The Roof Cleaners of Pennsylvania are certified by The American Roof Cleaners Association and The Roof Cleaning Institute of America to informatively answer any questions about the harmful effects of black algae stains on your asphalt shingle roof.
Here are the main reasons as I see them:
- The build up of algae on a roof retains excessive moisture in the asphalt shingles. The moisture stays around long after the rest of the roof has dried. This excess moisture is harmful to your shingles over a long period of time. Shingles have a shorter life span when they are kept in an excessively moist environment. After a rain or frost in the morning, look at the section of the roof that has black algae stains/streaks on it and watch how long it take for that section to dry. Compare that section of roof to a neighbor's house. You will see that those shingles covered with gloeocapsa magma (better known as a blue/green algae) will often take several hours longer to dry than those shingles without black stains caused by algae.
- Asphalt shingles darkened by the presence of algae, moss or lichen will often create much hotter temperatures on the roof than similar clean shingles. For example, a neutral colored asphalt shingle roof may reach temperatures of 120 - 130 degrees in the summer time. The same algae infested roof may reach temperatures of 150 - 160 degrees on the same day. This extra heat that is retained in the shingles helps lead to premature shingle failure. The higher the average temperature of asphalt roof shingles, the shorter the average life span. Don't shorten the life expectancy of your homes most expensive investment.
- A second complication caused by excessive roof temperatures is the home's difficulty cooling the attic. Higher attic temperatures lead to higher cooling costs in the summer. There is a reason people routinely install attic fans to help reduce attic temperatures. The least efficient utility in your home is your air conditioning system. The hotter your attic is, the harder your air conditioning compressor has to work to cool the house off.
- Last but not least is simple curb appeal. People spend a lot of money every year to beautify the outside of their home. They spend money on lawn care, landscaping, mulching, leaf removal, painting and flowers. Why spend money on those things and still have a dirty, algae infested roof? The dark stains on your shingles really are an eye sore. They make your home look old and worn down. Most people think that you need a new roof when they see those black streaks. You roof is the largest visible feature that your house has. Don't let that billboard sized roof say, "My house looks old and unkept". Realtors routinely tell their clients to find a company to clean their roof before the House is put on the market. A house with a clean roof sells much faster than a house that is covered in black algae streaks.
The Roof Cleaners are certified to safely clean your roof using non pressure cleaning methods. Our methods and cleaning agents are the only ones approved by the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association. They will not void any shingle warranties or cause any damage to your shingles. Any company that has to rinse or use pressure on your shingles (high or low pressure) is not using the proper roof cleaning solution.We have multiple references available in your area (residential and commercial) and we will perform spot cleaning demonstrations if you are still skeptical about the effectiveness of our process.Don't let gloeocapsa magma (black algae stains or streaks) damage your shingles or take away from the curb appeal of your home. It can be safely and effectively cleaned by a professional, certified roof cleaner.Call The Roof Cleaners today! 610-842-2104 or visit our web site: http://www.cleanmyshingles.com/
