Mold is unsightly. It’s the ugly scar that your roof gets from months of neglect.
Mold damages your home’s curb appeal, and if left untreated, mold will eat away at your finances for years to come. Luckily, with the help of skilled roofing professionals like ourselves, you can tackle the problem head-on.
In this article, we’ll give you a step-by-step shingle-cleaning process and things you can do to protect your roof from mold in the long run.
First Thing’s First
So, how does mold look? Well, mold on roofs often has a black-greenish hue. It’ll also appear as blue-green streaks across tiles. Over time, mold eats away the shingles and causes them to rot. If left unchecked, mold growth can even compromise your roof’s structure. It’s also worth mentioning that roof mold is far more common with homeowners who live in areas with warmer, more humid climates.
If you’re dealing with roof mold right now, we’ve got one recommendation for you: leave it to the pros! In our previous blog, we covered a few reasons why DIY roofing does more harm to your home than you realize. However, if you still want to find out how you can remove the mold yourself, read on.
The Cleaning Process
You can clean rooftop mold with a bleach solution. Here are instructions on how to do so:
- Wear proper PPE. When you’re using bleach, make sure you wear rubber gloves and a breathing mask. The breathing mask will stop you from inhaling mold spores as well.
- Pour chlorine and water into a bucket at a rate of 1:3 (1 cup of bleach, 3 cups of water). Mix thoroughly
- Add a tablespoon of trisodium phosphate to the solution and pour into a pump sprayer.
- Cover your lawn, your plants, furniture and other items with a tarp or plastic sheeting. Bleach is not only toxic to plant life, but it can stain your belongings as well.
- Spray the solution generously on the affected shingles.
- Dependent on the extent of the mold, let the solution sit for anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour.
- Rinse off the shingle with a garden hose. Keep the water on low pressure. Start at the top of the affected shingle and work your way down.
- With your gloves still on, run your finger across the shingles you’ve cleaned. If you still feel any slime, apply the bleach solution again and let it sit for another 10 minutes.
- Re-rinse the shingle
Some people prefer to wash their shingles with a pressure washer. We recommend that you don’t do that. The force of the water coming out of the pressure washer damages your shingles’ granules. This, in turn, leaves your roof more susceptible to mold growth than before. Always remember, you don’t need really high water pressure to clean your roof.
Other Measures You Can Take
One of the best things you can do to fight mold growth on your roof is to ensure that your roof gets as much sunshine as possible. The Sun’s UV light kills most mold and spores. So, we recommend trimming any tree branches that block sunlight from reaching your roof.
Another thing you can do to curb mold growth on your roof is to clean your roof’s gutters regularly. Some of the debris in your gutters is highly absorbent, and all that excess moisture poses a threat to your roof’s long-term health because mold thrives in moist environments.
Another option you have is adding copper & zinc strips to your roof. They both work as antifungal agents that kill mold and lichen trying to grow on your roof. Make sure you invest in shingles with algae-resistant technology too.
Lastly, make sure you have annual roof inspections. Licensed roofing professionals here at Regions Commercial Roofing will help uncover your roof’s hidden issues. Get in touch with us to keep your roof in tip-top shape. Regions Commercial Roofing always does your roofing right.