Those ugly black streaks and/or green stuff growing on your roof are not only an eyesore that detracts from the beauty of your home, they are also feeding off of the limestone in your shingles. The black streaks staining the roof are actually a bacteria called Gleocapsa Magma. Moss and Lichens can be present as well, but only show up after the fungal growth has started.
While these growths were originally present only in the southeast, they have spread throughout the northeast and to the west coast in recent years and are a common site in many regions. You will mainly see these organisms grow on the north and west side of the roof because of the warm, moist environment that a roof creates and due to the lower levels of sunlight on these sides.
The good news is that advances in cleaning techniques in recent years have been developed that will safely remove these microorganisms. Soft wash systems are now being used with environmentally safe chemicals. Paul Guglielmi from Window Genie of South Jersey, http://South-Jersey.WindowGenie.com , states “We have invested in the equipment and training to professionally remove these stains. The service is relatively inexpensive when you consider the cost of a new roof and that a typical 20 year shingle may only last 10 years and a 50 year shingle 25 years with bacteria infestation.”
Please contact Window Genie at 609.600.1894 for more information on Roof Washing, Power Washing, and Window Cleaning. Excerpts for this article were used from “The Science & Technology of SoftWash Roof Cleaning” by AC Lockyer.
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