Getting Algae Off Roof

You might think that pressure washing is the best way to remove algae.

Getting algae off roof.

You should never use home remedies or store bought chemical products to clean algae. Fungus which also travels through the air can combine with algae already present on your roof and form into lichen. Roof algae fungus mildew moss and mold could ultimately hurt your health. For it to be effective two to four inches of the metal needs to remain visible on the roof.

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. However the force of the water can cause your shingles to lose their protective granules. You can try brushing off algae and moss with a brush or broom with medium stiff bristles but don t scrub too hard. If algae turn into a mold or mildew problem your family could be breathing in dangerous bacteria while spending time in your home or yard.

Pressure washing can even tear shingles off your roof. To be effective 2 4 of metal should be visible on the roof. If accumulations of algae or moss are heavy at least some of it should wash off the roof surface right away with the stream from the hose. Hose off and brush all moss loose from your roof shingles.

To remove roof algae a solution of oxygen bleach can be applied to the roof shingles and then rinsed off. If you want to make sure algae doesn t come back after you have cleaned your roof then install a strip of zinc or copper coated sheet metal on each side of your roof just under the ridge. It takes special care to clean algae roof stains and moss off the roof. It takes the right amount of water pressure and often the addition of professional grade cleaning solutions to truly remove algae and moss from the roof and siding of your home.

Carefully place a ladder near the area of moss growth and don slip resistant shoes old clothes rubber gloves and eye. This lichen feeds off both the algae and the shingle filler. That way whenever it rains some of the metal molecules will wash down the roof and kill any algae trying to regain a foothold on your shingles. This is important in order to not harm the roofing and siding materials.

Lastly but more importantly roof algae can damage health. Some homeowners also try to get rid of algae by using bleach. Thousands of roof on homes and other buildings suffer from black streaks. To keep the algae from coming back insert 6 inch wide strips of zinc or copper under the row of shingling closest to the roof peak leaving an inch or two of the lower edge exposed to the weather.

The sooner you deal with roof algae the better for your health and safety. You don t want to separate the mineral granules from the shingles. The roof algae is doesn t harm the shingles but looks bad.