07/10/2021
Although these dark spots and ugly black
streaks on your roof may look like dirt,
mildew, soot or mold, what they really are
is algae. The most common type is
known as gloeocapsa magma—also known as blue green algae. Why does this algae appear to be black? Gloeocapsa has the ability to form a protective darkly pigmented outer coating that shields the algae from damaging UV rays. This is what makes those unattractive black streaks on your roof! Gutters draining directly onto the roof and overhanging trees are also contributing factors for roof algae. A shady or damp surface also prevents the sun from drying the roof quickly, encouraging stuff to grow.
Roof algae is not harmful or dangerous in itself, but after a period of time, the algae can cause the protective UV granules that cover roofing shingles to begin to come off, eventually drying them out causing the shingle to degrade prematurely. Fungus—which travels through the air—can combine with algae already present on your roof and form into lichen. This lichen feeds off both the algae and the shingle filler. Unlike algae, lichen can develop roots, which makes it harder to remove than algae alone.
Roof algae can be easily removed by a simple roof treatment. Our roof treatment is a custom mix of SH (Sodium Hypochlorite) and surfactant depending on the severity of the algae and pitch of the roof. The SH kills the algae and the surfactant has a light cleaning agent and help it cling to the roof. We call it a "treatment" because we do not rinse the mix off. We let nature do the work. You will see instant results from the treatment killing the algae and letting the color of the roof be seen again. And with each rain the better it gets. We will come back after the second rain if all of the algae is not gone, just let us know.
Most roofs will come clean with the roof treatment. If the algae has mix with fungus and turned into lichens. We may need to return to help nature remove what is left due to the roots they develop. The roof treatment is not intended to remove rust stains or any other stains that are not caused by biological factors. Don't worry we can set down and find the best solution for the results you are looking for.