We are finally past our rainy season here in Southwest Florida. But you may find that your roof now looks terrible after all of our summertime heat and humidity. That’s the perfect climate for mold, mildew and bacteria to leave ugly streak marks on your roof. And those streaks are more than unsightly, they are also destructive to your roofing materials. Necessity is the mother of invention, and our heat and humidity in Florida is just one reason the roof cleaning industry was started right here.
Back when it was started in the 1980’s, roof-cleaning companies used pressure washers to clean roofs, and unfortunately, many of our competitors still do. However, at Under Pressure, we never pressure wash a roof, because pressure washing is really bad for all types of roofs. For years we’ve used a soft-wash technique. We love to run ahead of the pack though, and we do that through always keeping up with cutting edge technologies and techniques. To that end we recently added a new “green” cleaning solution and application process to clean roofs in a way that kills algae, but not your plants. Our green cleaning technique not only removes those black streaks but kills the mold, mildew and algae at the root, and continues to kill new growth.
Let’s start by discussing those black streaks for a moment, because pressure washing may make it look like it’s gotten rid of them, but it will only be a few months before you start to see those ugly streaks again. That’s because the black streaks aren’t “dirt.” The main culprit of those black streaky roof stains is a bacteria called Gloeocapsa Magma. It’s a bacteria! That means it’s a living organism—it’s a plant that will put down roots. Other forms of microorganisms can be found in union with the bacteria, including mold, fungi, algae, mildew, lichen, and moss. When you pressure wash, you do not blow the roots off the roof, so the bacteria, mold and mildew grow back quickly.
The filament root system of the fungi and algae are growing on, and digging in to your roof. Fungi and algae that are growing on a roof have root systems that can cause damage to shingles such as uplifting, spreading of shingles, and decomposition. The roots open up tiny cracks in the shingles, tiles or other roofing materials. Many of these organisms growing on roofing surfaces do much of the same thing. They spread the shingle like a fan. Because the shingle is attached on the back, the front ends of the shingle flare and roll. This is because the shingle is widened at the front more so than the back.
Many roofing surfaces are made with materials that can be metabolized by these microorganisms. For example, shingles contain limestone, which contains phosphates, an excellent source of nutrients for algae, mildew, and bacteria to feed on. These microorganisms will break down a roofing surface and cause decomposition. This in turn, will also aid the process of erosion caused by running water such as rainfall.
The good news is that through a new cutting edge solution we use here at Under Pressure called BioWash, these microorganism stains can be safely removed! The new solution is completely safe for all of your landscape plantings and grass because it’s biodegradable. It’s effective on all kinds of roof tiles. The formulation of the product and the application techniques the company trained us in allows the cleaning solution to have a longer dwell or linger time, which means less run off, and increased results from just one application. The product does not damage tiles and returns them to their original color over time. One of the best things about this product, is that it continues to work over time, deeply cleaning and preventing the stains from returning, when you schedule regular preventative services with us.
Our BioWash service is an industry first, and we hope you’ll call us today to clean your roof with this environmentally and roof friendly product. If you’re interested in having the black stains on your roof removed safely and with long-lasting results, give us a call at Under Pressure at 239-218-5085.
