Roof Cleaning, Why Is it important?

There’s more reasons to keep your roof cleaned other than receiving an HOA violation. Appearance and curb appeal is an obvious reasons to have your roof cleaned but there’s other important reasons to consider also.

When your Roof is black and dirty like the one pictured, this is from an algae known as Gloeocapsa Magma, the cells from this algae produce a dark pigment that acts as a sunscreen, protecting the cells from the sun. As this pigment accumulates on your roof, the roof becomes less reflective and absorbs more sunlight, which is transferred into the house as heat, raising cooling costs.

Roof algae are just the first wave in a succession of organisms that can colonize a roof and cause serious damages. The algae can eventually team up with a fungus to form lichen, moss can follow. We don’t see much moss in Florida however there is a development of a small layer of soil that might catch seeds from bird droppings. By the time the seeds sprout in between your roofing material, it's past time for a new roof. This process may take years, but not a chance to take in Florida where vegetation grows rapidly.

Limestone is also used in the manufacturing of many roofing materials. Roof algae over time will slowly consume the limestone, ultimately weakening the roof. Tile, concrete, slate, and many other roofing materials have a sealant that’s baked in during the manufacturing process. Leaving your roof covered with a living organism can damage and remove this protective covering changing the appearance of your roof and shortening the frequency of required cleaning.

Last but not least, home owners Insurance. Yes believe it or not Insurance companies have dropped coverage because of neglected and dirty roofs.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed reading this tidbit of information.