Property Management Directory

Roof Cleaning 101: What you Need To Know About Your Roof

By James Vinson of Exclusive Home Services

Don’t know if your roof needs to be replaced? In most cases not. Your roof is permanent. Algae discoloration is not! You can make your roof look good again at a fraction of the cost to replace it.

What Are The Black Streaks On My Roof?
Unsightly black stains or streaks on asphalt shingles are caused by a hardy type of algae called Gloeocapsa Magma. The algae feeds on the crushed limestone that is used in asphalt shingles. Rain spreads the algae down the roof causing the black streaks. These streaks are not only unsightly but cause the shingles to fail prematurely by not allowing the shingles to reflect heat properly.

50% Of Roofs Are Replaced Due To The Way They Look.

This is not because of their functionality. Half of the roofs ever replaced in the Midwest didn’t need replaced, only cleaned. Just as mold and mildew can grow on your vinyl siding, wind blown algae can land and grow on your roof. Replacing your roof because of this algae is like replacing your siding instead of having it cleaned; it just doesn’t make sense.

Some roofing contractors don’t know what these black streaks are.

They’ll say it’s the asphalt showing through the shingles or that it’s water stains. Some contractors may know it’s algae but tell you it can’t be cleaned without damaging the shingles. In either case, they may tell you that the roof needs replaced. This is not true if your shingles are still in good shape. The algae can be killed and removed properly without damaging the shingles using a low pressure chemical application (recommended by shingle manufacturers).

Never use a pressure washer on an asphalt shingle roof! 

Doing so will blow granules off the shingles and lessen the longevity of your roof. This will also void your roof warranty!

Roof Cleaning Is Recommended By Shingle Manufacturers.

Companies like Owens Corning and GAF, and also the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association recommend a low pressure chemical application using certain cleaners to restore shingles suffering from roof algae, followed by a low pressure rinse. In our business we use the cleaners and methods recommended by these companies for a safe and damage-free roof cleaning. If your shingles are still in good shape but have roof algae on them, having your roof cleansed will allow you to get the full life out of your shingles, saving you thousands of dollars.

10 Reasons Recommended For Your Roof To Be Cleaned:

1. Immediate Improvement of your roof appearance.
2. Immediate Improvement and extension of your roofs shelf life. (+ 5 to 10 years)
3. Immediate improvement of your property value.
4. Reduction in utility usage.
5. Increased health value of your home. Roof algae has a negative effect to air quality.
6. 50% of all roofs are replaced just because of the way they look.
7. Your roof may still hold its functionality and not need to be replaced.
8. Roof Algae will eventually destroy your roof and cause premature replacement.
9. Having your roof professionally treated and cleaned is less expensive compared to $7000 to  $10,000 in cost to replace your roof.

• In most cases your roof structures is just fine and only looks ugly because of black roof algae stains; most roofs can be cleaned for under $400.00 dollars!

10. Why spend money to replace your roof when it may only need to be cleaned?

If you are unsure about the status of your roof, get a good roofing company to evaluate it for you. A good one will not clean shingles that need replaced, because cleaning the roof won’t solve the problem if the roof shingles are too far past the point of saving. On the other hand, if you call a roofing contractor you may not get the whole truth, and may be persuaded into replacing your roof prematurely.

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