Have you ever looked up at a roof and and noticed dark streaks? Often times those are caused by a biological growth, technically knownan Gleoecapsa Magma. Its technically a cyanobacteria that closely mimics an algae. Traditionally found around the eastern seaboard, it has been spreading across the nation over the past few years and can now even be found in some areas of California and even in some midwest areas.
The biological growth that is living on your roof is holding moisture up against the roofing material and slowly eating away at the substrate of the asphalt shingles. It’s also giving a “toe-hold” for other organisms to take root, such as moss, lichen, and even mold. Besides being an ugly cosmetic blemish, this growth may be diminishing the lifespan of your roof.
Additionally, roofs have a certain reflective quality and the growth up there could be making your electric bills higher than they should be! If leaves and debris are packing up in the valleys of the roof and laying across the shingles, this rotting vegetation can also be holding moisture and exacerbating very detrimental conditions for the longevity of that covering.
The great news is this “algae” which infests some roofs can be cleaned away for a fraction of the cost of a roof replacement and restore your shingle beauty and reflectivity to a like new condition! ARMA (the Asphalt Roofing Manufactures Association) has very specific cleaning guidelines and recommendation for dealing with this issue. The strength of the cleaning solution, methods for application, and even landscape concerns are all addressed in the ARMA guidelines.
Of course climate, temperature, moisture and even “luck of the draw” all have a significant role to play in whether a roof will ever need to be cleaned, but the good news is the most roofs CAN be cleaned, thereby postponing the need for a costly roof replacement.
If you ever have questions regarding roof cleaning, please feel free to contact www.spray-wash.com
Ray Burke
Spray Wash Exterior Cleaning, llc
We Mean Clean!
850-528-3226 Mobile & Text
850-320-6364 Office
www.spray-wash.com
