Understanding the Condition of Your Dirty Roof

We help you answer your questions about why your roof looks the way it does, and what that may mean for the overall health of your roof.

Black streaks, green algae, and acid rain. These are all terms that we hear on a daily basis from our clients, and we want to help set the record straight about the health of your roofs and their overall appearance. In this article, we are going to break down the common misconceptions about what you see on your roofs and the pitfalls that many homeowners fall into when cleaning their shingles. 

Why does my roof look like this?

In Michigan, our weather changes fast and our roofs take the brunt of those changes. As part of that, your shingles often develop black streaks that many believe is from the actual shingles deteriorating or granular loss, tar running out of the shingles, or caused by acid rain. This is the number one sign that scares many homeowners into Googling high cost, high effort roof replacement solutions. We are here to tell you that in many cases your shingles aren’t deteriorating, they just need a good cleaning. 

It’s not old, it’s mold!

When we meet with our clients and talk to them about their concerns with the roof, we always want to make sure that just because the roof looks worn, doesn’t mean it needs to be replaced. Often times, the dirty, worn look is caused by Gloeocapsa Magma Algae (moss, lichen). 

A history lesson.

We won’t bore the readers with a full history and science lesson about mold and algae, but as specialists and homeowners ourselves, we want you to know what you are likely dealing with. Gloeocapsa Magma Algae is a form of the ancient, 3 million-year-old cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) organism that turns that dark black color to protect itself from the sun. 

So what about my roof?

The algae that are growing on your roof is very manageable and is likely no cause for concern. Cleaning your shingles using a soft-wash method can help to preserve the life of your shingles and improve aspects of your home that may have seemed unrelated. The biggest plus is that you don’t have to replace your roof or re-shingle, by calling The Roof Cleaners and setting up a consultation, we can determine the best way to clean your roof and help you prepare for the next season.