Products To Remove Algae From Roof
Softwashing to remove roof algae moss we use a softwashing technique at sherwood roof cleaning power washing to clean roofs here in fairfield county.
Products to remove algae from roof. You might think that pressure washing is the best way to remove algae. The less expensive solution is to spray wash the roof with a 50 percent mix of water and bleach to get rid of the algae. This wipes out the algae colony before it gets large enough to be seen from the ground. But that would only make sense if the shingles were worn out.
The most common class of roof algae is gloeocapsa magma a bacterium that eats water and expels oxygen. You could replace all the roofing with new shingles dark enough to disguise the staining or with shingles laced with copper granules which are lethal to algae. However the force of the water can cause your shingles to lose their protective granules. Apply with a sprayer and allow the solution to dwell on the roof surface for 15 to 20 minutes and then rinse thoroughly with low pressure water.
Some homeowners also try to get rid of algae by using bleach. Algae grow most often on wood and asphalt shingles or concrete tiles especially if they do not get a lot of sunlight. You may think you have roof algae when really you have moss mildew or mold. But we can prevent the lichen mold mildew and sometimes moss the algae colony produces from becoming visible as a roof stain.
Algae is just a thin film of organic growth that can be removed by washing the roof with certified organic oxygen bleach. Prevent visible roof stains by applying roof armor every 12 months. So the algae colony gets right back to work. Copper strips prevent the growth of moss and algae.
Pressure washing can even tear shingles off your roof. The zinc needs to be applied annually though to keep the algae from regrowing similar to how chlorine gets added regularly to maintain the cool blue color of your pool. There are several products on the market specifically designed to remove algae stains from roofs such as wet forget outdoor. Roof algae generally have a black green hue.
A mixture of trisodium phosphate tsp bleach and water will also remove stains. Moss is a thick organic growth. Generally this takes care of moss for 1 3 years. Bleach may kill the top layer of algae and lighten the stains but it doesn t kill the underlying algae.
Sodium hydroxide lye products on the other hand work better than bleach and are less harmful to vegetation. Spread it along the ridge of the roof then let the rain do it s job of dissolving it.