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How to Prevent Algae Growth on Your Roof

When you live in a climate that’s prone to high humidity you’ll probably have to deal with mold and algae on your roof at some point. Algae, mold, and moss grow well on rooftops because there’s often some standing water on the roof.

Add the high humidity and sunlight to that standing water and you have the ideal growth conditions for mold and algae. The tiny spores of bacteria that grow into algae, mold, and moss are blown onto the roof from nearby trees or carried by the wind through the air from plants and bushes on the ground up to your rooftop.

If you have noticed black spots or streaks on your roof you’ve got algae on your roof. Algae growth won’t cause any structural problems to your roof but it looks ugly and it can damage the shingles over time.

The best way to get rid of algae once it’s taken hold on your roof is to have a professional roof cleaning team come with a low-pressure washer and cleaner that will kill the algae and mold but not hurt the plants and grasses around your home.

Some people use bleach to try and kill the algae on the roof, but then that bleach washes down onto the trees, plants, and grass around your home. It can kill the greenery around the house and make your pets or kids sick. It’s much safer to have a professional team clean your roof.

If you want to avoid having to go through the roof cleaning process and would rather prevent that algae growth from the start there are some things that you can do to prevent the growth of the algae on your roof like:

Trim The Trees

A good way to eliminate the algae growth on your roof is to limit the number of trees around your roof or trim back the trees that are closest to the house. The primary way for bacteria to get on the roof is transferred from trees so getting rid of the trees or trimming the trees that are closest to the house will cut down on the bacteria that end up getting on the roof.

Make sure that you trim the bushes near the home also. You can also change your mulch to help cut down on algae and mold because some types of mulch put off bacteria spores that can be deposited on the roof by the wind.

Eliminate Standing Water

Another way to make sure that algae can’t grow on your roof is to get rid of any standing water that sits on the roof. When it rains or when the snow melts there’s not much that you can do to prevent the roof from getting wet.

But fixing the shingles, cleaning the gutters, and doing other small repairs can ensure that there are no puddles of standing water on the roof after the rain or when the snow melts. If there is no standing water on the roof, the algae won’t be able to grow and your roof will be safe from mold and algae.

Get Your Roof Washed Regularly

No matter how diligent you are, there will always be some bacteria that will manage to get on the roof. Getting your roof professionally cleaned at least once a year will help keep that bacteria under control and get rid of it so that it doesn’t become a breeding ground for algae. Experts recommend that you get your roof washed at least once a year.

Get A New Algae Resistant Roof

If your roof is in bad shape and you have been thinking of replacing it any way you can install a new roof that is algae, mold, and bacteria resistant by replacing your current shingles with metal infused shingles.

When the bacteria that causes algae growth comes into contact with certain types of metal, like copper, the metal kills it. So replacing your roof with copper infused shingles will prevent the growth of algae on the roof naturally without any tricks or chemicals.

Another thing that you can do to harness the power of updated shingles over algae is to install copper or zinc strips to certain parts of your roof. When you have a strip of copper or zinc installed properly the water from rain or melting snow will run over the metal and deposit some of it over the roof which will prevent the growth of mold, bacteria and algae.

No homeowner wants to have those ugly and sometimes slimy looking streaks of black algae on their roof but if you get regular roof cleanings and take other preventative steps your roof will be resistant to that algae.

Prevent Roof Algae Growth with New Shingles

There comes a point where a new roof is a necessity. However, not all roofing companies offer the same service and quality products. On the other hand, Feldco Roofing is the primary choice for many residents and communities in the Midwest.

We simply offer the highest quality asphalt shingles that are 100% algae resistant. Everything from triple layer protection to breakthrough design, your next roof will be protected from algae once you replace it with Feldco. Speak to a product specialist and get a free quote online today.

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