While it may not actually cause harm to your home, moss, mold, and algae certainly don’t improve a house’s appearance. These growths can be a major pain, especially when it comes to trying to sell your house. If you’re not in the market for a complete roof replacement, it can require hard work to get rid of. We at Brava Roof Tile offer a few helpful tips to fight off the encroaching flora and keep it from coming back. The first thing to identify is what species you’re actually dealing with. The most common form of growth in the US is Gloeocapsa magma, which is a type of algae that thrives in particularly humid environments. It usually shows up as a black discoloration across your roof shingles. We will focus our combative techniques on this particular species, as it’s the most prevalent, but these tips will be transferable to most other growths as well.
Get Professional Advice
If you are lucky enough to know the name of manufacturer or roofing provider, do not hesitate to give them a call; they will be happy to give specific tips and advice tailored to your home. This is an invaluable resource that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Be Safe
Cleaning a roof can be incredibly dangerous, and you want to make sure you have the right equipment to undertake the job. Wear slip-resistant shoes at all times. If possible, you will want to use a safety harness and rope, particularly on steeper roofs.
Protect Your Roof; Don’t Damage It
Do not use a pressure washer! While it will strip the growth right off, it will also wear down and reduce the lifespan of the shingling underneath. In the short term it’s a great fix, but in the long run, you will cost yourself a lot more when you have to replace the entire roof sooner than you otherwise would.
Don’t Throw the Baby Out With the Bathwater
If you will be using a plant toxic solution to eliminate the unwanted growth on your roof, consider that roofs are designed to let liquids flow off of them. With this in mind, you will want to protect the rest of your garden from accidental overflow. Before you start, simply spray your garden plants down with water, as this will give them a protective layer. If you have particularly green thumbs and precious plant friends, cover them with a plastic sheet or something similar while you are cleaning the roof.
Use Basic Chemistry
The most cost-effective way to treat your roof is to spray-wash it with a 50/50 mix of bleach and water. You can buy pre-made solutions, but it’s much cheaper to mix it yourself.
Protect Against Regrowth
If you look around your neighborhood, you might notice spots that are algae-free on the roofs of otherwise blackened shingles. This will usually occur under chimneys or metal flashing and is because metal, particularly copper, is toxic to the algae and mosses that frequent roof shingling. An easy fix to keep these growths away is to install copper strips along the top ridge of your roof. Whenever it rains, water will spill down the roof, providing an algae resistant coating. Now sit back in your garden and enjoy the gleam of your newly-cleaned roof. If you are interested in a roof that is virtually maintenance free, check out our roofing products!
