A critical part of the home that is often overlooked until there is a problem is the roof! Every homeowner knows they have to take care of their house. And yet, so many people don’t realize that there are things you can do for your roof that will help extend its life, improve your energy efficiency, and increase curb appeal. Some of the offenders that damage your roof include:
- Fungus
- Moss
- Mildew
- Mold
- Algae
These things just love to munch on the limestone that is a large part of an asphalt roof. Couple the limestone with the warm, humid environment that a roof can offer and you wind up with a discolored, potentially damaged, unattractive, streaked, and stained roof! Not only is this unappealing from a visual standpoint, but it can negatively impact your energy usage and structural integrity!
How does mold impact my home’s energy efficiency?
Shingles are designed to reflect sunlight in order to lower home energy costs. Mold, and all of its friends up there, will build up on the surface of your roof. This interferes with the reflective properties of the shingles, which means your home absorbs more heat, which means increased cooling costs in the summer.
How is the structural integrity affected?
The mold, fungus, mildew, algae, and moss love to eat the limestone component of your asphalt roof. As they wear away that limestone filler, your roof will weaken. Where your roof was once a solid line of defense against the elements, it may now leak, or lose shingles if it’s left unattended long enough. It’s important to regularly remove these damage causing organisms from your roof.
How do I get rid of it?
A simple, yet very effective method of protecting your roof is to do a low pressure wash! Pressure washing removes all of the damaging buildup on the surface of your roof, without stripping away the asphalt, when done correctly. It’s very important to use low pressure! Heat makes asphalt slightly malleable, and if you use high pressure on your shingles, you can carve up your shingles like a Christmas turkey.
If you keep up with your roof and take good care of it, you can put off a full roof replacement for a very long time. Other things you can do to increase the life of your roof include cleaning your gutters and trimming overhanging limbs. These reduce the chances of moisture being trapped on your roof, and moisture is the number one ingredient that is required for the growth of mold and all its friends.