With all the boxes you might check when going over your exterior cleaning and maintenance, you may have forgotten to list one! While we hear about having your roof inspected and making sure there are no leaks, we hear a lot less about reasons to keep your roof clean. Some of you might even scratch your heads at this moment, “the roof needs to be cleaned?” Yes, it does, and not just for appearance’s sake, but for its longevity.
Types of Roof Problems for Cleaners
In order to grapple with the working methods to keep your roof clean, we must go into the what factor. This answer is multi-layered and can be answered in many ways. Your roof issues will depend on several things, from the type of roof material to the humidity level in the area. We’ll go over the most common issues for South Carolina residents.
- Moss – You might think it looks really cool, but it can really destroy your roof as easily as it grows. It is not actually a fungus growth, but a plant. Its shallow root system survives in areas with a lot of moisture and less sunlight. If you are in a very humid area that is shady, expect to battle with moss.
Moss will cause the edges of your shingles to curl and lift. When this happens, it might be time for a roof replacement. In the wintertime, the moisture within the moss will freeze and cause even more damage.
- Algae – When you see black streaks running down the roof shingles, this is most likely algae. It’s a bacterium that feeds off limestone and asphalt roofing in humid, shady, cool areas. Sometimes it can appear blue-green in faint lighting. Algae spores are carried by the wind and transferred from rooftop to rooftop. When one house in an area has it, it’s likely that it’s not the only one.
The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association reports that roofs with algae stains have the tendency to absorb more heat. This will not only raise the temperature of your home, but also bake your shingles.
- Lichens – They are a mold combination of fungus and algae that have a symbiotic relationship with algae. They appear as plant-like growth that branches into your shingles. Liches are often are looking for that oil base deep down within. They are one of the toughest elements to battle and reappear with high levels of rain and humidity. If you have ever seen pock marks in shingles, lichens are the likely culprit.
Preventing Future Roof Damage
We’ll state the obvious, of course cleaning your roof, but there are some other things you can do to spare your roof from future harm.
- Tree Trimming – While shade is nice, sunshine might actually be a help. The warmth can help dry up moist conditions, which make it harder for harmful elements to grow. Also, trees that hang over your roof and constantly leave debris just feed the damaging growth.
- Clearing Debris – Besides a roof inspection twice a year, you’ll also want to just go up and clear your roof off. Branches and bark are actually food sources of moss! If left on your roof, they could cause some alarming affects you didn’t expect next time you take a look.
- Clean the Gutters – When your gutters are full there is nowhere to go for debris but your roof. And we know what happens to debris left on the roof! Make sure your gutters are clear and well working.
Need to keep your roof clean?
Do you have moldy black streaks forming on your roof? Is it getting out of control and turning your entire roof black? We have mastered the process of effectively removing these stubborn streaks by using a low-pressure process that gently applies a cleaning formula to properly remove and kill the spores of this algae, giving your roof that fresh new look it once had! We are experts and strive to keep your roof clean!
Best of all, So Clean Offers a 5-year spot free warranty with all of our roof cleanings! Contact us today to book!
