What is that ugly rust colored stains that are everywhere on peoples roof of their houses.... why do some people get it and others don't and what can be done to clean it off..... Houses are a real eyesore that have roofs with those ugly stains on them.....
I use to know what it was, but can't quite remember at this moment. You can have your roof power washed to get rid of it.
I was told from a roofer they were tree sap stains when a guy came to look at them at our home. I said they're everywhere. He said "yeh, so are trees." Good point. Don't know if that's what you are talking about but that is what was said to me. Stephanie.
Their really not stains. It's an algae that grows on the minerals in the shingles. There are 2 reasons you see it on some and not others. It grows on the side with no sun, and, expensive shingles are made with retardent. Do not power wash the roof!! It will wear off the aggregate. To remove it use 3 parts water one part bleach in a pump sprayer. Spray the roof. If you don't have gutters, protect the plants below. It may take 2 applications or more depending on the severity of the algae growth. It may even take using a very soft brush and lightly scrubing. To keep it from coming back you can buy long strips of thin copper or zinc and mount it at along the ridge of the roof. Just in front of the ridge cap shingles. When it rains the copper washes over the shingles and kills the algae.
Are you sure that is it? Cause I see these same spots on my long driveway but only have about 2 spots that just formed on the roof.... And they are copperish red color. Lichen (algae) is that color?
Learn something new every day. I didn't know "British soldiers" was a lichen, I thought it was a fungus. Looks like tiny red mushrooms.
