If you look closely, you may be able to make out some black spots, moss, lichen, or maybe some other kind of fungus on your roof. The next logical question is, “How do I clean it?”
The problem is probably shared by many other rooftops in your area, so you shouldn’t feel alone in noticing it. Assuming you’ve done your homework, you know that this is a nationwide issue that affects communities of every size and in every state.
Inquiring minds want to know: what is it?
A type of black algae, which is a living organism, is responsible for the black stains you observe; it is sucking the lifeblood out of your roof. Because direct sunlight dries up your roof and kills the spore and because direct sunlight causes heat, it can only thrive on north-facing rooftops or heavily shaded areas of your roof. On the shaded and north-facing sides of your roof, things are quite the opposite. All types of fungi, including mosses, algae, and lichen, require air, food, and water to exist. Food comes from the shingle’s contents; if you have wood shingles, the wood itself is the food supply; if you have asphalt shingles, the limestone that is employe as a thickening agent is the food source.
Will it cause damage to my roof? Moss may eat through two layers of shingles and into the wood underlayment, whereas black algae is a surface feeder that only consumes the shingle grains as it spreads across the roof. Look at the gutter on the affected side of your home; I bet you’ll find shingle particles that have been blown off the roof. If you’re 40 years old and have shingles, your life expectancy could be cut in half or even lower.
So, what can I do about this?
There are three options here: DIY cleaning, hiring a professional Render Cleaning Manchester, or getting a new roof altogether. All right, let’s have a look at these three possibilities.
Throw it out and get a new one if you can afford to. Even if the newest shingles on the market are resistant to algae, I have some bad news: they are still not worth buying. Check the terms of service. Algae only become detectable from the ground after the guarantee period has expired, therefore on average they only last ten years. Buy yourself ten years of peace of mind and a spotless roof if you can afford it.
Good idea to hire a roof render cleaning service, but who should you hire?
Roof cleaners and pressure washers exist; look for them in the yellow pages under those headings. Knowing what to look for in a roof render cleaning service is crucial. 1. sources Roof cleaning is not typically cover by a general liability insurance policy for painters, carpenters, or other construction workers. 3) Find out what they use to clean the roof; there are many chemicals on the market that will clean a roof, but if they are chemically heavy, they will dry out the roof shingle to the point that shingle parts will fly flying a few months later on a windy day.
They should use something “environmentally safe,” not just “bio-degradable,” which only indicates that it will disappear in time;” there are biodegradable plastics available, but you wouldn’t want them laying on your lawn for the next 20 years, would you? Make sure it won’t harm the planet before you buy it. 4. portfolio, including before and after images of tasks they have completed; 5. drive by one of the homes to check sure they didn’t merely download pictures off the internet. Have they obtained the proper licencing to perform such work on homes? They need to. Don’t do business with them if they can’t give you those five items.
Be careful if you decide to clean it yourself, because it can be very hazardous!
But if you fancy yourself a “handyman,” it’s not impossible, and it’s definitely the cheapest option. The key is to purchase an item that is specifically made for External Render Cleaning; bleach is a recipe for disaster and should be avoided at all costs. Don’t believe the hype that says “simply spray it on and nature will clean it”; it might work, but it will take years to get clean and you’ll have to keep spraying it. No, there is only one way to remove roof fungus: climb up onto the roof, secure it along the bottom so you don’t fall off (even if the roof is walkable), spray the product on using a “garden style” sprayer, scrub the affected area with a medium bristle scrub brush while keeping the area moist, and then rinse it off with a standard garden hose. The roof may only look 80 percent clean after this process, but the loose, dead fungus will be was
Recommendations
If you’ve just cleaned, had cleaned, or replaced your roof, I have one last recommendation. If you want to prevent mould and mildew from forming on your roof, you should install a strip of zinc flashing along the ridge. Looking around any metal object on your roof, pipes, copula, or chimney, you should see a clean area proving that zinc works.
The process is straightforward: whenever it rains, the metal’s ions wash away and coat the roof below, where they prevent the growth of vegetation. You may be aware that zinc is usees on boat bottoms and around boat props to prevent algae growth since zinc has the best run-off of all metals and is the most cost-efficient. It is recommend that the zinc be at least 3 1/2 inches broad, as the run-off coverage area of zinc is approximately 10 feet for every inch of zinc’s width. Throughout its existence, the zinc will continue to actively release ions.
