Prevent Roof Stains after Cleaning Asphalt Shingles

Cleaning algae off an Asphalt Shingle roof

So few homeowners realize cleaning that a quality asphalt shingle cleaner can remove shingle algae, mold and mildew with afternoon’s effort. Once the asphalt shingles free from algae, mold and mildew the forces that caused the roof stains will be lurking and in time will try to grow shingle stains on your newly cleaned roof!

No homeowner wants ugly roof stains back, so the question becomes "how do I prevent roof stains from appearing on my asphalt shingles again?"

What causes Roof Shingle Stains?

Stains on roof shingles including black roof stains , algae stains, and even eventually moss are caused by colonies of algae that grow larger and larger. Technically its called Gloeocapsa Magma Algae . Gloeocapsa (we’ll just call it roof stains algae) is a hearty algae that has existed for thousands of years, and feeds off the crushed limestone used as a thickener in asphalt shingles.

Roof Stains Algae spread through the air by squirrels, birds or even just a strong breeze blowing the algae from a neighbor’s roof. Like most algae, roof stains algae is tiny barely the size of the head of a pin. But it grows into larger colonies, and it does it quickly! A single roof algae may grow into a visible roof stain of over 500,000 roof algae cells in as little as 15 months!

When you see a shingle roof stain from the ground, it is actually a colony of more than 500,000 algae cells living over your head!!

Preventing Roof Algae Stains

Reality is that you can’t stop individual roof stains algae from landing on your asphalt shingles roof. Well, unless you build a bubble around your house, and then the roof stains would just form on the bubble! The key to preventing the roof stains is to interrupt roof algae colony when it is growing, but before it is visible. This interruption strategy can be implemented using Roof Armor .

The roof stains prevent strategy is simple. Every 12 months before the shingle stains become visible, apply roof armor. Roof Armor wipes out the roof mold, algae and mildew colony while it is small. Annual roof stains prevention does not require rinsing, because you are roof stains are not visible yet. If you miss a year, and the roof stains get large enough to be visible you can always start over with your asphalt shingle roof cleaner, but with diligent prevention, you may never need to use another asphalt shingle roof cleaner!