Several years ago
shingles were true asphalt shingles. They were made of
asphalt-impregnated felt, which made them heavy. These types of shingles
didn’t have the mold problem we have with the new shingles
manufactured today. With the rise of petroleum prices, shingle
manufacturers had to find a less expensive way to manufacture them. They
chose to make shingles with a fiberglass backing for durability.
Fiberglass is light so they needed added weight for stability. They
started using ground up limestone as a filler to add weight. Algae feed
on the limestone, which is the reason for the widespread appearance of
mold and algae stains. Wind and small animals carry the spores from roof
to roof.
Lighter colored roofs
absorb less heat than darker roofs. Since less heat is absorbed, utility
bills are much less than a darker roof. When stains from roof mold and
algae darken a roof, it will cause utility costs to increase. Long-term
heat absorption will also cause damage to a roof.
Some additional
problems that are associated with roof mold include health issues with
allergies. A badly stained roof will decrease the value of a property.
The curb appeal is much lower on a house with ugly roof stains. If a
person is trying to sell their house and its roof looks defective due to
a staining problem, they might have a problem getting the price they
want because potential buyers are concerned about having to replace the
roof. Proper maintenance on a roof requires a roof to be cleaned every
five to seven years.
Since there are no
changes in the way shingles are manufactured, the problem with mold and
algae growth will be with us for many years to come. Companies have been
scrambling to cash in on this widespread problem and develop a mild formula that will effectively get rid of
the staining with immediate results. The race is to develop a product
that can be sold over the internet and over the counter. By doing this,
they will be able to sell this product to anyone and ship to any
location. As of yet, we have no winners. Most of the products require the
use of high pressure water to blast the stains away.
