The roof is filthy, you’ll see dark stains, moss and maybe a different kind of fungus. Now , the question”what do I do? “how do I clean it?”
There’s no reason to be all alone. In fact, I’m sure you’ve seen the same problem on other roofs in your community. If you’ve done some research, you’ll be aware that the issue is found in every town, and across every state Roof Wash Albany Ny.
What exactly is it? The black stains appear are a type of black algae. It is a living thing that feeds off your roof. It typically only thrives on north-facing roofs or heavily shaded areas of your roof. This is due to the ultra violet light rays from direct sunlight destroy the spores and direct sunlight dries your roof, preventing water to accumulate. This is exactly what happens in the north-facing and shaded parts that are on the roof. Algae, moss, lichen or any fungus requires three elements to thrive: air and food, as well as water. We talked about the water source being located on the north or under shade. The food source is the contents of the shingles If you have wood shingles, then wood is the primary food source. If there are asphalt roofing then the limestone used to thicken the shingles is the source of food.
Does it harm my roof? Yes, I’ve observed moss eating through the two layers of roofing into the wood underneath, it is known as a surface feeder taking a bite out of shingles granules and spreading across the roof. Take a look at your gutter on the affected side and I am sure that it’s full of trashed chunks of shingle. It is true that it can cut a 40-year lifespan of shingles in half or even more.
What should I do? There are three options: clean it yourself, employ an expert roof cleaning service or even replace it. Let’s take a look at these three options.
Replace it if you’ve got the cash, awesome! But here’s the downside that, despite the fact that the new shingles available on the market are anti-algae, beware! Read the warranty carefully. They offer only for a period of 10 years. It is that long before visible evidence, visible from the ground to confirm that there is algae. If you’ve got the cash and are looking to purchase the 10 year guarantee of having a fresh roof, do it.
Employ a roof cleaning service A good choice, but who? They are typically listed in yellow pages , under “roof cleaning” or “power washing”. What you look for at when choosing a roof cleaning service is vital. 1. References 2. particular insurance policies such as painters, carpenters or any general liability construction policy will not include roof cleaning. Check the policy 3. ask about their cleaning products, there are numerous products available to clean your roof, but should they be heavily chemical-based, they’ll dry out your roof shingle to a degree that, a few months later, during a severe storm the shingles will fly. The product can also leave stains on the exterior of your house, and kill grass and plants. You need to ensure that they use the product that is “environmentally safe”, not only “bio-degradable” that only means that in the future, it will go away and biodegradable plastics are readily available, but you wouldn’t wish to see them over your grass for 20 years, do you? Therefore, ensure that you are using a product that is eco-friendly 4. Portfolios must include before and after images of the jobs they’ve done. Additionally, you must take the time to drive past one of their homes and verify that they did not download images from the internet. Do they have a license for home improvement? They must. If they don’t have those five things, then change to the next business.
Clean it yourself. It’s dangerous job! However, it’s doable if think you are the “handyman” type and the most cost-effective solution. The appropriate product is essential and don’t even think about bleach, it’s a disaster which is waiting to happen. Instead, buy an item specifically designed to clean your roof. Do not fall for those who offer the “just spray it on and nature will clean it” marketing ploy, it’s BS and it could work, but it will take several years before it was cleaned and you’d need to repeat the application. There’s only one method, get up there, put the roof in a safe manner on the bottom, even when it’s walkable. the roof will turn incredibly slippery. Spray the product onto, typically using an “garden style” sprayer, pick up a scrub brush with a medium bristle and scrub the affected area making sure the area is moist during you scrub, and then grab an ordinary garden hose and rinse it off. It could only be clean initially, but all dead, loose bacteria will disappear with every rain.