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Roof cleaning can seem an arduous task, but it’s a hugely important part of roof maintenance. Keeping your roof clean is perhaps the best preventive measure against expensive repairs or even premature replacement of your roofing. While it’s common knowledge that roofs don’t last forever, there are steps you can take to extend the lifespan of your roof.
So how often should you clean your roof? Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer. When to clean and how often depends on various factors:
- Weather conditions in your area
- The condition of your roof after inspection
- How often debris collects on your roof due to the surrounding trees
- The type of roof you have
- That means you have to regularly inspect your roof to identify any problems, like moss growth, dark spots, or accumulation of debris, so that you can get rid of them as early as possible to avoid gradual roof damage.
Summer months offer ample time to clean your roof when there is more sunlight and a dry surface to walk on, reducing safety hazards. In areas that experience extreme weather, roof cleaning will have to be done at any time of the year, probably by a professional.
Why You Should Clean Your Roof
Whether you have a concrete tile, asphalt shingle, clay tile, or membrane roof, there are various reasons why you should clean your roof.
Get Rid of Algae and Moss
Algae and moss are perhaps the greatest threat to any roof if not taken care of. They can both start growing on a brand new roof in as little as one year when conditions are right. In the early stages, algae growth in roofs is invisible. With time, it eats through your shingles and into your roof deck, eventually causing wood rot. With wood rot, moisture finds its way through cracks and creates an environment that promotes mold growth, which poses a serious health risk to people and pets in homes. If you see any stains on your roof, don’t ignore them. That’s why professionals recommend you have a roof inspection at least every one or two years to identify such issues and have your roof cleaned.
What is Algae?
The black “stains” on your roof are actually large colonies of airborne algae called Gloeocapsa Magma (Cyanobacteria). They affix themselves and eat away at the limestone filler found in shingles. As they eat and grow, they readily reproduce into more algae. Eventually billions of individual alga cover the entire roof surface; destruction to your roof system will gradually occur over time, potentially leading to premature replacement of your roof. You may also hear the term Lichens which are complex organisms formed by a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and an algae.
Whereas algae normally grow only in aquatic or extremely moist environments, lichens can potentially be found on almost any surface (especially rocks) or as epiphytes (meaning that they grow on other plants). Green growth on your roof is either moss or lichen which can destroy your shingles as they reduce the life of your roof. As wind, rain and snow will not dislodge them. Lichen is an organism that evolves from the algae having a symbiotic relationship. Algae is a type of aquatic plant without stems or roots. Like other types of plants, algae grows through a photosynthesis process. It needs sunlight and CO2 to survive. Nearly all algae variations are self-sustaining and create their own food from sunlight and CO2, except for one type of species. This type of algae is what you will find on roofs, otherwise.
Airborne algae causes the BLACK STREAKS on your roof. Air currents carry these spores to your roof and are called Gloeocapsa Magma. They eat away at the limestone filler found in shingles and reproduce into more algae which causes destruction to your roof system potentially leading to premature replacement of your roof.
What Does Algae Look Like?
Some of the most common ways you’ll find algae on a roof includes black streaks and white patches. While they might look different from one another, they are both indeed algae and are damaging to your roof. However, you can see algae in other colors. There is blue-green algae, red algae, brown algae, and green algae. Blue-green is the most common for roofs.
What Causes Algae to Grow on Your Roof?
Algae grows on your roof for several reasons. These reasons include:
- Warm temperatures
- Rising humidity levels
- Roof shingles that use limestone as a filler
Is Algae Dangerous To Your Roof?
Yes, algae can cause irreversible damage to your roof over time. That’s because the algae are eating away at your shingles so it can survive. If left untreated both will eat away at your roof granules and will permanently “scar” your shingle surface.
Furthermore, algae are deemed dangerous for roofs as well as gutters for other reasons such as:
- Holding moisture which collects on the shingles which can promote premature rotting
- Granule loss causes the shingle to break down
- When the shingle breaks down, the bond between the shingle and the roof can detach which results in shingle loss
- The granule loss can eventually pile up in your gutters and cause clogs
- Clogged gutters lead to extensive foundational problems, including cracks, pooling water, and flooded basements.
How to Prevent Algae on Roof
The good news is that Gloeocapsa magma is both treatable and, if you plan ahead, preventable.How do you make sure algae won’t grow on your roof? There are several ways that you can prevent this from happening. Choose roofing shingles that contain copper granules.
Regular roof maintenance can also help discourage algae growth:
- Trim tree branches back to allow more sunshine and reduce debris.
- Clear existing debris from the roof with a leaf blower or other non-abrasive method.
- Keep gutters clean to avoid water build up.