What is mold?
Living in New York, it is common to find streaks and stains in different parts of your house. Be it a kitchen, bathroom, ceiling, or roof, mold can grow anywhere. Mold is a kind of fungus that grows on moist surfaces. It is black, green, purple, white, or orange. Starting from as little as a coin, it can grow up to occupy a lot of space if left unattended. If you don’t care you might to be need upgrade your roof.
Apart from mold, algae and moss are another threat to your home. While mold growth is upright, algae stay low on the surface. Winds, birds, and varmints spread the horrendous black streaks of algae across the roofs.
Moss is a dark green spongy accumulation on your roof. A cool and moist environment facilitates the growth of moss. They also occupy the spaces between shingles.
What causes mold infestations?
Mold growth requires two things: moisture and food source. These food sources include organic materials like asphalt shingles, ceilings, floors, and walls.
Common causes of mold infestations include: –
- Lack of maintenance
- Presence of water
- Poor ventilation
The presence of mold harms the quality of your roof. It weakens the structure of your roof and reduces its lifespan. It may cause you to repair or replace your roof earlier than expected. Not only that, the mold spreads all over the house hampering other areas too. It travels to rot your kitchen, bathrooms, attic, and other portions. The more entrenched it gets, the more difficult gets to remove it. Mold also drives up your utility bills. It increases the absorption of the sun’s heat, making air conditioning unavoidable. Most importantly, mold triggers an allergic reaction in sensitive people, such as those who are asthmatic. It can also cause dizziness, memory loss, and other health problems.
How to remove mold from the roof?
Once you muster the courage to undertake this enormous task, prepare in advance for it. Removing the mold from your roof can be quite dangerous so get appropriate PPE for your safety. Gloves, goggles, mask, and proper dress is important to prevent any kind of reaction or hazard.
There are many ways to remove the mold from your roof. The most common and safest way is to use a product known as Spray and Forget. Another product by the name of Wet and Forget also does the same cleaning job. You can attach the spray to a hose-end sprayer and use it. You can spray it from the ground, or the ladder, or while standing by the corner of a gutter. It takes almost three to six months to witness notable changes in your roof. However, this is the most ideal approach if you plan to clean the mold yourself.
If you want a superior cleaning job, here is another method to rid your roof of mold:
Things required:
- Bleach
- Water
- Trisodium phosphate
- Spray bottle
Method:
- Mix equal parts of water and bleach. Add 1/2 cup of trisodium phosphate per gallon of the mixture.
- Spray the solution onto affected areas and let it soak for almost half an hour.
- After half an hour, wash off the solution with your hose. However, maintain low pressure. Within a few days, your roof shall be clean as new.
Some people also recommend the usage of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar to make a solution. Once you spray the solution, let it absorb for about ten minutes. Then use a brush to scrub off the mold. Be careful not to scrub very harshly as you may deteriorate the shingles.
While you might have a flair for home maintenance and cleaning, it is not ideal to take up such complex jobs yourself. Lack of proper knowledge and experience may not just jeopardize your life but also deteriorate your home. Firstly, reaching further corners of your roof, especially slopes can be very dangerous. Secondly, handling hazardous chemicals can lead to a disaster that may hamper your safety as well as a building material. Another important point to note is only experts know how much pressure to exert while cleaning the roof. A pressure wash may deteriorate the shingles and roofing material. Professionals who know how to perform roof upgrades know which chemicals and quantities bring the desired results without damaging the property.