Why Roofs Near the Bay Are More Likely to Grow Algae and Moss
Both algae and moss prefer damp, shaded environments. The Bay offers humidity and moist air that settles on your home over time. When your roof doesn’t receive direct sunlight, such as on a north-facing slope, or if it’s shaded by trees, it will stay damp for longer, allowing moss and algae to spread across your roof. To make it even worse, the Bay has salt and nutrients in its air. These airborne organic matter and minerals can settle on your roof surface. This gives moss and algae the nutrients they need to grow wildly.What Algae and Moss Can Do to Roofing Materials
At first glance, it may seem that algae and moss are both just harmless. They do create dark stains on your shingles that can affect the aesthetic appearance of your entire roof. However, more importantly, moss can cause significant structural issues. This is because moss can retain moisture, which leads to accelerated shingle deterioration, cracking, and curling. Over time, water gets trapped under the moss and can seep into the lower roofing layers. This can lead to water damage and leaks inside your home. Having algae and moss on your roof can greatly shorten the lifespan of your roofing materials. The repeated growth of both moss and algae will break down the protective granules on top of your shingles. This will leave them exposed to UV damage and reduce their overall effectiveness when it comes to protecting your home.How to Help Prevent Roof Staining and Moisture Damage
Protecting your home from both algae and moss growth all starts with understanding your roof maintenance needs. First, you want to start by trimming back any overhanging branches to allow more sunlight to penetrate your roof. This helps improve air circulation and dry out your shingles faster. Ensure that your gutters and downspouts are always clean so that they can remove water efficiently from your roof. You may want to consider installing a copper or zinc strip along the roof ridge. Whenever it rains, water will wash over that zinc or copper, and trace amounts of the metal will end up on your roof’s surface. Both moss and algae struggle to grow when trace amounts of metal are present. It’s also important to invest in regular roof inspections and cleaning services. Our roofers can use a specialized roof treatment to remove early signs of growth without damaging any of your shingles.Schedule Roofing Maintenance With Chesapeake Roofing, Windows & Siding Inc.
Chesapeake Roofing, Windows & Siding Inc. is your go-to expert for everything roofing in the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland area. In fact, as a full-service exterior home company, we can assist you with all of your gutter, siding, window, and door replacement needs. Simply contact our office today to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced roofing professionals.FAQs
Whether it’s about getting rid of algae or the types of roofing we offer, we get a lot of questions from our clients. Below, we’ll answer some of the most frequent questions we receive regarding moss and algae growth. Moss is definitely more than just a cosmetic issue for your roof. It can cause real damage over time because it holds onto moisture, which will accelerate the deterioration of your roofing materials. If you have moss on your roof, we provide various roof repair options to restore structural integrity to your entire roofing system.
Gutters can sometimes make algae and moss problems even worse when they aren’t properly maintained. Clogged gutters can fill with leaves, pine needles, and other debris that will prevent the water from draining properly, which makes your roof damp. Preventing debris buildup is just one of the many gutter guard benefits that you can take advantage of.
