Grey Roof Shingles Turning Black

This is what makes those unattractive black streaks on your roof.

Grey roof shingles turning black.

See debris staining roof debris and. Gloeocapsa has the ability to form a protective darkly pigmented outer coating that shields the algae from damaging uv rays. Black roof shingles do an excellent job of absorbing the heat from the sun each day. Black brown or gray stains on roofing products due to debris left on the roof surface such as piles of leaves and organic waste from nearby trees.

It is not uncommon for roof shingles to turn black over time. See proximate cause roof shingle stains types of roof stain by color location probable cause and. When that happens it is generally caused by mildew algae mold or dirt stains. The most common culprit is actually a blue green algae known as gloeocapsa magmathat is spread by airborne spores.

Why does this algae appear to be black. The algae will worsen and become more noticeable each year trapping moisture and causing premature shingle aging and granule loss. Thus elimination of roof algae may reduce roof fungus and roof mildew accumulation. The color helps to retain more heat in the home.

The algae feed on the limestone in shingles. As the blue green algae accumulate they develop a dark hardened outer coating which results in the black stains you see. Roof shingles are exposed to a lot of wear and tear as extreme heat sun wind and precipitation come into contact with them. Even the thermal energy with cloudy skies gets picked up with this installation.

Although algae can be found on all types of roofing it tends to be most common on asphalt shingles. Though often attributed to an accumulation of dirt defective shingles mold or mildew. List of the pros of black roof shingles.