Now that summer has finally arrived in Rochester, many homeowners may experience or notice discoloration of their roofs, especially roofing that doesn’t get much sunlight. In order to prevent algae or moss buildup, homeowners must act quickly.

Moss will actually attack and ruin an asphalt or composition roof. Excessive moss can dam up water, allowing water-runoff to travel sideways under your shingles. Moss can also grow underneath the bottom edge of shingles pushing them up breaking seals and giving wind a chance to get underneath. The moss will prevent your roof from fully drying, leaving it vulnerable to further damage. Composition roofing shingles that stay wet for a long time tend to break down, rot, or grow mold and mildew.
While cleaning algae off a composition roof isn’t as crucial as removing moss, it is still very important. Algae can cause a dark discoloring of your roof. On a white roof, the results are much more noticeable than they would be on a darker roof. Bringing your roof back to its natural color is important, but more importantly, given enough time algae can cause the same damage as moss. Algae will also encourage the growth of moss and other fungi, such as lichen, by creating a moist environment.

Cleaning algae off a composition roof is less stressful to the roof than cleaning moss. Most of the cleaning power comes from the use of a chemical solution, not high pressure.
Numerous products on the market can help reduce or eliminate algae growth. Your local Rochester hardware store, Lowe’s or Home Depot has many to choose from.

Moss removal is more difficult and is best done by professional roof cleaning contractors. The right combination of agitation and pressure washing is required to break the moss away before chemicals are applied. Great care needs to take place not to damage existing shingles.

To keep Algae and moss from returning, zinc or copper strips can be applied underneath layers of shingle at the top of your roof, allowing exposure of a few inches of the metals. The chemical reaction of these strips stops them from forming. Again your Rochester Roofing Professional will have the right answers and methods to help you keep your roof in tip top condition.