How To Clean Mold Off Of Roof Shingles

Mold stains can form on roof shingles that are in permanent shade.

How to clean mold off of roof shingles.

The black mold like stains and streaks that appear on roofs particularly light colored asphalt shingles is actually a blue green algae gloeocapsa magma. Not only is it unattractive it can actually shorten the life of your shingles so you really should get rid of it. Algae is a single celled organism while moss is not. Prevention makes stain cleaning much easier later on.

Moss those green feathery clumps you may see forming on the roof is a different type of plant and isn t the same thing as algae or mold. Mold won t form on a roof because it s allergic to sunlight and as soon as the ambient temperature surrounding the mold becomes dry the mold dies. Mold or mildew makes black ugly streaks on a roof. Using shingles that have been treated with algicide keeps the growth at bay for about 10 years thus the 10 year algae warranty.

Do it yourself and save big bucks. It should be picked up swept off or blown off regularly to avoid facilitating the growth. The debris including fallen branches and leaves provides a moist environment for moss and algae. These stains will discolor your roof and damage the shingles over a period of time if left alone.

A mixture of trisodium phosphate tsp bleach and water will also remove stains. Clean your roof regularly. Then use a long handled brush to scour the surface of the shingles and loosen stuck on mold while it s dry and brittle. Tackle the gutters too so that water drains freely.

How to clean mold off a roof. Extensive mold growth can also expose the interior of your attic or crawlspace to mold spores carrying the problem over to the inside not to worry though because you can clean the mold off with basic household bleach and save. So it pays to clean your shingles as soon as you spot algae growth. But once the algicide wears off your roof hosts an all you can eat buffet for the neighborhood algae spores.