There is a reason your asphalt shingle roof has black streaks on it. The unsightly stains on your roof might look like some kind of dirt or mildew. In reality, though, the streaks are an accumulation of algae. This algae is also known as Gloeocapsa Magma or blue algae.
You might be wondering how this growth has gotten onto your property. Really, it doesn’t take much for this type of algae to grow. It accumulates little by little. Over time it becomes more noticeable and darker. This leads to the ugly streaks you see on your roof.
Sometimes it can take months for you to notice that something is wrong with your roof. Still, why are these algae so dark and black? Part of this has to do with the chemical makeup of blue algae. They react to UV light and protect themselves with darker pigments, which creates black streaks on roofs.
These streaks can show up on any roof, but they typically appear on asphalt shingles the most. This is because of the materials used in asphalt shingles. They have a lot of limestones and other components that are attractive to algae as a food source. So they grow more commonly on this surface.
Weather plays a role as well. The inviting material of the shingles combined with humid weather is a breeding ground for algae growth. This of course leads to further streaking on your roof.
Reach out to us today at Sioux Falls Professional Pressure Washing and Restoration for a free roof cleaning quote! (605-480-1384)