Black Streaks On My Roof Shingles

The most common type is known as gloeocapsa magma also known as blue green algae.

Black streaks on my roof shingles. If you re seeing black streaks running along your roof chances are you ve mistaken them for dirt or even mold. Technically the black streaks on roofs are a form of algae known as gloeocapsa magma. Why are there dark streaks on my roof. The black streaks are also known as black algae or roof mold.

Algae arrive on the rooftop through the air in the form of spores or clumps of cells. Algae may be mistaken for soot dirt or tree droppings most of which typically produce only localized discoloration. Although it may look like mold or fungi these unsightly black streaks or smear like stains may indicate a type of roof algae known in technical terms as gloeocaspa magma. The black roof stains are caused by a form of algae that has been around for years typically found in the woods on the north side of trees or on exposed rocks.

Areas of the country with low humidity have fewer instances of roof streaks while the problem is relatively common in the southeast where it s more humid and warm. What are those ugly black streaks on my roof. If you live in a humid area of the country you ve probably seen unsightly dark streaks on asphalt shingle roofs. As the blue green algae.

Although these dark spots and ugly black streaks on your roof may look like dirt mildew soot or mold what they really are is algae. Over time this algae accumulates developing a black outer coating which causes stains on roof shingles. Algae growth on asphalt shingles. While the streaks do not cause a great deal of damage they can cause the shingle to age prematurely.

The black streaks running down roofs are actually a hardy algae called gloeocapsa magma. But now this black algae is termed a roof shingle algae because of the annoying discoloration on a asphalt shingle roof. Here s why algae grows on roofs. They re actually algae otherwise known as gloeoapsa magma and they are as nasty as they are resilient.

While not immediately damaging they can prematurely age shingles. I am really disappointed the treated shingles didn t work. I covered our asphalt shingle roof about five years ago with white 50 year guaranteed shingles that had algae prevention treatment but now the entire north side of our roof is black with algae i bought the shingles from lowe s in marianna florida. The algae feed off of the limestone within the roof shingles.

Black streaks on shingled roofs are a common though mysterious sight. This blackish algae creeps it way across neighborhood roofs gradually turning your home s asphalt shingles an ugly dark brown or black. Here s what they are and what to do about them.