Question: How To Clean Shingle Roof
Dont: Use a pressure washer, which can loosen shingles and seriously damage your roof. Do: Use a sprayer attached to garden hose thats filled with equal parts chlorine bleach and water. of laundry strength liquid chlorine bleach and water. This is the best way to clean a roof if you have asphalt shingles.
Two Common Types Of Algae On Your Roof
Fire Moss – Fire Moss is less common than the Gloeocapsa Magma below but is still very prevalent on many roof substrates, from cedar shake to asphalt shingles, it loves to latch on and reproduce. When fire moss gets out of hand, it will push up your shingles allowing water to get underneath and severely degrading your roof.
Gloeocapsa Magma – This is the old “black streak on my roof” culprit. It is most common on Asphalt shingles and can is a spore based algae, it lives on the limestone in your shingles. When it feeds it degrades the limestone and eventually if left untreated, will take over the whole roof making it look all black when that is not the color of the shingle itself, that is in fact the algae growing on the shingle.
Trust My Guy Services To Clean Your Roof Properly
As soon as you notice black streaks on your roof, you should have your roof professionally cleaned. At My Guy Services, we recommend a treatment called soft washing to clean dirty roof shingles. Soft washing is a cleaning process that combines a unique cleaning solution such as sodium hypochlorite and copper sulfate with low-pressure washing techniques.
My Guy Services offers expert cleaning services from a team of educated and experienced workers that knows the best techniques to clean your homes exterior. Call us today at or fill out our contact form for a free quote.
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How To Remove And Prevent Black Algae Stains On Asphalt Shingle Roofs
If you live in a humid area of the country, youve probably seen unsightly dark streaks on asphalt shingle roofs. Though often attributed to an accumulation of dirt, defective shingles, mold, or mildew the most common culprit is actually a blue-green algae known as Gloeocapsa Magma that is spread by airborne spores.
While algae growth does little harm to roofing, the stains dont help the overall appearance or resale value of your home.
You may also have noticed that algae stains are absent directly below the metal flashing around chimneys or roof vents. This is due to fact that copper and the zinc coating on galvanized sheet metal are toxic to algae. Every time it rains, trace amounts of metals are washed down the roof, inhibiting algae growth.
Most Common Types Of Organic Growth On Your Metal Roof
Roof bacteria can reveal itself in many different forms and appearances. You may think you have mold growing on your metal roof, but it really could be moss, mildew, algae, lichen, or Gloeocapsa Magma. Metal roofs typically turn black with a greenish tint to it when they are saturated with organic growth. Organic growth can also grow on wood, asphalt shingles, concrete, slate tiles, Spanish tiles, and many other substrates especially if the sunlight is not so good in that area.
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Will Bleach Damage Asphalt Shingles
If applied with an appropriate water-bleach ratio, then bleach will definitely not damage your asphalt shingles. Spray a solution of 50% Bleach and 50% Water all over the roof. By the time youre done spraying down the roof, you can start softwashing immediately, this doesnt take long for the bleach to work.
In Conclusion: Roof Cleaning Is Effective
Hiring a professional roof cleaning company may be the way to go if you have an unwalkable roof. Theyre going to have all of the proper equipment and will protect your landscape along with reducing liability because their pumps can shoot high enough that they do not need to climb on the roof to clean it. All in all, roof cleaning can lengthen the life of your roof, as the algae is currently eating the limestone in the shingles and the coating on your metal roof reducing the life of the shingles or metal roof dramatically making them brittle after deterioration. Roof Cleaning can kill the algae at the spore level and a proper roof cleaning should last at least 3 years, unless your home sits under mass amounts of canopy and has a lot of vegetation dropping on it year round or problems with drainage on the roof .
Have your roof cleaned to extend the life of your investment, we all know it wasnt cheap.
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How To Clean A Metal Roof
How to clean a metal roof like a PRO!
By Roof Cleaning Pro – Pierce Parker of
Cleaning a metal roof can be a very tedious and lengthy process depending on which way you decide to go about it. There are many types of metal roofing types, coatings to work with, and variables involved on every job. Every metal roof cleaning evolution is different with no two being the same ever!
How To Apply Wet & Forget Hose End
Eliminating black algae with Wet & Forget Hose End couldnt be easier. Simply:
Be very careful walking on your roof surfaces may be slippery. If you dont feel safe on your roof, call a professional.
Try Wet & Forget Outdoor today and love your roof again! Stop by our website to learn more about our easy solutions to everyday problems, so you can spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying life!
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How Do We Combat Black Streaks
Knowing what we now know, some simple thoughts come to mind. Prevention is a good place to begin. One way to help prevent streaks is to catch them before they happen using gutters. Yes RV and some marine applications can benefit from using simple plastic gutters attached to the top of a vertical surface. You will need to remember that even these gutters need to be cleaned from time to time.
Next, how about a cover? If a cover can be made and used effectively then it is a good idea. Many people scoff at a cover because of cost or the challenge of use. The simple truth is in the math. A cover can average in cost from $1.00 $3.00 per day and while it does take some time and effort to use, the payback is phenomenal. Think about it. Your arms and back are worth way more than $3.00 a day. So a cover works.
Alternatively, though far more costly, is a garage. While many people do not have the room, either on their property or in their wallets, for a garage, it too works to minimize Black Streaks. Keep in mind that all of the above do not prevent Black Streaks. They only serve to minimize the occurrence.
Now that you are aware of the, who, what, when, where, why, and how of Black Streaks you are well prepared to both tackle them and help prevent them. Do keep in mind that nothing will stop them altogether. Only regular and routine maintenance will make them manageable.
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Our Commitment To You
Erase Black Streaks With Wet & Forget
Wet & Forget Outdoor breaks you out of the cleaning cycle. Wet & Forget Outdoor eliminates black algae on your roof with no scrubbing, rinsing or pressure washing needed.
Just spray and leave! Wet & Forget Outdoor works with the wind and rain over time to completely wipe out black algae and keep it away for a year or more in most cases.
Wet & Forgets gentle, non-caustic formula is safe for all types of shingles, and it wont corrode your downspouts or harm your lawn with runoff.
Because it works with the rain, Wet & Forget Hose Ends cleaning power reaches the nooks and crannies of textured surfaces such as asphalt shingles much better than your scrub brush can for a more thorough clean, without the extra wear and tear that all that scrubbing puts on your shingles.
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Make Your Shingles Last Longer
Roof stains are a common roof problem. Black streaks on the north- and west-facing and shaded areas of your asphalt-shingled roof can really wreck the appearance of your home. The roof streaks look like mold, but theyre actually algae colonies that form in your shingles and feed on moisture and the limestone filler agents in the shingles.
Using shingles that have been treated with algicide keeps the growth at bay for about 10 years . But once the algicide wears off, your roof hosts an all-you-can-eat buffet for the neighborhood algae spores. So it pays to clean your shingles as soon as you spot algae growth.
How Do I Get Rid Of The Algae And Moss On My Roof
Any damage to your roof can be costly but we have great news! There is a simple and cost effective way you can remove that algae and moss growth. Roof Soft Washes are a great way to get your roof clean and reduce your concern of roof damage. Roof Cleaning from a Soft Wash company keeps your roof safe with little to no pressure and long lasting results. Those black streaks will be gone in a blink of a eye and the moss/lichen will be gone in 4-6 months. If your roof has grown the moss, the tiny root systems take a little bit longer to fall off. The roof soft wash will kill the roots but they often take months before they lift and release. You do not want to scrape the moss of your roof as that can cause more serious damage. Allow them some time to fall off. Contact Red Door Pro Wash to book your roof wash today! We offer a 7 year warranty to ensure that your roof is protected now and in the years to come. If youre planning to sell your house, you can let your buyers know that they are covered by the Red Door Pro Wash roof warranty.
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Where Do They Come From
We have learned that the process described previously tells us what a Black Streak is and when to expect them. What we need to know now is where they begin. As noted earlier, a Black Streak begins simply enough with the collection of dust and then moisture on a horizontal flat surface such as the roof of a boat or RV. They can also begin on something as small as the tiny flat surface on the top outside rim of a household gutter. Any flat surface can collect dust. So any attached vertical surface is subject to streaks. We can surmise that doing our best to keep the horizontal surface free from dust build up will help to minimize Black Streaks.
S To Brighten Gutters
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Concerned That Your Roof Has Been Damaged
If you are concerned about your roofs shingles being damaged or dried out by moss or age? Give our friend, Nick Roberge, a call at RoofMaxx.
Asphalt shingles contain small, sand-like pebbles that stick together when shingles natural oils are intact. Once those oils start to dry out with age, you may see the granules flaking off in your gutters or downspouts. You might also notice black stains and streaks or shingles cracking, breaking, and curling. Since each roof is different, your local dealer will perform a free inspection to tell if Roof Maxx can help you.
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Contact Long Home Products For A New Roof
If your algae growth has gotten out of hand or if youre looking to upgrade your roof with something thats better at preventing algae, Long Home Products is ready to help.
DIY roofing repairs, maintenance, and replacements might save you in the short term, but if you truly want your roof to last for a decade or more then experienced attention is beneficial. Contact us today to get all your roofing questions answered and schedule your roof replacement.
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Option One: Household Bleach
Algae stains can be removed with the mixture of household bleach and water. With this method, you spray wash the roof with a mixture of water and bleach to kill the bacteria. Pressure washers are not advised because of the damage they can do to the shingles. Before washing your roof, be sure to wet down any foundation plants with water. Rinsing everything around the houses foundation with water protects them from being affected by the bleach. Simply wash them down with clean water afterwards to prevent long-term effects. Applying a bleach or chlorine-based solution with gentler methods kills moderate algae, moss, and fungus growth almost instantly.
Cleaning An Asphalt Shingle Roof
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Is Soft Washing A Roof Safe
Soft washing is the only way to effectively remove this algae without damaging the shingles and voiding any warranty. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association recommends low-pressure bleach or detergent assisted washing as the preferred method for cleaning asphalt roofs in order to prevent damage to the shingles.
Roof Cleaning The Proper Way
Roof Cleaning has a few steps involved, the first and most important step is identifying what treatment is going to be needed to get the roof cleaned, with the least amount of collateral damage to the roof itself, and the landscaping if there is any. In this article we go through the entire process from start to finish, if you are going to have a professional clean your roof. This article is about how the pro is thinking when they walk the property, and about what methods they use in removing the harmful algae that is infesting so many roofs around the country.
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