Posted by roofcoadmin February 2, 2018
Scientifically, the algae that grow on your stone roof shingles is what we call Gloeocapsa Magma which is caused by airborne spores. And, it is more prevalent in humid areas.
Although a few algae will not harm your roof, eventually it will grow and spread. It would lead to a roof that had eaten by algae. So, other than it’s not attractive it would also cause damage to the roof, in the long run.
On the other hand, the algae domination could be prevented, if given the proper actions.
Anti-algae Roof Shingles
Because of algae widespread domination, roof manufacturers created an algae resistant roof shingles. It started during the 60s. The exterior look of this roof is similar to regular shingles, but the interior composition is different.
One of the most sturdy anti-algae shingles has copper granules in it. The copper granules ensure the protection of the shingles.
Thus, installing anti-algae roof shingles is one of the best solutions for preventing them.
Clean Your Roof
If you already have installed shingles that are not algae resistant, you need to clean your roof whenever there is a black streak on it. Regular cleaning would prevent them spreading on the entire shingles. Fortunately, stone roof shingles last longer than the other types of shingles. Therefore, you only need to remove the black streaks to provide support for the good quality it has.
It’s recommended to clean when it’s cloudy because the chemical used for cleaning will evaporate if it’s too hot. And, before anything else, you have to prepare the cleaning material such as the following:
• Bleach solution
• Sprayer
• Gloves
• Ladder
• Water Hose (for rinsing)
• Materials you can use for your safety
To prevent damage to the shingles when cleaning, do not use sprayer or water hose that has too much water pressure.
Furthermore, you can start by spraying the bleach solution over the roof. Let the cleaning solution reside on the roof for 15 minutes. After that, rinse it off using the water hose.
When the roof is clean, you can add a copper where when it rains a tiny amount of it would fall to the entire shingles. This means that the number of copper falls will clean the shingles. Copper can help you prevent algae on your roof.
Moreover, always remember to be safe when cleaning the roof. You can use safety materials, such as roof and non-slippery shoes, to avoid an accident. You should not step on the wet parts and has bleach solution for it’s slippery. You may also want to wear gloves and safety glasses to avoid chemical contact that may cause a health problem.
Want To Be Safer?
To avoid unnecessary accidents, you can ask for cleaning service. Roofco provides quality services for those people in Winnipeg. Other than we install roof shingles and repair shingle damages, we also clean roofs that have any kinds of unwanted dirt or spores.
We have outstanding workers that can provide any roofing service for your home. So, don’t wait for the algae to dominate on your roof, give us a call now.