{"id":42,"date":"2020-09-24T15:20:16","date_gmt":"2020-09-24T15:20:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/home.iroofing.org\/?p=42"},"modified":"2021-06-03T11:39:04","modified_gmt":"2021-06-03T11:39:04","slug":"is-your-roof-under-attack-by-the-plague","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/home.iroofing.org\/blog\/is-your-roof-under-attack-by-the-plague\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Your Roof Under Attack by The Plague?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Roof discoloration comes in many forms. What commonly causes irregular variations in roof color are issues related to the age of the materials. But, some causes are more sinister. No, we\u2019re not talking about impact damage from hail, staining from wet leaves, nor whimsical patches of moss, like that which grace a cottage in a child\u2019s storybook. No, we\u2019re talkin\u2019 the B-word. BACTERIA!<\/span><\/p>

Neither plant nor animal, bacteria takes its own place in the kingdom of living things.\u00a0 It\u2019s not a fungus and it\u2019s not like seaweed, which is a <\/span>protista<\/span><\/i>. Rounding out the order of living things is <\/span>archaea<\/span><\/i>, but our gut instinct tells us that isn\u2019t bacteria either \u2014 although archaea<\/em> plays a role in our stomach by aiding digestion!\u00a0 No, bacteria is it\u2019s own thing and it\u2019s found a way to screw up roof shingles.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The bacteria that causes those streaky light and dark stains on a roof is called gloeocapsa magma<\/em>. Its name has nothing to do with volcanoes (as the term magma would suggest), but it sure can erupt and when it does, it\u2019s time to take action!<\/span><\/p>

If you’ve ever noticed curious-looking stains on your roof or on someone else\u2019s, it may very well be an eruption of gloeocapsa magma<\/em>. It looks pretty innocent\u2026 nothing a little roof cleaning couldn\u2019t handle, but there\u2019s more to it.<\/span><\/p>

Rumblings of gloeocapsa magma<\/em> began rather recently, in the 1990’s, when property owners started to wonder what was happening to their roofs. Even the newest roofs were developing unsightly, streaky patterns of discoloration. Most roofing pros weren\u2019t sure what it was, either. The bacteria wasn\u2019t something visually familiar, like green mold, yet here was a monster that was essentially eating away at roof shingles!<\/span><\/p>

Gloeocapsa magma<\/em>\u2019s diet favors moisture and calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is an ingredient in a number of building materials including concrete blocks, and yes, roofing shingles! The chemical compound itself has a powdery white appearance. The bacteria seeks it out and accumulates next to the calcium carbonate in the asphalt shingling. It then appears as an ominous dark stain, plaguing the roofing material like The Black Death!\u00a0 The discoloration takes on a streaky shape over time, simply due to gravity pushing the feeding frenzy downslope.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Does this have anything to do with Global Warming?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Nowadays, it seems like all the world\u2019s problems lead back to one thing\u2026 global warming! While the Earth may indeed be getting warmer, it\u2019s hardly an excuse for the weight you put on over Thanksgiving or the fuzzy picture you’re getting on your TV screen. But when it comes to bacteria on your roof, guess what?\u00a0 Yep\u2026 global warming has a bit to do with it. While gloeocapsa magma<\/em> was first diagnosed as a roof issue in the southeastern United States, it\u2019s believed now that gradually warming temperatures could be the reason roofers are starting to see the proliferation of gloeocapsa<\/em> nationwide.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Conquering the Black Death<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Luckily, gloeocapsa magma<\/em> can be mitigated by cleaning the roof with special solvents containing <\/span>sodium h<\/span>ypochlorite<\/span> or c<\/span>opper<\/span> sulfate.<\/span> Roofing contractors apply the treatment with a hose at low pressure, so as not to further damage the roof by displacing the granules on the surface of asphalt shingles or mistakingly shooting water up under overlapping material. Treating roofs in this way doesn\u2019t promise complete eradication, however.\u00a0 The bacteria, which is carried by wind and even by animals, can reestablish itself on a roof. So, wherever the issue is occurring, regular roof inspections, once every two or three years at least, can help ensure the long, healthy, bacteria-free life of a roof.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Material innovations<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The leading roofing product manufacturers are always on the cutting-edge of construction technology and innovation. Numerous manufacturers now offer materials that are resistant to algae and bacteria, such as GAF\u2019s StainGuard Plus and CertainTeed\u2019s StreakFighter. Gloeocapsa<\/em>-resistant components are built into the shingle and usually contain granules filled with copper particles which are time-released to prevent algae and bacteria stains for years. Other manufacturers making materials and coatings that resist algae and bacteria include Atlas, Tamko, Polyglas, Owens Corning, IKO, and Malarkey.<\/span><\/p>

Copper strips installed on the ridge lines of a roof have also proven effective in preventing algae and bacteria staining.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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How technology can help spot the spots<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Today\u2019s top roofing software solutions, like iRoofing, contain imaging tools that provide roofing contractors overhead views of almost any residential and commercial property.\u00a0 Similar to Google Maps\/Google Earth, the images come from satellites circling the globe. While satellite images can\u2019t always provide a crystal clear image of the roof \u2014 enough to spot gloeocapsa magma issues \u2014 the software\u2019s street view imagery can be more than enough to determine if a roof is plagued by bacterial growth. And, iRoofing has a Clearoof\u2122<\/a><\/span> option. Clearoof\u2122<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>consists of high-resolution images taken from specially-equipped aircraft. Contractors can select from a number of overhead images captured recently as well as from months or seasons prior to the most recent pictures.<\/span><\/p>

If satellite images, street views, or high-resolution aerial images from Clearoof\u2122<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>aren\u2019t enough to decipher rooftop bacterial staining, iRoofing software works seamlessly with drones. Roofing contractors connect their app-enabled device with their drone. Then, from their handheld device, they can snap pictures and take video from the drones on board camera, getting close enough to diagnose any bacteria- or algae-related issues.<\/span><\/p>

Of course, roofers can climb onto the roof, as well, although build up of the microorganisms addressed in this article can make that job more hazardous than it normally is, since these growths can make the roof surface very slippery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

With the images captured from roofing software, contractors can demonstrate to homeowners exactly what problems are unfolding on their roofs. And, when satellite or aerial images can provide enough evidence, the diagnosis can be performed before the contractor visits the property!<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Roof discoloration comes in many forms. What commonly causes irregular variations in roof color are issues related to the age of the materials. But, some causes are more sinister. No, we\u2019re not talking about impact damage from hail, staining from wet leaves, nor whimsical patches of moss, like that which grace a cottage in a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nIs Your Roof Under Attack by The Plague? | Roofing Tips for homeowners<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/home.iroofing.org\/blog\/is-your-roof-under-attack-by-the-plague\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is Your Roof Under Attack by The Plague? | Roofing Tips for homeowners\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Roof discoloration comes in many forms. What commonly causes irregular variations in roof color are issues related to the age of the materials. But, some causes are more sinister. 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