Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems. |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
About Those Black Roof Streaks...
At Roof Time LLC, we have heard people explain those black streaks on
roofs as being caused by everything from chimney smoke settling, or acorns cracking on the surface, to tree sap or shingle weathering due to granule loss. One roofer even told a homeowner that lived by the airport, that jet fuel dropping from the sky was the culprit! The fact is that in most cases, the stains and streaks are a form of algae. Black streaking is actually caused by a specific type of living algae known as Gloeocapsa Magma. The staining is a relatively new occurrence, in northern climates but has been around for years down south. Cutting back on tree canopy, or forgoing the use of a fireplace will not correct the problem. The spores are air-borne and as such, are driven through-out the neighborhood by the wind, settling when and where they will. To grow into a visible colony, they require the correct amount of three key elements. Þ Humidity Þ Limestone (a key shingle ingredient) Þ Sunlight So you might ask, if this is true, how come my neighbor has nothing and my roof looks like swamp thing walked all over it?! The sunlight is probably the culprit. Too much sun, and the colony burns up, too little and it never gets started! That's why even on the same home, only certain roof faces are affected, and not others. To properly element roof staining, you should always consider that COPPER stripping be applied after the cleaning phase to help prevent a new infestation. We would not reccomend the use of ZINC because of it's harmful potential as it relates to cisterns, animals drinking from downspout puddles, and the fact that it can act as a corrosive agent when in contact with aluminum, (your gutters)! Metal oxidation also helps as a colony preventative. Look directly under the chimney, soil pipe flanges, and other metal roof protrusions, and you will likely find that the roof is free of discoloration. Roof moss is different from algae. MOSS is more dangerous because it will grow underneath the roof shingle and act like a sponge soaking up water after a good rain. Eventually the moss will cause roof leaks if not treated. Also, moss, once attached to a shingled roof, feeds on the dead organic matter used in the manufacturing process of the shingle. As the fungus breaks down the asphalt shingle, the ceramic granules protecting the surface of the shingle are loosened and begin to fall off. This causes the roof to deteriorate prematurely and diminishes the roof's abilities to reflect heat rays. Roof moss ccumulates on the North side of the home or where shade is most prevalent. Only a professional roofer should attempt to remove roof moss, as it almost always requires some shingles to also be replaced. The initial removal of roof algae and moss is always more difficult then the prevention of roof algae or moss once the roof is cleaned. A standard practice should be to clean your roof and then apply a preventative such as zinc bars, Z-stop, or copper strips, (use the copper!) to keep the stains from returning. With the advent of new products designed to fight discoloration, and companies accepting work to clean shingles, roof cleaning and prevention has never been easier. But a word of caution; there is a right and a wrong way to fight the problem. Roof Time has responded to many homeowners over the past ten years that have caused their roof to begin to leak, by doing all the wrong things! NEVER: Þ Force water up and under the shingle seal Þ Scrub the roof with a hard bristle brush Þ Dump pure bleach over the shingles Many people spend countless hours and money cleaning their respective homes every year only to ignore one of the most visible and important aspects of the home; the roof. Adding a roof algae/moss prevention program to your annual spring cleaning chores will result in a beautiful home that looks fresh and clean! When it becomes time to replace your old roof, having your roofer bid shingles specifically manufactured to fight discoloration, such as those made by CertainTeed, ELK-GAF, and some others, will help to eliminate the problem from coming back! Good Luck |
#2
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
About Those Black Roof Streaks...
On Dec 5, 8:10 am, Roof Time Cincinnati wrote:
At Roof Time LLC, we have heard people explain those black streaks on roofs as being caused by everything from chimney smoke settling, or acorns cracking on the surface, to tree sap or shingle weathering due to granule loss. One roofer even told a homeowner that lived by the airport, that jet fuel dropping from the sky was the culprit! The fact is that in most cases, the stains and streaks are a form of algae. Black streaking is actually caused by a specific type of living algae known as Gloeocapsa Magma. The staining is a relatively new occurrence, in northern climates but has been around for years down south. Cutting back on tree canopy, or forgoing the use of a fireplace will not correct the problem. The spores are air-borne and as such, are driven through-out the neighborhood by the wind, settling when and where they will. To grow into a visible colony, they require the correct amount of three key elements. Þ Humidity Þ Limestone (a key shingle ingredient) Þ Sunlight So you might ask, if this is true, how come my neighbor has nothing and my roof looks like swamp thing walked all over it?! The sunlight is probably the culprit. Too much sun, and the colony burns up, too little and it never gets started! That's why even on the same home, only certain roof faces are affected, and not others. To properly element roof staining, you should always consider that COPPER stripping be applied after the cleaning phase to help prevent a new infestation. We would not reccomend the use of ZINC because of it's harmful potential as it relates to cisterns, animals drinking from downspout puddles, and the fact that it can act as a corrosive agent when in contact with aluminum, (your gutters)! Metal oxidation also helps as a colony preventative. Look directly under the chimney, soil pipe flanges, and other metal roof protrusions, and you will likely find that the roof is free of discoloration. Roof moss is different from algae. MOSS is more dangerous because it will grow underneath the roof shingle and act like a sponge soaking up water after a good rain. Eventually the moss will cause roof leaks if not treated. Also, moss, once attached to a shingled roof, feeds on the dead organic matter used in the manufacturing process of the shingle. As the fungus breaks down the asphalt shingle, the ceramic granules protecting the surface of the shingle are loosened and begin to fall off. This causes the roof to deteriorate prematurely and diminishes the roof's abilities to reflect heat rays. Roof moss ccumulates on the North side of the home or where shade is most prevalent. Only a professional roofer should attempt to remove roof moss, as it almost always requires some shingles to also be replaced. The initial removal of roof algae and moss is always more difficult then the prevention of roof algae or moss once the roof is cleaned. A standard practice should be to clean your roof and then apply a preventative such as zinc bars, Z-stop, or copper strips, (use the copper!) to keep the stains from returning. With the advent of new products designed to fight discoloration, and companies accepting work to clean shingles, roof cleaning and prevention has never been easier. But a word of caution; there is a right and a wrong way to fight the problem. Roof Time has responded to many homeowners over the past ten years that have caused their roof to begin to leak, by doing all the wrong things! NEVER: Þ Force water up and under the shingle seal Þ Scrub the roof with a hard bristle brush Þ Dump pure bleach over the shingles Many people spend countless hours and money cleaning their respective homes every year only to ignore one of the most visible and important aspects of the home; the roof. Adding a roof algae/moss prevention program to your annual spring cleaning chores will result in a beautiful home that looks fresh and clean! When it becomes time to replace your old roof, having your roofer bid shingles specifically manufactured to fight discoloration, such as those made by CertainTeed, ELK-GAF, and some others, will help to eliminate the problem from coming back! Good Luck Wow! Thanks for the good info.....I have seen those streaks all over my neighborhood and they are on my NEW roof too...YUCK. I was thinking of buying zinc strips mae for a roof..but it seems that you would say not to use those....but isn't copper going to cost more? I have a black SBS roof. Will copper look okay? and will copper and/or zinc work on a SBS roof? Thanks for your help! B |
#3
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
About Those Black Roof Streaks...
On Dec 5, 8:10�am, Roof Time Cincinnati wrote:
At Roof Time LLC, we have heard people explain those black streaks on roofs as being caused by everything from chimney smoke settling, or acorns cracking on the surface, to tree sap or shingle weathering due to granule loss. One roofer even told a homeowner that lived by the airport, that jet fuel dropping from the sky was the culprit! The fact is that in most cases, the stains and streaks are a form of algae. Black streaking is actually caused by a specific type of living algae known as Gloeocapsa Magma. The staining is a relatively new occurrence, in northern climates but has been around for years down south. Cutting back on tree canopy, or forgoing the use of a fireplace will not correct the problem. The spores are air-borne and as such, are driven through-out the neighborhood by the wind, settling when and where they will. To grow into a visible colony, they require the correct amount of three key elements. � � � � �Humidity � � � � �Limestone (a key shingle ingredient) � � � � �Sunlight So you might ask, if this is true, how come my neighbor has nothing and my roof looks like swamp thing walked all over it?! The sunlight is probably the culprit. Too much sun, and the colony burns up, too little and it never gets started! That's why even on the same home, only certain roof faces are affected, and not others. To properly element roof staining, you should always consider that COPPER stripping be applied after the cleaning phase to help prevent a new infestation. We would not reccomend the use of ZINC because of it's harmful potential as it relates to cisterns, animals drinking from downspout puddles, and the fact that it can act as a corrosive agent when in contact with aluminum, (your gutters)! Metal oxidation also helps as a colony preventative. Look directly under the chimney, soil pipe flanges, and other metal roof protrusions, and you will likely find that the roof is free of discoloration. Roof moss is different from algae. �MOSS is more dangerous because it will grow underneath the roof shingle and act like a sponge soaking up water after a good rain. �Eventually the moss will cause roof leaks if not treated. �Also, moss, once attached to a shingled roof, feeds on the dead organic matter used in the manufacturing process of the shingle. �As the fungus breaks down the asphalt shingle, the ceramic granules protecting the surface of the shingle are loosened and begin to fall off. �This causes the roof to deteriorate prematurely and diminishes the roof's abilities to reflect heat rays. Roof moss ccumulates on the North side of the home or where shade is most prevalent. Only a professional roofer should attempt to remove roof moss, as it almost always requires some shingles to also be replaced. The initial removal of roof algae and moss is always more difficult then the prevention of roof algae or moss once the roof is cleaned. �A standard practice should be to clean your roof and then apply a preventative such as zinc bars, Z-stop, or copper strips, (use the copper!) to keep the stains from returning. With the advent of new products designed to fight discoloration, and companies accepting work to clean shingles, roof cleaning and prevention has never been easier. But a word of caution; there is a right and a wrong way to fight the problem. Roof Time has responded to many homeowners over the past ten years that have caused their roof to begin to leak, by doing all the wrong things! NEVER: � � � � �Force water up and under the shingle seal � � � � �Scrub the roof with a hard bristle brush � � � � �Dump pure bleach over the shingles Many people spend countless hours and money cleaning their respective homes every year only to ignore one of the most visible and important aspects of the home; the roof. �Adding a roof algae/moss prevention program to your annual spring cleaning chores will result in a beautiful home that looks fresh and clean! When it becomes time to replace your old roof, having your roofer bid shingles specifically manufactured to fight discoloration, such as those made by CertainTeed, ELK-GAF, �and some others, will help to eliminate the problem from coming back! Good Luck some good solid info, my home has the streaks for the very first time but only in the back of the house, which has tree shade from a 200 year old tree. its widespread here but had never seen it before this year perhaps its a global warming effect. it snowed here perhaps that will kill it off? |
#4
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
About Those Black Roof Streaks...
I just tried this product after a recommendation from this group.
It requires no scrubbing or rinsing!!! It's called Spray & Forget. http://www.sprayandforget.com/ It's a concentrated liquid that should be mixed to a 9:1 ratio for existing black algae streaks. 5:1 for moss. You may want to order their special made hose end sprayer because standard hose end sprayers can't get close to mixing these ratios. It takes a while to do its magic (6-9 months) but again requires no damaging scrubbing or rinsing!!! It should be applied every 18-24 months thereafter as a preventative. |
#5
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
About Those Black Roof Streaks...
On Dec 5, 9:45Â*am, " wrote:
On Dec 5, 8:10�am, Roof Time Cincinnati wrote: At Roof Time LLC, we have heard people explain those black streaks on roofs as being caused by everything from chimney smoke settling, or acorns cracking on the surface, to tree sap or shingle weathering due to granule loss. One roofer even told a homeowner that lived by the airport, that jet fuel dropping from the sky was the culprit! The fact is that in most cases, the stains and streaks are a form of algae. Black streaking is actually caused by a specific type of living algae known as Gloeocapsa Magma. The staining is a relatively new occurrence, in northern climates but has been around for years down south. Cutting back on tree canopy, or forgoing the use of a fireplace will not correct the problem. The spores are air-borne and as such, are driven through-out the neighborhood by the wind, settling when and where they will. To grow into a visible colony, they require the correct amount of three key elements. � � � � �Humidity � � � � �Limestone (a key shingle ingredient) � � � � �Sunlight So you might ask, if this is true, how come my neighbor has nothing and my roof looks like swamp thing walked all over it?! The sunlight is probably the culprit. Too much sun, and the colony burns up, too little and it never gets started! That's why even on the same home, only certain roof faces are affected, and not others. To properly element roof staining, you should always consider that COPPER stripping be applied after the cleaning phase to help prevent a new infestation. We would not reccomend the use of ZINC because of it's harmful potential as it relates to cisterns, animals drinking from downspout puddles, and the fact that it can act as a corrosive agent when in contact with aluminum, (your gutters)! Metal oxidation also helps as a colony preventative. Look directly under the chimney, soil pipe flanges, and other metal roof protrusions, and you will likely find that the roof is free of discoloration. Roof moss is different from algae. �MOSS is more dangerous because it will grow underneath the roof shingle and act like a sponge soaking up water after a good rain. �Eventually the moss will cause roof leaks if not treated. �Also, moss, once attached to a shingled roof, feeds on the dead organic matter used in the manufacturing process of the shingle. �As the fungus breaks down the asphalt shingle, the ceramic granules protecting the surface of the shingle are loosened and begin to fall off. �This causes the roof to deteriorate prematurely and diminishes the roof's abilities to reflect heat rays. Roof moss ccumulates on the North side of the home or where shade is most prevalent. Only a professional roofer should attempt to remove roof moss, as it almost always requires some shingles to also be replaced. The initial removal of roof algae and moss is always more difficult then the prevention of roof algae or moss once the roof is cleaned. �A standard practice should be to clean your roof and then apply a preventative such as zinc bars, Z-stop, or copper strips, (use the copper!) to keep the stains from returning. With the advent of new products designed to fight discoloration, and companies accepting work to clean shingles, roof cleaning and prevention has never been easier. But a word of caution; there is a right and a wrong way to fight the problem. Roof Time has responded to many homeowners over the past ten years that have caused their roof to begin to leak, by doing all the wrong things! NEVER: � � � � �Force water up and under the shingle seal � � � � �Scrub the roof with a hard bristle brush � � � � �Dump pure bleach over the shingles Many people spend countless hours and money cleaning their respective homes every year only to ignore one of the most visible and important aspects of the home; the roof. �Adding a roof algae/moss prevention program to your annual spring cleaning chores will result in a beautiful home that looks fresh and clean! When it becomes time to replace your old roof, having your roofer bid shingles specifically manufactured to fight discoloration, such as those made by CertainTeed, ELK-GAF, �and some others, will help to eliminate the problem from coming back! Good Luck some good solid info, my home has the streaks for the very first time but only in the back of the house, which has tree shade from a 200 year old tree. its widespread here but had never seen it before this year perhaps its a global warming effect. it snowed here perhaps that will kill it off?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - No, sorry but snow will not kill off an established colony...but did you see the post about the spray and kill product? I have never dealt with that particular cleaner he mentions, but it sounds good....To rid the stain, you will need to proactivly kill and clean the colony, but remember to take the next step and add a preventative element to the program, so it does not reappear next year! Good Luck! |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Brown streaks on clothes | Home Repair | |||
My roof is stained with black streaks | Home Repair | |||
black mold-roof | Home Repair | |||
Streaks in toilet pan | UK diy | |||
Black growth on roof | Home Repair |