Why Is My Roof Black

Roof algae gloeocapsa magma needs three criteria to grow.

Why is my roof black.

Be sure to have a friend or family member with you to ensure that you are safe while your climb up and work on your roof. Why are my shingles turning black. Black roofs pose health risk. A high pressure sprayer will absolutely damage your shingles.

The most common type is known as gloeocapsa magma also known as blue green algae. So do your fiberglass asphalt shingles have black streaks. As the blue green algae accumulate they develop a dark hardened outer coating which results in the black stains you see. How to get rid of the streaks.

In chicago s july 1995 heat wave a major risk factor in mortality was living on the top floor of a building with a black roof rosenfeld said. Today s blog entry addressed a frequently asked roofing question why is my roof black. What are those ugly black streaks on my roof. In order to remove the black streaking from your roof you will need several items.

A roofing contractor just tried to sell me a new roof for 10 700. Without the proper equipment and training things will not end well. Although these dark spots and ugly black streaks on your roof may look like dirt mildew soot or mold what they really are is algae. The algae feed on the limestone in shingles.

The worst part is that once one roof in the neighborhood has these black streaks the rest of the houses may get them too. They say that while shingle manufacturers offer products treated with copper or zinc to inhibit algae growth their effect wears down over time. While it might seem overwhelming the process of getting rid of these black streaks is easy. It can even stick to your clothes or pets.

My new owemins corning roof started turning black from original grey color 5 years ago. The shingles stains are a form of roof algae or lichen called gloeocapsa magma. Additionally a roof cleaning is not a do it yourself project. Roof is now 8 years old.

Roof experts tell our researchers that though other components are being added to shingles to hinder algae growth they still get calls to deal with black marks on relatively new roofs. For example black roofs pose a major health risk in cities that see high temperatures in the summer. The black streaks running down roofs are actually a hardy algae called gloeocapsa magma.