5 Ways to Prevent Mold in Your Roof
Steele Roofing, a trusted local roofer in Tyler and Longview, Texas, knows that roof issues aren’t just caused by hail damage, wind roof damage, leaks, or an East Texas storm.
When you think of contacting a local roofer for assistance, it’s usually for a variety of problems ranging from emergency roof tarping to emergency roof repair to fixing a roof leak or even a roof replacement.
However, roof damage also comes from mold.
The fact is: mold exists everywhere in and around our homes. Some mold can negatively impact people and initiate health problems. Mold can also cause aesthetic damage and make your home lose value. It can also, over time, generate structural damage to your home.
Most of the mold we encounter is relatively harmless, but the mold that grows on roofs can be an issue and, if left unchecked, can cause serious harm.
The good news is mold in your roof is preventable.
1. Identifying Mold on the Roof
If you’ve noticed that your shingle roof is starting to develop discoloration, there’s a chance it might be from mold. However, it’s important to first confirm that’s what the problem is.
Algae can look like mold and can also cause harm to your roof. On the positive side, the products used to clean up mold usually also take care of algae elimination and prevention.
The only way to know for sure is to schedule an inspection with your local roofing company. Your local roofer can safely and professionally make an analysis and devise a plan of action if it turns out to be mold.
A professional roofer will also have the proper products, equipment, and knowledge to safely take care of the issue. Save yourself time and money by calling a professional immediately to diagnose and handle the problem.
2. Keep Your Roof Clean
Keeping leaves, moss, and other debris off your roof is important no matter where you live. Such debris can cause a range of damage to your roof that could prove expensive in the long run. This is especially true if you live in a climate like East Texas that’s often damp and humid. As any East Texas roofing company will tell you, mold thrives in such a humid environment.
Mold, mildew, and algae grow quickly in, under, and around moist debris left on your roof shingles and gutters. So especially if you live in an area shaded by trees, it’s important to keep up with keeping your roof clear.
It can also be helpful to trim the branches of any trees overhanging your roof. This is beneficial because it allows more sunlight to access your roof and eliminates a moist environment for the mold to grow; it also helps keep leaves, sticks, and other debris from falling directly on the roof and into the gutters.
Schedule regular roof cleanings and maintenance with a trusted roofer near you to prevent buildup as well as potential damage from mold, etc.
3. Proper Ventilation
One way you can prevent mold in your roof shingles comes from inside your house, as opposed to the outside. Ensuring your attic has proper ventilation can make a big difference in creating an ideal environment for mold to grow.
Allowing hot, humid air to become trapped in your attic creates good conditions for the growth of mold and mildew. Ensuring your attic has proper ventilation makes it more difficult for mold to grow and spread.
4. Professional Products
Mold on your roof shingles can be cleaned with bleach and other bleach-based products, but these solutions can be potentially harmful to you or your roof.
Contact professional roofers to do the roof cleaning and minimize the risk to yourself and your shingles.
Just getting up on your roof to clean it can be dangerous if you’re not sure what you’re doing. If you suspect a mold problem, contact the professionals.
5. Don’t Wait
If you can visually see signs of mold, don’t wait to contact professionals for a diagnosis. Mold can grow rapidly, and so can its’ harmful impact. Left too long, it can cause expensive damage to the structural integrity of your roof. By quickly identifying and fixing your mold problem, you save yourself the potential for costly roof repairs and maybe even a roof replacement.
While discovering you might have a mold problem on your roof isn’t fun, it’s a common difficulty and can easily be handled with a phone call to a local professional roofer.
