounding tree cover accelerates the process considerably, with debris dropping onto the roof and washing into the gutter channel with every rain event.
A gutter this full cannot drain. Water backs up under the eave, sits against the roof edge, and creates conditions for rust and rot at the panel laps and fascia. On a catchment system, the debris also contaminates the collected water before it ever reaches the tank.
Roof Washing
The corrugated metal panels were washed across all faces of the hip roof. The after photos show the green surface clean and consistent with no visible algae patching or surface contamination. The ridge cap was cleaned along its full length, and the antenna mast and surrounding panel area were addressed as part of the overall wash. On HPP properties with water catchment systems, getting the roof surface clean before rain events matters because whatever sits on the roof ends up in the first-flush collection.
Gutter Cleaning
The gutters were manually cleared of the decomposed debris and then flushed through. The volume of material visible in the before photo required full removal of the packed sludge before the channel could be flushed effectively. Simply hosing a gutter this full does not work: the debris mass acts as a plug and the water has nowhere to go. The sludge was removed first, then the channel was flushed to confirm it was running clear through the downspouts.
The outer face of the gutter shows some mineral oxidation residue in the after photos, which is normal weathering on metal gutters exposed to HPP’s rainfall and humidity. The channel itself was open and draining at the completion of the job.
After the roof wash and gutter cleaning, the results across both surfaces were clear:
If your HPP property has a water catchment system, your roof and gutters are part of that system and need to be treated accordingly. Debris-packed gutters mean contaminated water reaching your tank, and a dirty roof surface means every rain event is washing whatever has accumulated on those panels into your collection. Getting both cleaned at the same interval makes the most sense and keeps the whole system working as intended.
Property Wash in Paradise serves HPP and the surrounding Puna communities with roof washing and gutter cleaning for metal roofs of all types. If your gutters are packed or your roof surface needs a wash before rainy season, reach out and we’ll put together a quote.
You can learn more about what we cover on our gutter cleaning service page.
Or call us directly: 808-825-6280
