The roof is more often than not the first thing anyone sees as they approach your home and this gives them the first impression; some roofs are dirty and full of dark ugly stains and for many homeowners, this is normally the first sign to them that it is time to replace the entire roof. However, most of those black ugly stains, moss and lichens that you see on the roof are from algae that actually feeds on the shingles. The alga feeds off the filler that is used in the manufacture especially of asphalt shingles. Before thinking about budgeting for expensive roof replacement, you may want to consider a roof pressure wash.
Roof staining almost always begins on the north facing side of the home before it finally spreads to other areas on the roof; the reason it starts from the north side is because of its limited exposure to sunlight. The streaks you see are as a result of rain spreading the algae in the patterns that rain water runs on your roof; those black streaks are actually the beginning of algae infestation. When you fail to do roof cleaning to remove the black streaks they will finally turn to lichen spots. The lichen will then grow and once their root system gets attached to the shingles they will begin to damage their integrity. If up to this point you haven’t done a roof pressure wash the lichen will grow into moss. Once the moss is present the shingles will start getting damage because of the presence of constant moisture and the growing root system.
Roof replacement may look like the only viable option when it gets to this point. However, there are low pressure roof cleaning methods that will ensure the roof shingles are cleaned thoroughly. The roof leaning contractors use environmentally friendly cleaning solutions that will kill the algae, moss and lichen and save your shingles from further damage. Those black streaks are usually the easiest and they will definitely come out during the initial roof cleaning process. Eventually, the lichen and moss will begin to break and will be washed off using water on low pressure.
No pressure roof cleaning methods are the only way that you should have your asphalt roof shingles cleaned. Using any amount of pressure has the capacity to remove the granules and therefore damage the shingles; the granules protect the integrity of the shingles and help to prolong their lifespan. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association only recommends this soft wash roof cleaning method. Last but not least, you have to ensure that you get a trained roof cleaning technician who knows the business well so you can truly avoid replacing the dirty roof.
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