If you are living in an area that is humid most of the year then you must have definitely seen dark streaks on your asphalt shingle roofs. The stains make the entire house look old and majorly decrease the resale value of the house. The algae however do not physically harm the roof but it also cannot be said that the damage is not done at all because the appearance of the home is negatively impacted. Today, we will be telling you about how to remove and prevent black algae stains on roofs that are asphalt shingle.
Algae resistant shingles
As the problem that we have mentioned above became more and more common, manufactures have come up with an innovation that provided us with new types of roofing that is anti-algae. This particular roof is designed in a way that prevents the accumulation of algae and you must definitely invest in them if you live in a humid area.
Chemical cleaning
If you are not looking to buy new types of roof and replace your existing ones, then the best option left for you is to clean the algae from the roof and the best solution for getting rid of algae stains is a mix of oxygen bleach and chlorine bleach. However, we might warn you that occasionally cleaning your roof using these hard chemicals is alright but if you use them regularly there could be high damages to your roof as it can reduce the life of asphalt shingles.
In order to get this solution, you can go to the market because there are tons of such products available. The entire process is very easy but keep in mind that the chemical that you use must be compatible with the type of roof you have. In order to clean your roof using this method you will need the following things:
- Ladder
- Slip-resistant shoes
- Old clothes
- Safety rope
- Rubber gloves
- Safety goggles or glasses
- Garden hose with the spray nozzle
- Pump sprayer cleaner
The things mentioned above are necessary to make sure the entire process of cleaning algae from your roof is done effectively and without harming anyone.
Safety
During this process of removing algae stains from your asphalt shingles roof, you need to be sure that you do not take any such risk that can be very harmful to you. It is no brainer that working on a roof can be very dangerous if you are not used to working at high altitude locations. The things that we have mentioned above should be used very carefully as any irresponsible act can prove deadly.
Using the chemical solution can be a very good option for removing algae but you have to keep in mind that it can also kill other plants that might come in contact with it. So, make sure to wet down any plants or grass before and after applying bleach.
Cleaning
After you have taken care of all the safety precautions and are ready to start the process of cleaning your room and removing all the algae stains, it is time to begin. Although a sunny day is not harmful we highly recommend you that you choose a day which is cloudier because on a sunny day the chemical that you will use will evaporate out quickly and will not be able to do its work efficiently.
Also, before using any kind of substance on your roof if possible, you can contact the manufacturer of your shingles and ask them about the safety of using those chemicals on the roof so that you do not spoil the surface entirely. The basic formula for cleaning the roof using bleach is very easy but it can also vary from one person to another. The most common formula for that is:
- 1-gallon water
- 1-quart bleach that contains 6% sodium hypochlorite
- 1/4 cup of tsp trisodium phosphate.
Keep in mind that it is not recommended to use a cleaner that contains ammonia as it is not suitable to mix that with bleach. In the place of TSP, you can use other heavy-duty clear as well.
After you have gathered all the necessary ingredients, it is now time to pour all of them into a pump type garden sprayer. After pouring you need to mix the solution well and start spraying the roof. After you have covered the entire roof with the solution, it is time to let the solution do its work for at least 15 minutes before rinsing the solution of using a hose.
Prevention
After cleaning your roof and getting rid of algae stains from your asphalt shingle, one might wonder how to make sure that such algae never comes back on your roof again well there are a few things that you can do to make sure that you do not have to do to the entire thing again. We highly recommend you to install a strip of zinc or copper-coated sheet metal along the sides of the roof just below the ridge.
You can use copper as it will be more effective but it can also be expensive but on the other hand you can use galvanized sheet metal which is suitably effective and much less expensive Both of them are available in rolls of different thicknesses and bits. You can decide between buying them from your local supplier or buying them online depending upon the prices offered and your convenience.
Specific zinc strips are also available in the market that is made specifically to eliminate roof algae and you can also give them a chance. These are available at Z-Stop. You can use roofing nails or screws along with a rubber washer to make sure that the narrow strips of the sheet metal are directly attached to your roof.
